IPL / Photofacial

IPL – or Intense Pulsed Light – is a laser that penetrates deep into the dermis to treat acne, veins, excessive pigmentation and discolorations. The SoLux laser technician prepares the targeted area, then places applies a hand piece to the skin and releases the laser beam.

Several days after treatment, the pigmented area will rise to the surface and flake off. At SoLux Med Spa in Chicago, we often facilitate this exfoliation process with Microdermabrasion or Signature Peels between treatments, which also provide improved skin tone and texture.

The procedure is fairly painless; as the beam is emitted the patient will feel a mild sting, similar to a rubber band snap. After treatment, the SoLux technician may apply cold compresses to reduce any redness, and the patient may immediately resume normal activities.

The Technology
Using the principle of selective photothermolysis, the laser targets different chromophores in the skin that selectively absorb the laser or light energy as heat. These optimal wavelengths of light clear vascular and pigmented lesions by targeting the chromophores of hemoglobin (for vascular lesions) and melanin (for pigmented lesions).

Damaged lesions are then cleared by the body and disappear from the skin. Pigmented lesions undergo a mild desquamation and slough off within two or three days, while the vascular lesions blanch and then resolve within 10 to 14 days.