If you are looking for a safe, hassle free alternative to chemical or laser peels, you might want to consider Intense Pulsed Light Therapy, or IPL. IPL consists of emitting high intensity pulses of light to the skin and is able to treat various skin complaints on the neck, face, hands or chest such as freckles, redness, port wine stains, flat birthmarks, tattoos, age spots, facial flushing, purple or blue veins on the face, hypo-pigmentation, broken capillaries, minor sun damage, and hair removal. This treatment has also been shown to increase collagen production by up to 50%. IPL is a quick, non-invasive, and virtually painless procedure that only takes 15 to 30 minutes per session and it not as costly as other skin correction treatments. The best part about IPL is that there is practically no downtime and most clients report smoother skin and pore reduction after undergoing therapy. Given the growing popularity of IPL in recent years, you should have no problem finding a doctor to perform this procedure. Once you have selected a doctor for your IPL treatment, the two of you will meet prior to your therapy to discuss your goals and to answer any questions you may have. Your doctor will also need to make sure that your skin type is compatible with this therapy. The procedure itself is very simple. Your doctor will most likely place a topical anesthetic over the area to be treated in order to ensure your comfort. A cool, soothing gel will then be applied and a glass hand piece, resembling a pyramid, will be laid directly on the skin. The hand piece contains several different filters that are able to control the wavelength range and allow for different applications and skin types. A machine will then emit several pulses of bright light that will pass through the glass piece and into the skin where it will be absorbed by either blood or melanin. The body's natural processes will remove the injured tissue, resulting in fresh, healthy looking skin. Different machines are used for different levels of penetration. Your doctor will decide the intensity level necessary to treat your condition. In an effort to not aggravate the skin, your first session will not be very aggressive. You will most likely have treatments every 3 to 4 weeks and the intensity will increase gradually. One of the biggest benefits of IPL is that there is absolutely no downtime. However, there are certain precautions you must take to ensure proper healing. It is vital that you protect your skin from any UV light, including tanning beds, after being treated. You also need to keep the skin clean by washing it twice a day with cool water and following up with a moisturizer. It is best to not exfoliate the treated area for 3 to 4 days and make sure you avoid using any products containing Retin-A, Vitamin C, or Alpha-Hydroxy for 24 hours. After your procedure you may notice slight swelling and your skin may be a little pink but this should cease within a few days. Most of the people who undergo IPL experience no side effects. However, all treatments have risks. In rare cases scabbing, scarring, and bleeding have been reported. It is also possible that your skin may blister. If this happens, apply a topical antibiotic ointment to the affected area. You may also notice skin pigmentation problems. In this case, normal pigmentation should return within a few months. For most people, IPL is a very safe and pain-free route to better skin and is a treatment that you should consider if you feel your skin could use some improvement.
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3/21/2010 7:38:27 AM 38.107.191.117