IPL? OMG!
When I was pregnant with le fils thirteen years ago, I developed a large brown spot (melasma) on my right cheek as a result of hormonal changes. For a few years, I didn’t pay much attention to it, or dabbed on a bit of concealer to try to minimize its appearance. But the color became more splotchy and uneven over time and concealer didn’t really do the job, so I started trying various topical products that promised to lighten it, even a couple prescribed by my dermatologist. Nothing had any effect.
I’d begun hearing about IPL laser treatments* a couple of years ago, and began seriously researching earlier this year. I learned that IPL is often quite effective in treating brown or red discolorations, and asked my dermatologist if it might help with my brown spot. She said that while she couldn’t promise it would work, IPL is one of the few treatments that has been effective in fading hormonal melasma. “Sign me up,” I said.
I was instructed to arrive 30 minutes early on the day of my appointment so they could apply a topical numbing cream. Some doctors apply the IPL in lighter strengths, so the potential for discomfort is less and no anesthetic is used, but effectiveness is reduced so more sessions might be required. My derm likes to “turn up the volume” so that each treatment is more effective. After 30 minutes, I was instructed to rinse off the numbing cream, and to lie down on the treatment table. The doctor applied a gel and started the treatment, doing a couple of test pulses of light to gauge my tolerance. I gave her the thumbs up and said I could take an even stronger pulse (I’m sure the numbing cream helped). The pulse of light does sting a little bit (some have compared it to having a rubber band snapped against the skin), more so on the areas of discoloration, but my doctor moved in a regular and rhythmic fashion, and I grew accustomed to the feeling quickly. Treatment over my entire face only took about 15 minutes.
My face was a bit tingly immediately afterward, but I think that was more from the numbing cream than the laser. Then for about an hour, my skin felt as if I’d received a slight sunburn or was sitting directly under one of those outdoor heat lamps, but this also subsided. The areas of discoloration were an angry purple for about two hours, then faded back to normal. Some of the literature says you can do IPL on a lunch hour and go back to work afterward, but I probably wouldn’t, more out of vanity than discomfort.
The brown areas (including some other sun damage I hadn’t really noticed before) turned darker over the next day, and looked a bit like very fine coffee grounds, but were smooth and easily covered with concealer/foundation. After a few days, the dark spots began to flake off, and the skin underneath was much more even in tone. Even my brown spot had faded substantially. But what really amazed me was how much smoother and better my skin looked overall. The texture was really improved, and I’d swear some of the fine lines have been erased.
It’s been eight weeks now since the treatment, and I’m still very happy with the results. My skin still looks much smoother and firmer, and I’d say my melasma is at least 50% lighter, and even enough in tone that I can more easily cover with concealer. I’m ready to sign up for Round 2, and this time do my neck and decollete too!
*Not a link to my dermatologist’s office.
(Note: I’d tried to snap some before and after pictures, but our camera just doesn’t have the resolution to show the changes.)
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I have these too on my neck, but I am afraid to do this. I don’t like pain.
I have battled melasma for the last 10 years. I tried IPL a few years ago and was horrified by the several-week-long darkening of the spots. (The opposite of what I was trying to do!!) I never went back for a second treatment.
FWIW, (and those who don’t want to do IPL) I’ve been using a 4% hydroquinone product (Obagi Clear) plus a retinol product (Skinceuticals 0.5% retinol night cream) which has done a fabulous job of smoothing my face and lightening the spots. People now complement my skin! Neither product is approved for pregnant women, however. At any rate, I’m happy with my results, but am thinking about some kind of treatment for the crepe-y chest and neck…
Julianne – I promise it *really* isn’t what I’d call painful. Any stinging or pinching feeling only lasts for a second, and as I said the overall procedure only takes a few minutes.
Splurgie – yeah, I never minded the freckles either. But the “liver spots?” Different story.
LBR – let me know how it works for you!
Marsi – I’d actually asked her about other methods of removal including freezing a couple years back and she said because it was pretty deep she was worried about scarring. I’m glad it worked for you, but I’m still glad I did the IPL because of the other benefits.
spacegeek – yikes! I’m sorry it didn’t work for you. My dark spots began flaking off after a couple of days and were totally gone by about 10 days. Glad the cream is working for you. Those never worked on mine.
Definitely food for thought…I now have quite a lot of age spots on my hands and a few on my face & chest. I doubt that I would ever do plastic surgery for anything, but laser for age spots sounds like a good possibility. I can’t stand these “old lady hands”, and remember my granny complaining about hers…..
You sound like the perfect candidate and I’m glad you had excellent results.
I’m pretty spotty from years of tanning in the summer as a kid and on Caribbean vacations as an adult. I never minded the freckles … just comes with having a mother born in Ireland and dark hair. But the age spots aren’t cute like freckles. You’ve given me something to think about.
You have inspired me to do this. I have oodles of sun damage on my chest and I cannot wait to get rid of it.
