What is IPL and can photofacials reduce acne and acne scarring?

2022-11-04

I’ve never had amazing skin. When I was in my teens I kept telling myself that my twenties would bring a flawless, spot-free complexion – but no. While I don’t get a face full of painful pimples, I do experience some troublesome hormone-related breakouts along my jawline, and I noticed a few months ago that those breakouts were leaving lingering red marks.

I’ve tried all sorts of skincare in the past to calm the breakouts, but topicals with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid (common acne-busters) trigger my eczema. Instead of messing around with my regime again, I booked in for a course of Lumecca IPL photofacials at London’sCosderm Clinicin a bid to kill the acne bacteria on my skin and to reduce some of the redness and scarring.

First, here’s what you need to know about the light-based treatment.

What is an IPL photofacial?

“Intense pulse light (IPL) is a special type of light that lets you improve the texture and tone of your skin with little-to-no downtime. It uses pulses of light to treat various skin issues by bringing about a response called ‘selective photothermolysis’. This is when the strong pulses selectively break up things that you don’t want, i.e. pigmentation and red capillaries,” explains Dr Surbhi Virmani, Cosmetic Dermatologist at Cosderm.

Is IPL the same as laser?

“No, it’s a light treatment. Unlike laser treatments, IPL sends out broad spectrum pulsed light wavelengths, similar to the flash of a photo. Comparatively, lasers use a concentrated beam,” Dr Virmani adds.

How does IPL reduce acne breakouts and fade scarring?

“When the pulses reach the skin, the energy gets absorbed by the cells and turned into heat. This heat, which goes beneath the surface of the skin, can destroy the bacteria that causes acne,” says Dr Virmani.

“As for scarring, the light and heat also stimulate collagen production and trigger the repair of skin. It also lightens dark spots and reduces the redness associated with some scars.”

What else can IPL improve?

“IPL photofacials can treat many of the signs of photoaging, including sun spots, fine lines and visible capillaries. It’s also beneficial for those suffering from rosacea, as it lessens some of the redness associated with the condition,” Dr Virmani says.

How many sessions are needed?

Dr Virmani recommends 6-8 sessions spaced four weeks apart. After that, you can upkeep the results by getting monthly IPL facials. The sessions themself take around 20-30 minutes, including the prep and cleansing time.

Book it

Cosdermoffers Lumecca (considered to be one of the most powerful IPL systems) for £220 per treatment. IPL facials are also offered nationwide at many aesthetic clinics.

Zoe says:

I went into this thinking I was going to be having a nice warming facial, but it’s not that. Don’t get me wrong, the results are great (more on that in a mo), but the treatment itself feels like being flicked by hundreds of rubber bands. When the light hits the more sensitive parts of the face, like the upper cheeks, it does sting.

However, it’s bearable. It’s also a speedy treatment: my skin was cleansed, prepped, covered in transmission gel and blitzed (twice over) in around 30 minutes. My aesthetician, Genevieve, also kindly took some of the post-treatment redness away by massaging my skin with ice globes.

In total I had five facials, spaced four weeks apart. I was a bit disappointed after the first few sessions because I didn’t see much difference in my spots or scars, but after session three my skin looked much less red and I wasn’t getting the same calibre of jawline breakout as before. I’ve even seen a good reduction in patches of pigmentation around my hairline, which I experience after months spent in the sun.

For the price, which I think is reasonable, I’d much rather now have an IPL photofacial than a regular facial – and I’ll definitely keep up with the treatments. I do still get spots but IPL has done what skincare couldn’t: made them much more less persistent.

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