IPL Photofacial And Rosacea: Is It Too Good To Be True?
If you struggle with rosacea, you know that while it’s not life-threatening, it can seriously impact your self-esteem and quality of life. It’s no wonder that you may be looking for a non-invasive, effective treatment for this condition.
Luckily, there is now a treatment that can treat rosacea and other skin issues with little to no downtime and excellent results. If you are ready to achieve your skin goals, read on to learn more about rosacea and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) photofacial.
Understanding Rosacea
Before getting into how to treat rosacea, it’s important to understand what rosacea is and why this skin condition occurs.
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, “Rosacea is a long-term inflammatory skin condition that causes reddened skin and a rash, usually on the nose and cheeks. It may also cause eye problems.”
There is no true evidence, yet, as to why this inflammation occurs. And while you can’t completely get rid of it (aka cure it), you can control it with a number of treatments, including IPL Photofacial.
Introducing IPL
As mentioned, there is no cure yet for rosacea and nor is it life-threatening, but it can impact quality of life, which has many people searching for relief. Knowing this, the medical community has been developing non-invasive treatments for rosacea relief, including IPL photofacial.
The Aesthetics Society explains how exactly IPL can reduce rosacea, with little to no downtime. “Photorejuvenation uses Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology to help reduce the appearance of some of the most common skin concerns, including: brown spots, melasma, broken capillaries, sun damage, wrinkles and age spots. This minimally invasive skin procedure requires little recovery time and has few side effects, making it a very popular skin treatment.”
More specifically, IPL uses resurfacing to bypass the epidermis and target the dermis to treat issues such as rosacea.
DermNet details it further, “IPL systems work on the same principles as lasers in that light energy is absorbed into particular target cells with colour (chromophores) 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 and enables targetting of specific chromophores (these are skin components that absorb light).”
The biggest selling point of IPL Photofacial for most rosacea sufferers? Appointments last from 20 minutes to an hour, it’s virtually painless, you can leave right after, there is no downtime required, and maximum results are often achieved in three to six sessions.
The Many Uses for IPL Photofacial
It’s not just those dealing with rosacea who are running to learn more about IPL Photofacial. It has also shown to be an effective procedure for treating a number of skin conditions.
So while IPL photofacial is remarkably good at reducing facial redness, consider it as well if you have broken capillaries, acne, fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, brown spots or age spots and want a relatively quick fix.
And while IPL photofacial is highly effective on its own at treating skin issues, research has shown it shows particularly strong results when paired with common aesthetic treatments like fillers and botox. In fact, a study in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy stated that “a combined approach is considered optimum” and that studies on a combined approach “reported clinical improvement in various features of photodamaged skin, no increase of adverse effects and neither decrease on efficacy of substances injected.”
Is IPL Photofacial Too Good to be True?
So with no downtime, virtually no reported side effects (minus maybe a slight sunburn feeling), and no invasive techniques, what’s the catch? Does this “miracle” treatment actually work?
Studies have shown that people do, in fact, report positive results from this skin treatment. In fact, the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser therapy found in a study that over 75% of participants who received IPL photofacial treatment would recommend it to anyone looking for skin rejuvenation.
IPL Photofacial in The Woodlands, Texas
Dr. Natalie Drake is a gynecologist in Houston, Texas who also specializes in the most cutting edge, non-invasive aesthetics treatments – including IPL Photofacial. At Practice-Happiness Med Spa, Dr. Drake and her staff can treat all your skin care needs. They are ready to analyze, recommend treatment and rejuvenate your skin to help you feel your best. Give our practice a call today.
JOIN the hundreds of happy patients who are getting relief for their rosacea and sunspots!
Call for a consultation! 281-402-3268