Hate to tell you this after you’ve gone through the expense of IPL, but last month my dermatologist looked at my spot of melasma (about the size of a dime) on my cheek and said, “Want me to burn that off for you?” and incinerated it off my face with a Q-tip dipped in liquid nitrogen — the same stuff she’s used to burn off plantar warts and other unmentionables. Surprisingly, it hardly hurt my cheek when she applied it, and it began to darken within hours. By the next morning, it was pitch black and looked like something on a witch’s face. (Or mine. LOL.) Within 48 hours, it had loosened and pulled off. Perfect, pink skin underneath, no sign of the melasma.
All that, for my usual co-pay during my annual skin-cancer checkup.
I am THIS close to doing some IPL. I have age spots on my cheekbones, and some on my hands.
I have a spot on my left cheekbone that just doesn’t seem to respond to anything. I’ve had the liquid nitrogen, some kind of laser treatement and it’s still there.
Is the IPL a certain name of the machine? Or just the treatment name? If you know the name of the machine used, I would appreciate it.
I’ve tried creams too but no luck so far.
I’m glad it worked so well for you!
Christine
Ooh, sounds good!
Oh I’m so glad you had good results with IPL. Those coffee grounds spots are a bit startling but my dermatologist told me to take them off with a Buff Puff. Not only does IPL take of areas of discoloration, it also tightens and smooths the skin. However I used a laser on the brown spots on my hand because it was about half the price– but the healing was definately longer. Hope you will have pix for the next round of IPL. I posted my before and after on my blog, using the zoom for extreme close-up.
I’m glad it worked out well for you. I am skittish about doing such treatments.
So far, I don’t have anything that I feel strongly enough about changing to overcome my squeamishness.
I’ve had the same thing for pigmentation – I’m naturally freckly which I don’t mind, but also had a couple of spots I didn’t like. I was thrilled with the results, even if the initial darkening was Not Pretty. Now saving up for neck and chest. I also had several tiny angiomas zapped off at the same time. Love the technology!
It sounds as though you have a good doctor doing the treatments. IPL can be very dependent on the practitioner. I’ve had five treatments and haven’t noticed much difference, other than skin tightening.
Please STOP. You are doing more damage then good to your skin. I’m sure your Doc informed you of the increase in more hypo-pigmentation and skin cancer following treatment. There are safer and more effective treatments without all the expense, pain and side-effects. I have been very blessed to be trained as an Aesthetician by Jeanne Sebeyran…an amazing French woman. If I can be of any service I would be honored.
I’ve had three IPL treatments for Roscea on my cheeks & nose and it was wonderful! With each treatment, the broken capillaries got smaller (and the smallest disappeared with the first treatment) and the deep red cheeks also lightened up. I now look ‘normal’ (not ruddy, not red) and don’t have to wear concealer & makeup on top of that … it’s wonderful to be makeup free when you want and not have people ask you if you’re ‘hot’ …
Jill Ann – I hadn’t thought about doing my hands, but I know some women do. Deborah at No Nonsense Beauty Blog was happy with her results, I believe.
Duchesse – true, this doesn’t work for all skin types and conditions. I’m glad it worked for me.
Tiffany – glad you were pleased with your results too!
LPC – with your fair skin, I’d bet you’d be a good candidate. But I certainly didn’t notice any spots when we met…
Christine – IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is the name of the procedure. I know it’s been changed and refined in recent years.
Wendy B – It is good, I think. But you have such gorgeous skin, I can’t imagine you’d want anything done at this point.
Deborah Chase – I was really impressed at how little recovery this required. I’ll have to get a new camera, I think, to get the kind of resolution required to get significant pics of the change; ours just really doesn’t cut it.
Aunt Snow – I don’t want to seem like a “pusher.” I think we all have to keep our own cost/benefits balance sheet, and it’s perfectly OK to draw the lines where it makes sense for you. I can’t see myself going much beyond this in terms of procedures.
laurieann – it was my regular dermatologist who did the procedure. I had to ask her about IPL, as her primary focus is on skin cancer screening and she really doesn’t push cosmetic procedures at all. But she was very good with this one, I think.
Anonymous – I appreciate your concern, thank you. *If* I do another treatment, that would be it, and I trust my derm, as she is VERY conscientious about skin cancer and other negative health benefits, and as I mentioned her primary focus is on skin cancer prevention and not cosmetic procedures. My side effects were minimal, the treatment cost only as much as two facials, and the pain was negligible.
Colleen – I’ve heard it’s effective for rosacea and capillaries, glad it was effective for you!
I told you lasers would cure all that ails you!
If you really want perfect skin; get an erbium laser peel. You’ll have NO spots at all. Downtime is harder, but still just a week or so. You can go back to work in two days, but you’ll be red.
Glad you went for it!
Karen! Good to “see” you! I’ll probably do another round of the IPL and then quit; can’t afford the down time for anything more extreme.
I have been using Clinique’s Dark Spot Remover. I’ve read and seen so many ads about it. However, after one month, the spots remain.
Carmie – that was my experience with topical products too. Nothing ever seemed to lighten the spots, even when I used twice daily for weeks.