Who’s the Ideal Candidate for IPL?

May 10, 2022
|In IPL
|By Dr. Robin Levin

The word “pigmentation” simply means coloring. The amount of natural pigmentation your skin has—known as melanin—is what determines its color. Some people, however, have skin pigmentation disorders as a result of the cells that produce melanin being damaged or unhealthy. One of the great things about intense pulsed light (IPL) is that it can correct many types of pigmentation issues. This treatment actually helps patients to correct all kinds of skin imperfections, including acne, birthmarks, liver or age spots (also called brown spots), broken blood vessels, dark spots due to hormonal changes, freckles, discolored skin, fine wrinkles, and redness from rosacea. The light energy from IPL is absorbed by pigmented cells and converted into heat, which fatally damages the pigmented cells without harming the rest of the surrounding healthy skin. Almost anyone can have this treatment, but certain factors make some patients better suited for intense pulsed light than others, as they will get optimal results with minimal side effects. Before you decide on IPL, it’s important to talk to one of our experienced skincare providers to find out which treatment would be best. Here’s what typically makes someone a good candidate for intense pulsed light at our New Jersey-based practice:

  • Having minor skin irregularities such as blotchy skin, dark spots, uneven skin, or certain types of chronic, inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea
  • Not using Accutane (a powerful acne medicine) within the past six months

Patients who are pregnant, have certain skin conditions, are sensitive to light, may have skin cancer, have recently tanned (through sun exposure, tanning beds, or a fake tan), are using retinoid creams, are very dark-skinned, have a skin resurfacing disorder, have severe scarring, have keloid scar tissue, or take medications for certain conditions may not be good candidates for IPL.

On dark skin tones, there is a higher chance of hypopigmentation (patches of skin that are lighter than the overall skin tone) after having IPL, so a member of our team can discuss strategies for darker-toned patients who have particular concerns they want addressed.

For more advice about light-based procedures, contact our New Jersey-based South Jersey Skin Care & Laser Center. Call us at (856) 810-9888 or send a message online to get in touch with us and set up a consultation.