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IPL treatment for sun damage
Jul
Sun damage is one of the most common skin complaints and can range from thinner skin and fine lines and wrinkles to sun spots and dark patches of skin. IPL treatments can be used effectively to reduce the appearance of sun damage, and help to repair your skin. But what is IPL treatment, and how can this help sun damaged skin?
What is sun damage?
Sun damage is the term given to the skin changes that overexposure to the sun can cause. Sunlight is made from two different types of UV light; UVA and UVB. Each type of UV light can cause different types of damage to the skin tissue. UVA can reach deep into skin and cause early cell ageing, fine lines and long-term damage. UVB at the same time causes direct damage to the skin tissue, including sunburn and sun spots and even damages the DNA of the skin cells.
Some of the most common sun damage issues include:
- Sun spots
- Dark spots and hyperpigmentation
- Premature ageing including fine lines and wrinkles
What is IPL treatment?
IPL treatment is a specific type of treatment that uses Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). This is similar to laser therapy but the IPL is more gentle, and can target larger areas at once due to the way the light is pulsed, using multiple light wavelengths to penetrate the deepest layers of skin. This is a treatment that can target sun damaged areas easily and reduce the appearance of sun damage permanently.
How can IPL treatment help sun damaged skin?
An IPL treatment can be very beneficial for resolving sun damaged skin. When the IPL light is absorbed by the skin, the energy will then be transformed into heat energy. This heat can damage very specific skin cells, like those that are sun damaged, with the aim of reducing the appearance of dark patches and sun spots, and ultimately removing them permanently.
Pre-treatment advice
If you have sun damaged skin and would like to resolve this with IPL treatment there are some pretreatment steps you should take. These include:
Avoiding the sun for 1 to 2 weeks- IPL treatment will not work on tanned skin, fake or natural. As such, it’s essential that you avoid direct sunlight for 1-2 weeks before your appointment.
Avoiding using any active skincare ingredients for 1 to 2 weeks- before your IPL treatment you should avoid skin care products with retinol, hyaluronic, glycolic or salicylic acids, and other similar active ingredients. This will help to minimise the risk of irritation or reaction to the IPL treatment.
Post treatment advice
After your IPL treatment you should also avoid direct sunlight for up to 2 weeks. This will allow your skin time to recover from the light treatment, which may have made the skin more sensitive than usual. In terms of skincare, you should be able to continue your normal skin care regime after just 2-7 days.
Choose us for your IPL treatment
For more information or advice about how IPL treatment could be beneficial for any sun damage you may be experiencing why not get in touch today? Here at the Skin and Wellbeing Clinic we are Prestons leading aesthetic practitioners and qualified, registered nurses, so you know you’re in good hands.
The Skin and Wellbeing Clinic is proud to provide professional aesthetics treatments for clients in Preston, Blackpool, Leyland, Chorley, Kirkham, Blackburn and the North West of England. Our key treatments and services include Anti Wrinkle Injections, Dermal Fillers, Laser Hair Removal, Acne Treatments, Injectable Polynucleotides, and much more.