Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (PhotoDerm, PhotoFacial, FotoFacial, EpiLight)

Introduction: Come Towards The Light...
What Is High Intensity Pulsed Light Therapy OR IPL?
Are You a Candidate For HI Pulsed Light Therapy?
What To Expect At Your Consultation
Consultation Help: What to Do, Bring and Ask...
How HI Pulsed Light Therapy Is Performed
The Road To Recovery
Risks & Complications of HI Pulsed Light Therapy
The Least You Need To Know
Related Links
References
Speak To Others About IPL On Our Discussion Forum RECOMMENDED!

Introduction: Come Towards The Light
For those of you who have not the time to recover from nor the epidermal capacity to withstand lasers -- High Intensity Pulsed Light Therapy may be for you. This promising new procedure is also known as Intense Pulsed Light Therapy, computer controlled light therapy, Light Laser, MultiLight, Photo Laser or by various trade and service marks, FotoFacial ™, PhotoFacial ™, PhotoDerm ™, EpiLight ™, MultiLight ™, PlasmaLight, and I am sure, soon-to-be others.

It is phenomenal new mini-procedure capable of diminishing or fully ridding one of age/liver spots, fine wrinkles (rhytids), facial flushing, redness, broken capillaries, telangiectasia (Teel-ann-ject-AZE-yah) which are purple or blue veins on the face, hemangiomas (sacs of red, purple or blue blood vessels resembling a blister, aka strawberry hemangiomas), freckles, minor sun damage, port wine stains, tattoos, varicose veins, spider veins, flat birth marks, hypo-pigmentation and even hair removal! And the best part? NO downtime! Intense Pulsed Light Therapy gives you the benefits of a medium depth laser or chemical peel or other type of resurfacing/rejuvenation procedure without the blisters, burns and long recovery time. Not only that, it is the only proven therapy to help with redness (rosacea, flushing, etc)! And to boot, many patients report a reduction in pore size, smoother skin, and less wrinkles!

What Is High Intensity Pulsed Light Therapy or IPL?
This incredible new therapy was pioneered by Dr. Patrick Bitter Jr. and is based on emitting high intensity pulses of light (not lasers) to penetrate the skin and rid you of various complaints. There are different machines for different levels or types of penetration. It is also knows as IPL Photorejuvenation. For instance, PhotoDerm as the PhotoDerm VL (vascular lesions) {VascuLight/MultiLight}, PhotoDerm PL (pigmented lesions) or PhotoDerm HR (hair removal). PhotoDerm and PhotoFacial™ intense pulsed light systems are expensive! ESC Medical Systems in Needham, Massachusetts, costs around $130,000. ESC is an innovator in all kinds of high-end medical equipment and is a trusted leader in the medical profession.

PhotoDerm VL (vascular lesions): With this machine, the light pulses are directed at the spider and varicose veins as well as vascular birth marks. The tissue targeted is the hemoglobin in the blood.

Hemoglobin <he*mo*glo*bin>
(noun) : an iron-containing respiratory pigment of red blood cells that functions primarily in the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body.

A highly advanced computer regulates the light pulse to a specific wavelength range, which in turn heats the visible, targeted blood vessel(s). Thereby damaging or otherwise destroying the targeted lesion while sparing the surrounding healthy or normal tissue. The penetration depth and degree of heat is highly controlled so that most complications contributed to these specific factors are not an issue with Pulsed Light Therapy.
PhotoDerm PL (pigmented lesions): With this machine, the light pulses are directed at the age spots, freckles, flat pigmented birthmarks and other types of discolorations. The tissue targeted is the melanin in the epidermis.

Melanin <mel*a*nin>
(noun) 1 : any of various dark brown or black pigments of animal or plant structures (as skin or hair) .

The melanin is then heated and damaged or destroyed - thereby ridding you of the unwanted hyper-pigmentations.
PhotoDerm HR and EpiLight (hair removal): This machine makes it possible to rid one of unwanted hair, supposedly permanently. The pulsed light is controlled via the computer and with the use of special filters the theory of Selective Photo Thermolysis is what damages the follicle and causes it to fall out. Sort of like the PhotoDerm PL above, the pulses of light target the melanin in the hair shaft and travel to the follicle, heating and destroying it. The hair production cells themselves are damaged or destroyed making permanent hair removal, well, possibly permanent.

