IPL or Intense Pulsed Light Treatment or photofacials is a 30-minute treatment that can address those blotches on your face, redness, unsightly capillary veins, or even acne scaring then you can benefit from IPL treatments, and leave you with a more desirable complexion.

The Procedure

IPL is Intense Pulsed Light treatment or photofacials. This procedure applies a broad spectrum of light that penetrates deep within the skin, targeting pigment and vascular imperfections. The results of this process are a more even skin color and texture.

How many photofacial treatments will you need?

An IPL treatment takes about 30 minutes and sometimes a topical numbing cream may be applied before treatment. The number of sessions required would depend upon your skin tone and the extent of pigmented and vascular lesions as well as the amount of sun damage that you have. For most people they have 3 to 5 sessions.

What can you expect after an IPL treatment?

After treatment your face may be a little red for a few hours but will dissipate rapidly. The pigmented areas of your skin will be darker immediately following the procedure, but they will flake over the week following your procedure. You will be able to resume all of your normal activities and work immediately following your procedure.

Your doctor will recommend that you avoid any direct sun light following your procedure, and if you are a tanner, you should not have photofacial treatments. You should all use a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 40 for at least 3 weeks following your procedure, it's also a good practice to use year round.

For more information about IPL you should contact a cosmetic surgeon in your area. Whether its IPL or another cosmetic procedure, a doctor in your area can help you decide what treatment options are best for you.

Click here to read more from DermaNetwork.org