What is a Pulsed Light Photofacial?

The Palomar Pulsed Light Photofacial (IPL - intense pulsed light) offers comfortable and effective treatment of sun damage and visible veins.

Who is a candidate?

People with:

• Sun damage -- Wide areas of pigmentation on the face, chest and arms.
  
  
• Sunspots -- Individual pigmented lesions, also known as age spots.
  
  
• Rosacea -- General inflammation of the cheeks and face.
  
  
• Spider veins -- Individual vessels, which can be red, blue or purple in color.
  
  
• Angiomas -- individual small red or purple spots

What are the intended results?

• Sun damage/sun spots -- The sunspots will darken after treatment and be naturally shed from the skin within 1 - 2 weeks.
  
  
• Rosacea -- Skin tone will be more normal, with less pronounced redness within one week after treatment.
  
  
• Spider veins -- Vessels may disappear after treatment or they may appear darker and then fully or partially fade within 10-14 days.
  
  
• Angiomas -- Spots may disappear after treatment or they may appear darker and then fully or partially fade within 10-14 days.

Typically, several treatments will be necessary to achieve complete clearance of sunspots, rosacea and vessels.

How does it work?

The Palomar RejuveLux hand piece emits pulses of light into the skin. The light is absorbed by the pigment in sunspots and the blood in visible vessels, and converted to heat. The heat dissolves the cells that create the pigment and shrinks the vessels.

What is the procedure?

The treatment provider will move the hand piece over the patient's skin, pulsing it all the while. Each pulse will send a beam of light through the skin. A flashing light, an audible tone, and a mild sensation on the skin will let the patient know when the hand piece is being pulsed.

What is the healing process?

Immediately after treatment, patients can expect a mild sunburn-like sensation, possibly accompanied by some minor swelling. This usually lasts 2-24 hours, and can be soothed with cold gel or ice packs.

Insurance Guidelines

This procedure is considered cosmetic and therefore is not covered by insurance. The patient is responsible for payment.

Note: The specific risks and the suitability of this procedure for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation. All procedures have some degree of risk. Minor complications that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Major complications are rare.

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