Now, hair grows in cycles and some follicles lie dormant and begin to grow again after a time. So, it may seem when you try any type of hair removal system or even shaving that some hair grows back faster than the others. Unfortunately as I said, this is a cycle and a vicious one at that. The Light therapy must affect the hair follicle during its growing phase to work properly. When you notice these hairs when they fall out and then see a few weeks or days later, hair emerging, don't automatically think that it didn't work. The follicles must be caught during this growing phase for them to be destroyed.

click photo for a larger image

Customizing Broad Wavelength IPL
(credit: ESC Medical Systems)

According to a lecture I listened to by Dr. Robert A. Weiss, the assistant professor of dermatology at the University of John Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland by on intense pulsed light treatments:

It is quite possible to actually shrink sebaceous glands (oil glands), pore size, with repeated treatments. Although at this time it is unknown just how many treatments this result would require. Also hyper and hypopigmentation is possible. Other than that the lecture covered the same info of which I already knew and covered.

Are You a Candidate For HI Pulsed Light Therapy?
If you are prone to keloids, hyper or hypo pigmentation, are dark-skinned, darkly tanned or do not react well to burns you may not be an ideal candidate for High Pulsed Light Therapy. Also, if you have ethnicity (like Greek, Italian or African American, etc.) in your biological family, you may be prone to hyper or hypo pigmentation resulting from the procedure. An ideal patient would be of white European descent with elastic, non-oily skin. Although many other types of skin are treated successfully. Only a qualified doctor or dermatologist can determine if you are eligible for treatment.

If you have lesions such as age/liver spots, broken capillaries, telangiectasia (purple or blue veins on the face), hemangiomas (sacs of red, purple or blue blood vessels resembling a blister, aka strawberry hemangiomas), freckles, port wine stains, tattoos, varicose veins, spider veins, flat birth marks or hypo-pigmentation you may be a candidate for HI Light Pulsed Light Therapy. HI Pulsed Light Therapy can even remove fine wrinkles, facial flushing, rosacea, redness, minor sun damage, and even hair removal!

If you are a insulin-dependent diabetic, you can not be treated. Insulin-dependent diabetics run the risk of wound-healing and infection problems. Although diabetics who take prescription oral-medication, to be treated, you must provide a letter from your primary care physician, written on his medical office stationary stating that you are, indeed, approved for HI Pulsed Light Therapy.

Also, you should discontinue the use of any blood thinners such as Coumadin®, Heparin®, aspirin or other types of anti-platelet or anti-coagulant herbal remedies including and not limited to...

Garlic, Ginger, Cayenne, Papaya and Bilberry Tablets/Supplements, have anti-platelet properties and may inhibit vital clot formation. These medications are normally taken to remedy edema (fluid retention).
Gingko, Gingko biloba, & Selenium are powerful anti-coagulants. It is considered to be 3 times stronger than Vitamin E, which should also be avoided.

...for 10 days prior to your patch test and treatment. You are also not a candidate if you have a bloodclot-forming disorder (i.e. excessive bleeding). Although you may have seen information on some websites stating that HI Pulsed Light Treatment does not emit radiation of any kind and is safe for treatment during pregnancy -- it is mentioned by the company that treatment should not be undergone while pregnant and to wait until after delivery to even have a patch test or spot treatment.

What To Expect At Your Consultation
Once you find a respectable clinic or practice in your area and decide to make a consultation appointment, you will meet with the doctor or dermatologist and he or she will determine if you are a candidate to receive treatment. He or she will discuss your health, examine your skin and prior scars, ask you a million questions regarding your family history (answer them honestly and disclose all!) and explain to you what can and essentially what cannot be successfully treated. Prepare to pay for a spot test or test patch if it is decided you are eligible. The hefty price of about $75 bucks will cover several areas that represent what will be treated. A wrinkle here, a capillary there, you get the picture. He or she will also advise you on approximately how many treatments and pulses per treatment that will be needed to achieve your desired goal.

