IPL Intense Pulse Light for skin (Cosmetic) Anyone had a bad experience with it?

[Snarkles]

Hi all. I'm a long-time lurker, first-time poster and I could do with a bit of advice, please, as I am worried sick. I don't know where to post this, so I thought this might be the best forum.

Has anyone here had an IPL treatment and it has made their skin worse? If so, have you found any way of rejuvenating your skin to its former glory? I am sick with worry every time I look in the mirror and am finding it really difficult to sleep or concentrate on anything else. I look awful.

For those of you who aren't familiar with IPL, it's a treatment where a broad-spectrum light is passed over the skin from a kind of hand-held gun. It is supposed to bring up imperfections, such as age spots, to the surface of the skin so they dry up and fall off, leaving no scars. I am 47 and never had any cosmetic procedure before but decided to have an IPL treatment nearly a month ago.

Something seems to have gone wrong with this treatment for me. The beautician put it on the lowest setting for my skin. It must have been pretty low as the freckles turned darker, but no pigment peeled off from my skin within a fortnight. No problem with that. However, I have now found that I seem to be ageing quickly by developing more lines and every day I notice there is a new split/dent in my face which was not there before.

There is not a lot of literature on when IPL goes wrong but I did see some information that sometimes the light can melt the dermis and people lose fat in their face (hence my bumps, splits, etc). I have spoken to the beautician who says it is impossible for this to happen but I have seen some evidence of my skin being burned. She says if there was going to be a reaction it would happen in two weeks.

I feel sick and can't believe what has happened to my skin after just one treatment which is touted as safe. I'd be grateful for any tips if anyone has had experience of adverse effects of this treatment, what they have done, and whether the results were any good. I reckon I will need to see a dermatologist and they are expensive, but I feel it is my own stupid fault. :(

Thanks everso much, in advance.

[HouseworkIsAPain]

I’m sorry this has happened to you.
I’ve only heard of IPL for hair removal, not skin improvement.

Did you have any aftercare advice, such as wearing factor 50 every day, using Aloe Vera to help your skin?

[Ktown]

I wouldn't do it if you have freckles as your skin will be more sun sensitive
Perhaps get some high SPF and a rich moisturiser
It just lightly burns the skin. That's all. You can dress it up but it just causes mild burning and therefore exfoliation. But you can exfoliate in other ways.

[Snarkles]

Thanks for your replies, everyone. I will wait and see what happens. I do wear sunscreen and am 'babying' my face for a while. Any light treatment is a thermal injury, so I will wait to see whether time gives me an improvement in texture.

[MyOtherNameIsBetter]

@Snarkles how are things now? I have this treatment booked and you have me a little worried

[KitschNCabernet]

Hi there, I had cosmetic Laser treatment - I think IPL a few years ago for spider veins / redness/ rosacea. After the treatment I was very sore, and developed extensive blistering on my face. The blisters were weepy for several weeks, looked dreadful for a while and only cleared up slowly. I felt very foolish at the time. Some years after that, I consulted a skin specialist and had more laser treatment (DH thought I was mad, but l hate my red face). This was sore after each treatment but cleared up quickly- say within a day or two. Combined with oral antibiotics my skin improved - but I was warned that this would never be a permanent solution and that the redness would gradually return. And it is doing especially when I’m stressed. So my advice is that it can work, and in both cases it did eventually help my skin. OP you may need to wait a few months before you see the benefit.

[Snarkles]

@MyOtherNameIsBetter Thanks for your enquiry. Things seem to have settled sown a bit. I think I may have been over-reacting as people I ask can't see any difference at all in my skin, apart from some of the red tones are not so prevalent. I think as my skin is cleared of some capillaries and redness, I can now see slight wrinkles which were there previously, but may have been camouflaged by red tones.

About 10 days' ago, I have had some age spots frozen off instead of going for a repeat IPL/ The results have been really good so far but this will take a few weeks for the new, pink skin to heal fully. I am smearing fresh Aloe Vera sap on my skin and drinking lots of water and my skin looks glowing.

I hope I haven't put you off your IPL procedure. All I would say is I would do your research on IPL and have a read about people's experiences of damage. It seems to be rare, but i think it's best to know that there can be consequences of putting anything on your skin which generates heat/radiation. Good luck. :)