Scars, birth marks, port wine stains and other blemishes can make you feel self conscious, especially if they're in highly visible places like on your face, neck or hands. Dermatologists have developed an effective treatment for a wide range of blemishes called intense pulsed light, or IPL. IPL works well for so many blemishes because it emits a wide spectrum of light that's capable of treating several different types of skin discoloration at scarring at once. IPL is minimally painful and has a short recovery period.
Step 1
Talk to your doctor or dermatologist to make sure you're a good candidate for IPL. Do not have IPL if you have lupus, routinely develop keloids, have very dark skin or are very sensitive to light.
Step 2
Ask questions about the place you've chosen for your treatment, recommends dermatologist Peter Vignjevic. IPL can be performed at spas in addition to doctor's offices so it's important to determine if the technicians awe well trained and experienced at IPL.
Step 3
Prepare your skin for the procedure by letting your tan fade and avoiding the sun. Stop using aging creams or lotions that contain vitamin A, glycolic acid or other harsh chemicals for at least one week pre-treatment.
Step 4
Schedule and attend your procedure. Expect it to take less than a few hours with very little recovery time. You can go to work or school right away after having IPL, but some people take one to three days off to allow redness to fade and to manage pain. Not everyone will need this time.
Step 5
Follow up with an additional four to five treatments for best results. Understand that the aging process and your body's own healing process could cause the blemish to return over time.
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