hello everyone... I know a lot of people have had a lot of benefit from IPL machines but about 18 months ago I used one, as per instructions three times on facial hair, underarms, legs etc and had a serious adverse reaction.
this seemed to build over the usage and gave me the following issues:
- skin pigmentation issues on face and loads of extra moles suddenly appearing all over body
- dry skin
- fat loss on face / loads of additional wrinkles - I definitely noticed collagen loss
- terrible eye bags
- receding hairline (despite only using it on upper lip / chin)
- hair loss (general)
- all over body pain
- difficulty walking etc
- really bad dark circles
- scaly eyelids
- my facial pores seemed to get really large
i know they warn against using it with certain conditions but I didn't have any of these, unless it was a latent condition I wasn't aware of that was triggered by it...
i would just say to anyone considering using them be very wary, ensure you do a test patch (I did and it was fine, however the test patch was small and compared to the overall usage all over body like legs, face etc maybe not significant enough) and if you feel any adverse symptoms stop immediately.
My symptoms seemed to worsen with each usage of the machine, the recommended usage was once every seven days for the first two or three months, which I followed for three weeks - (I think other brands recommend different usage amounts). It started off mildly and by week three I could barely walk I felt so ill and it was then I put two and two together and stopped usage.
I got tested at the doctors for absolutely everything but it all came back negative. Luckily with the passage of time I felt a bit better but it really floored me for a while.
I contacted the company who picked the machine up, I filled in various forms around my usage as requested but they never got back to me (I wonder why!). I didn't have the energy to pursue the matter.
On stopping it gradually receded but it's taken me nearly 18 months to feel normal again, and even now I have hairline issues and it seems to flare up on occasion despite me not using the machine any more - whatever it is seemed to have initially triggered something that now seems to be still slightly there).
Another thing to bear in mind is this is UV or similar (?) light-based therapy - I'm not sure exactly what it is but for me it seemed to speed up the ageing process considerably (a bit like going under loads of sunbeds)... fortunately with some time some of the effects seem to have been reversed but I would say that I'm still not 100% over it... my hairline is still visibly a lot finer, and my face seems more lined than it was, I still get some symptoms flaring up every so often
So be very wary of these machines, particularly if you have any light sensitivity, and also if you're generally feeling a bit ropey after using it once or twice. beware as the damage may be longer lasting than you think...
I don't mean to be the monger of doom but just wanted to share my experiences in case it prevents others from going through a similar experience. think carefully before using these machines!