IPL, also known as intense pulsed light, is a treatment that can treat redness (erythema), pigmentation, sun damage, and excess hair. It uses pulses of visible light that are directed through selectable wavelength filters, allowing it to target structures with particular colours (chromophores) in the skin.
How does IPL work?
IPL is a non-ablative treatment that works differently than a laser, as it emits numerous wavelengths (or colours) of light with each pulse. In contrast, lasers are monochromatic – they only emit one wavelength. The pulse is absorbed by different colours or chromophores such as red, brown, or black. The most common chromophores targeted are melanin (pigment) and oxyhaemoglobin (blood vessels and redness). When the chromophore absorbs the energy, it causes thermal damage.
A key advantage is that the recovery time is minimal, and you can mostly get on with life as usual – especially with more modern, precise devices which have even less downtime.
Why Candela Nordlys IPL?
At Anue, we use the Candela Nordlys for IPL treatments. This is an innovative machine that uses narrowband IPL. The pulse of narrowband is a lot more efficient, meaning it more precisely targets the chromophore being treated. As a result, the Nordlys pulses use about half the amount of energy as traditional IPL machines.
What does all this mean for you?
- Less pain: in most cases, we don’t even need to use cooling or topical anaesthetic.
- Less burning (erythema): you’re much less likely to suffer from excessive erythema and swelling after the treatment.
This means less downtime and a faster recovery, so it interferes less with your daily activities.
What can be treated with IPL?
Intense pulsed light is a very flexible technology as it can treat a lot of conditions.
It can be used to treat:
- Vascular lesions, such as:
- broken facial veins
- spider telangiectasia
- port wine stains
- rosacea
- Age spots, marks, and sun spots, lentigines (lentigo)
- Erythema
- generalised
- diffuse redness
- flushed cheeks or rosy cheeks
- Fine wrinkles and lines
- Skin texture
- Unwanted dark hair
What are the benefits of IPL treatment?
Reduce pigmentation
Intense pulsed light can significantly reduce pigmentation by targeting melanin chromophores that are responsible for hyperpigmentation. Since the light heats and destroys melanin, a significant reduction is visible even after the first session. Three treatment sessions are usually required, however, this does vary depending on each case.
Improve tone and texture
Due to the broad wavelength of intense pulsed light therapy, it naturally evens out the skin tone by targeting all the chromophores (pigment, vascular, water) within the light beam’s target. Furthermore, its ability to encourage the body to produce collagen means that the skin’s texture can improve significantly over the treatment recovery period.
Minimise redness
By targeting oxyhaemoglobin chromophores, intense pulsed light can limit redness over a course of treatments. Three sessions are typically required to reduce redness. Of course, this can change depending on the severity and each individual’s response to the light.
What to expect at an IPL appointment
An experienced healthcare provider will conduct your first appointment as a consultation. The first thing they will ascertain is what your skin concerns are and what your desired outcome is. Next, they will undertake a comprehensive assessment of your skin and provide their expert recommendations regarding treatment. Then they will develop a treatment plan tailored to your skin.
Our optimal goal is to help you achieve long-term results and not have to keep coming back for appointments.
IPL with Anue
We believe our clients deserve access to expert administration of quality IPL treatment. That is why we offer our services by our trusted team, supervised by renowned specialist dermatologist, Dr. David Lim.
By using refined techniques, qualified professionals, and high-quality products, we aim to make you look and feel your best. Our IPL treatments are safe and effective at helping you achieve your goals.