IPL Knowledge Page

Introduction
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. It uses a bulb similar to a regular light bulb in that it puts out white light which has all of the visible spectrum from red to violet. The device uses some way to screen out certain wavelengths to use those to hit the desired target. Our device uses filters to allow the wavelength and above to shine through.

Targets we go after
There are 3 chromophores or targets for light and laser treatments. They are hemoglobin, melanin and water. Hemoglobin is a large molecule in red blood cells, which carries iron, which in turn carries oxygen. It is used as a target for red lesions, blood vessels and redness in flushing vessels in Rosacea.

Melanin protects structures in the skin from the sun's radiation by blocking specific dangerous wavelengths of light. It lays at the junction of Epidermis and Dermis in the skin. It is involved in cosmetic problems such as Melasma, Pigmentation and freckles. We use this as a target for the pigmentation abnormalities seen on the skin and also as a target for hair removal using light and laser.

Water is the last target and is used to correct problems on the surface of the skin such as correcting acne scars, texture problems and wrinkles. This can be done as a part of a laser resurfacing, where Erbium is our particular favorite. The IPL can do what has been coined as photorejuvination where heat is taken up by water and collagen and triggers collagen regrowth.

Each of these targets have wavelengths which they particularly are attracted to and this target will absorb the light of that wavelength and heat up. It is the heating of the target and the disruptions it causes that allows us to treat problems such as Melasma and Rosacea. It gets tricky between melanin and hemoglobin as their absorption curves overlap in places and going after hemoglobin with increased melanin in skin gets interesting.

FAQ

I had an IPL before and it didn't work?

IPL is not considered a laser and therefore just about anyone can operate one. It can be a dangerous machine due to the heat which it can generate. Most machines do not have any type of integrated cooling to protect the epidermis and individuals rendering treatments will learn quickly to turn down the energy after the first few mishaps.

I heard that IPL can burn and damage skin?

IPL is a wonderful treatment as long as the operator of the device has a good knowlege of laser and light physics and an understanding of the physiologic changes of the skin with light from sun and tanning. Caution must be used with darker skin types or those with more sun damage or receently tanning. This is a recipe for disaster. Our BBL with integrated coooling is able to cool the Epidermis while light energy is delivered to the Dermis. This allows us to use a bit more energy safely, makes the treatment rather painless (we don't use topical anesthetics with our treatments) and avoids any damage to the epidermis.

A common problem is that some machines will use a single bulb which will slowly die and the operators of the machine ever so slowly turn up the energy, known as Fluence. When the bulb is changed for servicing the next few treatments may be a problem until the Fluence is reconsidered. With our BBL, 2 bulbs are used at 50% energy and the life of the bulbs will probably last long enough for my grandchildren to treat your grandchildren, or yours to treat my mine. Either way that's ok it's so safe.

How many treatments does it take to treat Rosacea, patients on the internet are saying it took more than 6?

We do not market our IPL as a single treatment regimen, but as you can see from the patient on our page we may be able to succesfully treat in a single treatment. We don't always try to sell packages of treatments as we would like for you to feel comfortable with us and our device. I will make the recommendation that will be best for you while considering your costs.