Pre-treatment care
It's important that before receiving the IPL treatment you follow the recommended guidelines on the area to be treated 30 days before treatment.
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Do not use sunbeds and do not sunbathe
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Do not use self-tanning creams
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Do not wax, thread or tweeze hair from the treatment areas
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Do not have electrolysis on the area
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Do not use depilatory creams and do not bleach hair on the treatment area
After-treatment care
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Limit your sun exposure as much as possible subsequent to treatment.
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Use a high SPF factor sunscreen 30 when exposed to the sun between / and after treatments.
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Cool any areas which remain warm after treatment with cooling aloe vera gels, cold compresses or frozen gel packs.
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Do not wax or tweeze treatment site between hair removal treatments.
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Avoid extremely hot baths, whirlpools, saunas, or heavily chlorinated swimming pools for 12 – 24 hours subsequent to treatments.
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Avoid strong deodorants subsequent to hair reduction treatment of the underarms for 24hr.
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Avoid vigorous exercise for 12 – 24 hours subsequent to treatments.
IPL treatments are ideal for those with:
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Rosacea
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Flushing
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Sun damage
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Age spots
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Acne
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Spider veins or vascular lesions
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Brown spots
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Pigmented lesions
How long should I stay out of the sun prior to and after IPL treatments?
It is recommended for you to be out of the sun 3 weeks prior to treatment or for the appropriate timeframe for their skin to return to their natural colour. It is also recommended that you do not tan or use tanning products in the timeframe between a prescribed series of pulsed light treatments as overactive melanin could cause a pigmentation effect.
Can you treat the spider veins on my leg?
Yes. These treatments are very effective. As opposed to the side of the nose or upper cheek where vessels may disappear instantly or within a few days, the deeper, thicker vessels (spider veins) often found on the lower legs will take longer (up to ten weeks in some cases) to resolve and typically darken and constrict subsequent to treatment. The pulsed light systems are NOT designed to treat large leg veins and typically will NOT resolve veins effectively which are greater that 2mm in diameter at greater than 2mm depths.
Can you treat my skin with psoriasis? eczema?
Yes. As a matter of fact pulsed light treatments given the appropriate settings can enhance the healing process of these two skin conditions.
How long should I be off of photo-sensitive drugs (like retin-A, St. Johns Wort tetracycline, miticyne etc.) prior to pulsed light treatments?
Ideally it is recommended that you stop taking photo-sensitive drugs four weeks prior to receiving any pulsed light treatment, but dependent on the degree of photosensitivity, in some cases this period of time can be less.
Can I combine photo-rejuvenation with chemical peels/microdermabrasion, and if so, at what intervals?
Yes. Pulsed light treatments are a natural compliment to the microdermabrasion process. In the case of combining these two treatments, microdermabrasion should be done two weeks prior to the pulsed light treatment. The pulsed light treatment can then be repeated at the recommended interval dependent on your skin type, if desired. You should remain out of the sun for a minimum of six weeks prior to combining these two treatments.
Can IPL help clear up my active acne and acne scarring?
Yes, the selective band of wavelengths emitted from the IPL, target pigment to destroy the P-Acne bacteria, without the requirement of any topical chemical agents. The light also stimulates collagen production to help resolve the acne scarring.
If the acne hand-piece is used to treat acne on the face of a male teenager, will it compromise his ability to grow hair in the future?
No. The acne hand-piece does not destroy hair nor will it compromise it’s ability to re-grow.
Can pulsed light treatments stimulate hair growth?
It has been determined that in a small amount of the population (<10%) there is a possibility that pulsed light treatments can stimulate dormant hair cells to produce an active follicle of hair. In these rare cases, you can simply remove the dormant follicle in a subsequent session as it grows into the anagen or active growth phase.
Can you treat my raised moles that contain a hair?
It is not recommended to treat raised moles with hair growth, as the hair will likely be removed however the mole may lose pigment, hence be difficult to identify.