Most people come to our clinic for IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) to help get rid of brown spots and rosacea or tiny broken blood vessels on the face. Inevitably, they return 2 weeks later remarking about how great their skin texture looks. Collagen stimulation…an unexpected bonus!
How does it work?
IPL uses high intensity pulses of visible light to improve the appearance of many skin problems and it is a broad spectrum light treatment, not a laser. IPL systems work on the same principles as lasers though, in that light energy is absorbed into particular target cells with colour, in the skin. The light energy is converted to heat energy, which causes damage to the specific target area. IPL systems are different to lasers in that they deliver many wavelengths (or colours) in each pulse of light instead of just one wavelength. Most IPL systems use filters to refine the energy output for the treatment of certain areas. This enhances penetration without using excessive energy levels.
How does it stimulate collagen growth?
With all of that heat, it creates thermal damage, which signals your collagen to come and heal it. Once that collagen gets all heated up, your skin plumps and fine lines soften. This improvement lasts about 6 months and even up to a year on some.
If you also need to lose some spots and redness, two different hand pieces can be used in the same treatment. One will go deeper into the skin, affecting collagen and the other will stay more on the surface level to deal with an uneven skin tone. So 2 passes over the entire face and you are on your way to rejuvenated skin!
Most IPL treatments cost between $350 and $450 which is an affordable, effective treatment for skin rejuvenation compared to many lasers and skin tighteners that range into the thousands. Of course the more expensive treatments also have bigger results and those results last much longer. However, if you are looking for a good improvement without too much downtime, while you are saving up for a Fraxel, IPL is an excellent choice!
