How Many IPL Treatments Are Needed To See Results? - Dermatology Institute (2024)

FAQs

How Many IPL Treatments Are Needed To See Results? - Dermatology Institute? ›

For patients to get the best IPL results, it is generally recommended that patients receive, on average, 4 – 6 treatments scheduled four weeks apart. Why do most patients need more than one IPL session? Every IPL treatment builds upon the previous one, allowing the skin to react gradually.

On average, we typically recommend a series of 3 – 6 IPL photofacial treatments to help achieve an optimal outcome. After this initial round of treatment, routine maintenance — or “touch-up” — treatments can be used to keep your skin looking its best over the long term.

But how frequently you'll need to use your IPL device depends on the area you're treating and the device you use. Lumi IPL hair removal is certified to deliver long-term hair removal after just 12 uses, but chances are you'll start to see a serious reduction in hair growth after just 3 or 4.

We recommend three IPL treatments performed one to two months apart initially and then one to two treatments per year thereafter as maintenance. While you should start to see some great results after the first IPL session, the best outcomes occur after several treatments.

This one is hard to answer because it is very much dependent on the severity of your skin's needs. But as a rough guide, the general recommendation is to do 6-8 treatments and then evaluate your progress. Some find that is all they need while some more stubborn areas of hyperpigmentation may require more.

In general, patients can expect to see some improvement in their skin after the first session of IPL treatment. However, the full results may take several weeks or even months to become visible.

Best Tips to Prepare

The treatment area mustn't be tanned or exposed to direct sunlight two weeks before your procedure. Sun exposure encourages the production of melanin, which can interfere with your IPL's results. Be sure to use an SPF of 30 or higher even when stepped outside for a brief period of time.

You'll know the treatment is working when your hair grows out slower and finer. This usually happens after the fourth session. Others have also noticed hair shedding more easily and falling out more frequently than before after IPL treatment and shaving becomes easier.

It is impossible to avoid all sun exposure and so even with the best of skin care and protection, new brown spots may emerge gradually over time. Proper skin care and protection is the only thing standing between you and appearance of future brown spots.

Make regular exfoliation a habit before and after every session. Dry skin can form a barrier between the light and skin. Exfoliating the treated area will maximise the amount of light to penetrate the skin. Shaving can also create bumps and ingrown hair, which can be minimised through exfoliation.

Does IPL tighten skin? ›

While IPL is especially useful for reduction of pigmentation in the skin, the heat it generates can stimulate cell turnover and collagen production in the skin This can have the effect of tightening areas of loose, crepey or lax skin and smoothing fine wrinkles.

You can overuse at-home IPL. If you use your device too often, you won't speed up your hair removal treatments and could set yourself up for side effects. Like nearly everything in life, IPL works best when following the recommended treatment plans. That's typically twice a week over 8 weeks, for starters.

However, if you are interested in rejuvenating skin texture and addressing signs of aging, microneedling is likely a better option. Unlike IPL, microneedling has the ability to deeply penetrate the dermis and repair skin from the inside out.

Unfortunately, IPL doesn't work for everyone. IPL technology requires contrast between hair and skin to work its magic since it targets pigment in the hair follicle. Does IPL work for your skin tone? If you have light blonde, red, or gray hair, or if your skin tone is very dark, IPL may not be a good fit for you.

As a general rule, the smaller the capillaries, the quicker they are to clear up. Typically, you won't start seeing results until two to four weeks after the first treatment, as it can take the body's lymphatic system that long to remove the dead material.

IPL treatments work very well to reduce and remove brown and red spots on the skin and create an overall better complexion. However, as this treatment has “minimal or no downtime”, it is necessary to do 3-5 treatments to achieve the very best results.

Neither treatment is permanent permanent, but the results for both IPL and laser hair removal can last for months, and both devices are FDA-approved for reducing the amount of hair regrowth over time. The IPL treatment might save you some discomfort compared to laser, though.