IPL For Rosacea, Say Bye To Red Skin
IPL for rosacea is a laser related treatment method for rosacea. IPL is an abbreviation for intense pulse light which is a method that is used to treat various skin ailments and has been proved to be up to 80% effective. Rosacea is among the severe inflammations of the skin (especially the face) and chronic since there is no actual treatment for it and statistics show that it affects over 40 million people in the world.
Acne rosacea is another term that refers to rosacea which cause flushing in the face characterized by a red face that leaves enlarged blood vessels including capillaries. The red characteristic is more imminent in the cheeks, mid face and nose. If not treated in time raised bumps can affect the eyes leading to ocular rosacea.
Over the years, laser technology has been adapted to cure a number of ailments more so since it is accurate and has lesser side effects. In matters of the skin, it is used to remove dark spots, unwanted hair and cosmetic surgery. Laser works by concentrating a beam of light to a certain area of the body which can be varied to produce the desired results.
Note that IPL is not the same as laser treatment though most people use the terms interchangeably. The only similarity is that they both use light. The difference is that laser uses only one wavelength of light hence considered monochromatic. These light waves are collimated since they align themselves in a straight line. IPL on the other hand uses a spectrum of beams of light of varying wavelengths. Different wavelengths produce different results hence the reason it treats a number of ailments such as acne, wrinkles and rosacea. A filter is used to select the desired wavelength of light that is appropriate for the required procedure. IPL is also gentler than laser.
Before IPL for rosacea was used, facial creams and other skin care products were the only option for one who wanted to reduce the effects of this condition. IPL originally used to treat vascular lesions and wrinkles is now applies.
This procedure entails destroying blood vessels of the inner layers of skin by applying of about 70 degree Celsius to them. In case one wants to use this procedure they should seek the guidance of a dermatologist first since they are certain skin types that are not suited for this procedure such as people with heat sensitive skin or problems with blood clotting. Also insulin-dependent people should keep off this procedure since they have low healing power.
IPL for rosacea treatment is basically made of simple procedures i.e. after one is ready, an anesthesia is applied to the skin 30 minutes before the procedure. This is mainly done to avoid physical sensations at the face that could make a patient experience discomfort in the course of the operation.
Eye covers are placed to protect the eyes from the intense laser light. Both the medical practioner and patient wear this. Treatment begins with only a slight feeling of snapping on the surface of the facial skin. Just after the procedure, one’s face becomes red and a little pain is experienced but they disappear after a while. IPL for rosacea makes use of antibiotics to prevent blood vessels from sprouting again due to their anti-angiogenesis feature.
Some of the advantages of using this procedure are that IPL is a cheaper form of treatment and also produces results faster. In North America the cost for this procedure ranges from $350-$600 and the whole procedure is done for just 45 minutes at most. Depending on the required result, the procedure may have to be repeated according to the dermatologists’ specification until the desired effect is achieved.
There is no danger of harm from the UV (ultra violet) light since there is a mechanical arm or wand that filters these rays during treatment. As indicated in the start, IPL for rosacea takes a minimal recovery period and there is no scarring whatsoever that is associated with this procedure.
Depending on how one looks at the situation IPL treatment may be an advantage since after one undergoes the procedure, it feels like a new beginning for them and they start to take more care of their appearance hence stop habits like smoking or taking excessive alcohol. One’s self esteem is raised since they don’t have to blush more often and generally improves the quality of life.
Well, what happens after this procedure has been complete? One does not sit down and wait for this procedure to work miracles although mostly no after care is needed. IPL skin treatments should be applied to the skin before one goes to sleep and also be sure to heed the pharmacist’s advice about cheap products because these can cause blistering to occur.
IPL for rosacea procedure can be done and immediately one returns to their daily activities. Applying makeup after the procedure is completely fine and some people do it to cover the obvious fact that a procedure has been done on them.
Staying of any products that can cause skin inflammation i.e. acid peels is crucial and a good non-comodogenic sun block product is recommended.
IPL has some negative properties which are that “striping ” may occur when done with an operator that does not know how to overlap the shot or has a poor technique. ‘striping’ occurs from non-uniformity in treatment overlaps causing a zebra like appearance(dark and light lines). Also if the treatment is aggressive, blistering can occur due to too much heat causing scarring. Pigmentation complications may also occur either as lack of color or skin darkening which can take a long time before one’s skin returns back to its normal tone hence the need for a certified doctor cannot be over stressed.
Before anyone undergoes this IPL for rosacea, they have to do their homework first on the certified clinics that perform these treatments. Currently spas claim to also perform IPL but one should not undergo this procedure without the presence of a certified board doctor just to be on the safe side.
