IPL // what to know + where to go

What if I told you that there were a way to reduce uneven or blotchy skin....permanently? Would you believe me? You'd probably assume that there's gotta be a catch somewhere--some sort of gimmick--something I'm selling....

Scout's Honor...I'm not!

What I'm sharing with you today is something that I have personally tried and loved SO MUCH that I am actually planning on getting again. That "thing" is IPL laser. Otherwise known as a Photofacial. 

{I'll do a post covering my reasons for doing it, before and after photos, where I went and all that jazz, later...but for now I just wanted to cover the basics since I'm asked about this procedure frequently}

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Therapy is designed to destroy pigmented skin cells in the body, improving tone and texture of the skin. Sounds gnarly, I know. But let me explain: 

✚ the light energy in the laser is absorbed by the colors in our skin that we don't like. (browns and reds)

✚ the heat from that light then damages or destroys the structures that hold that "bad" color (this is either pigment stored from the sun or hormones, and/or dilated blood vessels.)

✚ when our body recognizes damage it goes into "medic-mode" and rushes to the scene of the crime, removes the damaged cell, and then proceeds to make a replica. 

✚ what we are left with, instead of a blotchy "ugly" skin cell, is now a brand new baby-fresh skin cell in all it's glory.

Small amounts of collagen are reproduced during this process also! Not enough to magically get rid of every wrinkle you have....but enough to improve surface plumpness. Which is what improves the texture of the skin. EX: Have you ever noticed how little kids have the most flawless looking skin? Even if they have freckles? Well, that's because their texture is so nice and PLUMP that you can't see a single pore!...

yeah i know, i want back in that club too...enough with this stupid adulting

So, if you've tried serums or chemical peels-- are an avid sunscreen wearer and non-tanner--and you still feel like you're not making a dent in your pigmentation then IPL is something that you may want to consider. I find that a lot of my clients never explore laser as an option simply because they don't know enough about it or are daunted by how extreme it sounds. I will tell you the same thing that I tell them: it's truly nothing to be afraid of and (in my opinion) is worth every single dollar spent. 

Shit, I'd BUY ONE if I could! ...laser my entire body on the R-E-G.

 Below I've made a little cheat sheet with every important detail you need to know. Whether you've been considering IPL for awhile or this post has piqued your interest, hopefully this helps you decide if it's time to give it a whirl. 

YOUR IPL CHEAT SHEET:

✳︎ RESULTS ARE PERMANENT 

(as long as you're careful about the sun in the future you won't ever have to do it again)

✳︎ GENERALLY PEOPLE NEED BETWEEN 3-5 TREATMENTS 

✳︎ TREATMENT PRICES CAN VARY FROM STATE-TO-STATE, BUT YOU CAN BANK ON ROUGHLY $200 PER TREATMENT (UNLESS YOU BUY A PACKAGE...which is the better option)

✳︎ THE IDEAL TIME TO SCHEDULE IPL IS DURING THE FALL+WINTER MONTHS WHEN SUN EXPOSURE IS LIMITED. 

✳︎ EACH TREATMENT TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO COMPLETE AND ARE SCHEDULED 3 WEEKS APART FROM ONE ANOTHER. 

✳︎ TREATMENTS DO NOT HURT; THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND THE NOSE AND FOREHEAD WHERE THERE ISN'T A LOT OF FAT...BUT IT'S QUICK. 

✳︎ AFTER EACH TREATMENT YOU CAN EXPECT DARKENING IN THE DAMAGED AREAS AND MILD REDNESS. THIS FLAKES OFF IN 3 DAYS OR SO AND IS MOST NOTICEABLE THE VERY 1ST TREATMENT. 

✳︎ I DIDN'T TAKE A SINGLE DAY OFF OF WORK OR SCHOOL, INCLUDING THE DAY OF...

✳︎ ...BECAUSE NOBODY CARED OR NOTICED THAT I'D GOTTEN IT DONE--proving that the "downtime" is all in our head. 

✳︎ IPL TREATS SUN-DAMAGE/SUN-PIGMENTATION, ROSACEA, ACNE+ACNE PIGMENTATION, POST-PREGNANCY PIGMENTATION, SPIDER VEINS, ENLARGED PORES, AND DULL SKIN. 

✳︎ IT CAN BE DONE VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE ON THE BODY...MOST COMMONLY THE FACE, NECK, CHEST, HANDS, AND ARMS. 

✳︎ YOU WANT TO FIND A reputable PLASTIC SURGEON, MEDICAL SPA, REGISTERED NURSE, DERMATOLOGICAL OFFICE, OR MEDICAL AESTHETICIAN... day spas, groupons, nail salons- mmmm...those are all use-at-your-own-risk. 

✳︎ A GOOD PLACE TO START YOUR SEARCH IS ON YELP OR NEWBEAUTY....WORD OF MOUTH IS ALWAYS PRETTY GOOD TOO...AND IF YOU'RE IN THE OC YOU CAN OF COURSE ASK ME ;)

i hope this was helpful info! Please feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions...and if you become an IPL fan let me know!! We can talk skin care all day, errrday! 

{ ❤︎, b. }