IPL REJUVENATION

We service our cars, we have our carpets steam-cleaned and we re-paint our houses every so often ... but we rarely consider that our face could do with the same all-over freshening! Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a rejuvenating treatment for your skin, and will gradually and naturally smooth away areas of uneven pigmentation, spotting, and redness. The end result is creamy-smooth coloured skin at most points along the pigment spectrum.

At The Clinic, we can use IPL photo-rejuvenation along with any of our other technologies in a treatment plan that allows you to treat and reverse sun damage, plump up the skin and treat discolouration including pigmentation and broken facial red veins. 

IPL treatment uses a beam of many different wavelengths of light to break down the accumulated spots of melanin, reddened areas and the blood which has leaked out of broken capillaries. 

IPL treatment is gentler and more customisable than many other skin treatments. It is also more targeted towards removal of pigmentation, whereas other procedures are usually aimed at wrinkle reduction. 

IPL treatment has a wide range of benefits. We can use it to treat:

• Freckles, sunspots and other hyperpigmented areas
• Acne (the light energy destroys bacteria colonising your skin)
• Sun damage and diffuse redness
• Broken capillaries
• Uneven colouring

In comparing IPL against other photorejuvenation or pigment removal techniques, there are also more specific benefits:

• Zero downtime
• In some cases (such as for minor broken capillary treatment) only a single session is required
• IPL treatment is broken up into several sessions, and you need only have the number of sessions that allow you to achieve your goals

There are some common (and indeed, expected) side effects with all IPL rejuvenation procedures:

• Redness
• Slight swelling
• Initial darkening or your pigmented areas

If your IPL rejuvenation is performed by an unskilled or untrained operator, burns and scarring can occur. This is why we employ only fully medically trained staff at The Clinic, who undergo extensive industry-specific training.

Our doctors and nurses recommend between 1 and 5 sessions to see long-term improvement for most clients. 

The usual procedure for IPL treatment clients is:

• You'll speak with a Senior Consultant, Nurse or Doctor about your background and medical history at your FREE initial consultation
• The doctor will make sure that IPL treatment will fulfill your goals, and may suggest an alternative or complementary cosmetic treatment.

At your IPL treatment appointment:

A cold gel is applied to the skin which will be treated
• You'll wear dark glasses to shield your eyes
• The Clinic's nurse or doctor will use the handpiece to treat the entire area

Local anaesthesia is rarely used for IPL treatment; there is a definite sensation but little actual pain.
Without local anesthesia, we would rate the pain of IPL treatment at around 2.5/10. 

You'll have a 'healthy glow' about you, similar to that produced by a vigorous workout (though you've only been sitting down!). Brown spots and pigmented areas will turn darker after the treatment, and the body will then break down the melanin which has been released over the next few weeks.

Please see the 'Preparation and Post-Procedural Care' tab for more information on preparation for IPL treatment and post-procedural care.