After your test patch/spot treatment you will wait and watch the test area for any negative reactions such as blistering, hyper- or hypo-pigmentations, rashes, persistent redness, etc. and report them to your technician/doctor. If all is well you may schedule an appointment and you will be instructed on what and what not to do for the next two weeks before your first full treatment. For instance if you are taking any of the above supplements or medications you will have to discontinue them until a few days after treatment or until instructed otherwise. You will also be instructed not to tan as hypo-pigmentation (patches of skin lighter in pigment than your normal tone).

How HI Pulsed Light Therapy Is Performed
Your technician or doctor will ascertain your comfort and if desired a topical anesthetic may be applied. After the treatment area is numb a cold, soothing gel will be applied and a glass prism (pyramid) will then be placed over the gel and treatment area. An intense flash of light, or pulse, is flashed through the prism where it is directed at the treatment area to rid you of your complaints. This initial treatment may not be as aggressive as your following treatments so as not to possibly damage the skin and to determine your skin's tolerance for further intensive treatment. Treatments are usually performed every 3 to 4 weeks.

The Road To Recovery
Since there is no real downtime you may resume your normal activities after a Pulsed Light treatment. However you must protect your treatment area from UV light, be it natural sunlight or tanning beds. You may be slightly pink or red directly after your treatment as well as have mild swelling. This should subside in a few days and if not you should inform your doctor/technician.

Risks & Complications of HI Pulsed Light Therapy
Although rare, blistering or slight bleeding is possible as is hypo- or hyper-pigmentation (lightened or darkened areas of skin). If pigmentation problems occur, it may be anywhere from 3 to 12 months before normal skin tome returns. This is especially so with hypo-pigmentation (lack of color). Be aware that some patients may experience permanent skin pigmentation changes. Scarring is possible although it too is a rare occurrence.

Frequently Asked Questions About HI Pulsed Light Therapy
Coming soon! Please check back!

The Least You Need To Know

This incredible new therapy was pioneered by Dr. Patrick Bitter Jr. and is based on emitting high intensity pulses of light (not lasers) to penetrate the skin and rid you of various complaints.
Not everyone is a candidate for HI Pulsed Light Therapy. Only a qualified doctor or dermatologist can determine if you are eligible for treatment.
An ideal patient would be of white European descent with elastic, non-oily skin. Although many other types of skin are treated successfully.
HI Pulsed Light Therapy is capable of diminishing or fully ridding one of age/liver spots, fine wrinkles, facial flushing, rosacea, redness, broken capillaries, telangiectasia (purple or blue veins on the face), hemangiomas (sacs of red, purple or blue blood vessels resembling a blister, aka strawberry hemangiomas), freckles, minor sun damage, port wine stains, tattoos, varicose veins, spider veins, flat birth marks, hypo-pigmentation and even hair removal!
If you are prone to keloids, hyper or hypo pigmentation, are dark-skinned, darkly tanned or do not react well to burns you may not be an ideal candidate for High Pulsed Light Therapy. Also, if you have ethnicity (like Greek, Italian or African American, etc.) in your biological family, you may be prone to hyper or hypo pigmentation resulting from the procedure.
Prepare to pay for a spot test or test patch if it is decided you are eligible. The hefty price of about $75.US will cover several areas that represent what will be treated. Thereafter treatments are approximately $10. per pulse with a minimum of $100.US per visit.
Since there is no real downtime you may resume your normal activities after a Pulsed Light treatment. However you must protect your treatment area from UV light, be it natural sunlight or tanning beds.
Although rare, scabbing, blistering or slight bleeding is possible as is hypo- or hyper-pigmentation (lightened or darkened areas of skin).

References
Weiss, Robert A., asst prof. derm. U of John Hopkins School of Medicine - Baltimore, Maryland by on non-ablative treatments - Applications of Thermescent Laser Treatment (Lecture)
Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary

Are you lost? View Site Index