Medical Spas, cosmetic dermatologists, and plastic surgeons have found Intense Pulsed Light devices (IPLs) to be effective in treating a variety of cosmetic conditions, from acne, to pigment and age spots.

Since IPL medical devices use a ‘pulse’ of light they deliver their energy into the dermis over a longer time than a laser, providing different treatments and usually resulting in less pain for the patient.

IPLs are a preferred technology for many skin pigment and coloration treatments by cosmetic dermatologists, plastic surgeons, aesthetic physicians and medical spas.

Intense Pulsed Light Devices (IPLs) are a non-laser flash lamp light source that emits broad spectrum, high-intensity visible and infrared (IR) light and is used by a physician or under physician oversight to treat a wide number of conditions including hair reduction, mild to moderate acne (Including PDT), Rosacea, dyschromias, telangiectasias, and related treatments of wrinkles and creases. Depending upon the manufacturer, treatment wavelengths are chosen by selecting a particular filter or attaching a specific treatment head or hand piece that is configured with the filter already attached.

IPL treatments in general, provide less remarkable visible improvement than treatments with ablative lasers, but significant improvements can be seen in the treatments of erythema and dyschromias and this, combined with less pain and other benefits, generally result in overall satisfaction by the patient.

Visible, shorter wavelengths are used to target hemoglobin (blood) and melanin (pigment) with longer infrared wavelengths targeting water in the skin. Since these devices operate with a ‘pulsed’ light instead of a high-intensity focused beam like a laser does, they emit more scatter (feathering) and are considered to be less selective than a laser. With IPL, there are often more treatments needed to achieve optimal results than with a laser.

IPL devices can’t deal with all cosmetic dermatological conditions but they’re an important tool in any medical spa or cosmetic medical practice.

Technology providers of IPL Intense Pulsed Light devices include Palomar, Cutera, Lumenis and Sciton although there are a number of other manufacturers.