A photofacial reaches deep within the layers of your skin to correct several complexion blemishes, especially brown lesions and sun spots, with minimal or no recovery time. The best candidates for IPL treatments at Beauty Medica may have many issues with their skin, such as rosacea, sun damage, brown spots (hyperpigmentation), rough texture, large pores, redness, melasma, age and sun spots, or dilated capillaries. The treatment is completed inside our Houston, TX office in around 20 – 30 minutes in one of our private rooms. To start the IPL facial, your technician will clean and dry the skin to be treated before protecting your eyes with special shields. The IPL photofacial is performed using the Harmony XL PRO. A handpiece is passed over the skin while emitting pulses of light energy. There is no downtime associated with a photofacial, but you will leave your appointment with your complexion a little pink and swollen. This will decrease on its own in about a day. Beauty Medica suggests you keep an ointment on the treated skin to decrease irritation and promote healing. After 2 – 5 days, the sun damage and other irregularities that rested under the skin will come to the surface skin layers and then start to flake off. While you should have some results after the first session, your skin will attain ideal results with multiple IPL sessions.

How much does IPL cost?
Your complexion issues are unique, so the cost of a photofacial will depend on your unique condition. Beauty Medica offers monthly specials, and we take many forms of payment. In your initial visit, we can help estimate your cost and recommend how many sessions are needed to fit your needs and goals.

How quick are the results from IPL?
Improvements can be seen following one treatment, but final results are visible a month after your last treatment. It’s common for you to see different responses following each treatment. You will notice fading of blotchiness, redness, age spots, and sun spots over time.

What are the possible side effects of IPL?
Most patients experience mild, temporary side effects, like redness, swelling, blisters, bruising, or crusting. These should subside 2 – 3 days following your treatment. You will be sun-sensitive, and you should keep in mind that excessive damaging UV rays will negatively affect your results. We also recommend using sunscreen to avoid damage like spots and redness.

Do I need to prep for IPL?
To prepare for an IPL treatment, patients are asked to avoid self-tanners and excessive sun for at least 2 – 4 weeks before their appointment. You might need to stop using minocycline, tetracycline, doxycycline, or Retin-A/Renova a few days before each treatment, and you may want to start taking aspirin or ibuprofen for 5 – 7 days before your procedure to decrease your risk of bruising. You also need to use sunscreen since your skin will be extra sensitive.

Why should I get multiple IPL sessions?
Multiple IPL treatments are better to deliver gradual improvements to your skin. Every session will reduce surface irregularities and spots. A series of sessions also allow for longer-lasting improvements.

You probably didn’t think too much about your skin’s health when you had clear skin, but once environmental damage, including hyperpigmentation and other concerns, becomes visible, you now may be interested in treatments that improve your complexion. We encourage you to find out more about IPL treatments by calling our Houston, TX office and scheduling a skin assessment with our team. With IPL treatments at Beauty Medica, we can go deep within the layers of your skin to help restore a radiant glow and a clear complexion.