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For removing brown spots, blotchy pigment, sun damage or decreasing diffuse skin redness and rosacea
The Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) device is exceptionally effective. An IPL produces a range of light wavelengths unlike a laser which is a single wavelength. When this light is applied to the skin the darker spots or red areas heat up more than the lighter skin. Dark pigment and red skin attracts the light just as a black car in the sun will feel hotter to the touch than a white car next to it. The heat produced in the areas being treated is what produces the results.
Any area of the body can be treated with IPL and the face, chest, back and arms are the most popular areas because they typically have had the most sun exposure. No anesthetic or messy gel is needed and each pulse of the IPL feels like a momentary sting. Each treatment usually takes only a few minutes. Afterwards, brown spots will get darker and over the course of one to three weeks, they'll flake away.
Shown below: before and after one IPL treatment for brown spots, Photo by C. Elliott, M.D.
 
When IPL is used for treating redness, there may be some increased redness from the treatment for a day or two. Most people can get rid of dark spots with only one or two treatments but for rosacea or improving areas of diffuse sun damage, an average of 3 treatments may be needed.
IPL with LevulanŽ or Photodynamic Therapy Intense Pulsed Light with Levulan (Photodynamic Therapy) uses the light sensitizing chemical Levulan to produce a more dramatic reaction to the IPL treatment. This technique not only reduces spots and redness, it improves skin texture, reduces fine lines and makes pores appear smaller. Levulan is painted onto the area to be treated about an hour before the IPL treatment and because of the increased light sensitivity, sun exposure must be strictly avoided for the following 48 hours.
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