IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a common procedure performed in beauty, laser & medical clinics. It involves a procedure flashing filtered light of various wavelengths over skin to reduce pigmentation and redness, resulting in a more even skin tone and improved skin clarity.

IPL can give dramatic results and is one of our favourite treatments to perform. However, it has risks, and I have my rules about how and when I use it.

Due to the power and heat generated by IPL, risks are related to overheating the skin such as:

• blistering

• infection

• hyperpigmentation

• scarring

• hypopigmentation (which is very difficult to treat)

Most of these risks can be mitigated with good training, high quality machines experience, and speedy medical follow up if complications occur. Unfortunately, the laser industry remains unregulated, meaning there is no mandate for training, machine standards or maintenance in Australia. You can purchase an IPL machine from Alibaba (no kidding!) with no training or beauty/medical background. This is a real shame and causes harm - for example in NSW, IPL is one of the most common procedures causing burns, infection, scarring and hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation (scarring involving increased or decreased pigmentation). Many patients don’t seek medical attention, or GOPs don’t know what to do, and patients can develop lifelong complication.

As someone who has done my fair share of laser and IPL, I can tell you that skin can be unpredictable. It is much better to go slowly and start conservatively, rather than jump in get an unwanted suprise or complication.

So when I ask you to follow these IPL rules, please know that this is to protect you and your skin from harm. This is what doctors are trained to do, (“do no harm”). It s a mandate for us. Personally, I have also found that this approach will give you the best results, in the fastest time possible, which makes it more economical for you in the long run.

There is also a risk in under treatment - that is having treatments that don’t impact the skin significantly, or long treatment plans that waste your time and money. Many of my current patients who have previously been chain clinics were committed to long term monthly IPL treatments for YEARS (again, no kidding), lured in by “cheap” treatments. Not only is this a waste of time, it’s not actually cheaper if you have the treatment 12 times, instead of 3 times at clinically meaningful settings!

We need to find that balance between a meaningful and safe clinical outcomes.

🌿 5 cardinal rules for cardinal rules for a good IPL result

1. Prepare your skin before a treatment with good home care or a course of Retinol peels for the month before IPL - this allows us to use higher settings to reduce pigmentation, without damaging your skin

2. Always perform a test patch first. A test patch allows us to find the most suitable setting to balance knocking your pigment out of the skin, without causing thermal damage.

3. If you have darker skin, consider other options - we may use a different laser to reduce your pigmentation/ This is why it’s good to go to a clicic that has a selection of devices, as we cantailor our products to your skin, which reduces risks and improves outcomes.

4. Don’t have IPL if don’t wear sun cream every day- the heat from IPL will sensitise your skin to produce more pigmentation. This is why we ask you to avoid the sun while undergoing a course of IPL, and use SPF daily. If you don’t follow this advice, there is really no point in having IPL as your pigmentation will just come back!

5. Plan your IPL - Planning is important for 2 reasons - Autumn and Winter are the best times to work on your pigmentation for the above reasons. Avoid IPL in Summer especially in Australia- this is just good practice to avoid hyperpigmentation. Secondly, expect some down time for a week or so - if you have red skin, your skin will likely go red and swell slightly for a few days. If you have dark pigmentation, expect your spots to darken and raise to the top of the skin- it will look like little bits of coffee ground and fall off gradually.
   

Many patients are a little bit disappointed to wait, but there is no substitute for safety. I am referred a lot of laser and IPL complications from our area and I see all the possible issues! So please trust me that being prepared and cautious is the right path for beautiful skin.

⚕️The ‘before and after’ photographs on Dr Grant’s website illustrate examples of the types of procedures Dr Grant provides, along with the results received. Results may vary, depending on the individual.