IPL Photofacial in Huntington Beach, CA

IPL is used mainly for sunspots and the brown, blotchy pigmentation left behind by years of sun exposure. It also treats broken blood vessels and the background redness of rosacea, because the same light is absorbed by the blood vessels as well as by pigment.

The IPL treatment specifically targets problem areas while leaving healthy skin alone. The procedure should only be performed under the supervision of a board-certified dermatologist, for both efficacy and safety.

IPL works by picking out pigment against the surrounding skin, so it performs best on lighter skin types, where that contrast is greatest. In deeper skin tones the light can be absorbed by the surrounding skin as well as by the target, which raises the risk of unwanted pigment change — so we generally recommend a different approach.

Your skin type is assessed at your consultation, and if IPL is not the right fit we will tell you what is.

No numbing is needed. Most patients describe the discomfort as minimal — a brief warm snap with each pulse, over in a moment. The treatment itself is quick.

Expect the treated spots to look darker before they look better. Over the first day or two the pigment lifts toward the surface and the sunspots turn noticeably darker, almost like flecks of pepper or coffee grounds on the skin. Over roughly five to seven days those darkened flecks work their way off the face, leaving clearer skin underneath.

You can wear makeup and carry on as normal through that week, but it is a visible week — worth scheduling with that in mind rather than the day before an event. Let the flecks shed on their own instead of scrubbing or picking at them.

Plan on about three sessions to clear accumulated sun damage, spaced four weeks apart so the skin settles between treatments. How many you actually need depends on how much pigment there is and how your skin responds to the first one.

Sun protection afterward is what holds the result. New sun exposure lays down new pigment, and the spots will return without it.

Call our office to make an appointment for your Photofacial today.