Lasers & Hair Removal
Broad-spectrum light targets brown spots, broken capillaries and background redness to even out overall tone.
An IPL photofacial uses broad-spectrum light to break up the brown spots and visible redness that build up in sun-exposed skin, evening out tone without removing the surface. We perform IPL at our Boca Raton med spa under medical supervision, after assessing your skin and current sun exposure. Sessions take about 30 minutes. Book a consultation or read about uneven tone and brown spots.
IPL is not a laser. A laser emits one wavelength; IPL emits a band of them, filtered for the target. Some of that light is absorbed by melanin in sun spots and some by hemoglobin in small dilated vessels, which is why the same treatment addresses both brown patches and background redness. The energy breaks the target up, and your body clears the debris over the following weeks.
Most of what people call aging on the face is sun damage, and the years spent outdoors on the water, on a course or at the beach add up whether or not you ever burned. That is what makes IPL a well-used treatment in South Florida, and it is also what makes the sun rules that come with it non-negotiable. Treating skin that has recently been tanned risks burns and pigment change, so the tan has to be gone before the appointment, not fading during it.
What suits you is decided at consultation, from your skin and your history. Consultations are complimentary.
Melasma is the important exception. It is a hormonally driven pigment condition and heat can make it worse, so IPL is often the wrong tool for it and can set it back. If your pigmentation appeared in pregnancy, on the pill, or in symmetrical patches across the cheeks and upper lip, say so at consultation. It changes the plan. IPL also does not treat texture, scarring or lines; microneedling and RF skin resurfacing are the tools for those.
Performed or supervised by our medical director, Marc L. Epstein, M.D.
Treated brown spots typically get darker before they go, sometimes noticeably so, over the first few days. They then flake off over the following one to two weeks. People who have not been warned about this find it alarming. It is the expected sequence, and picking at the darkened spots is the one thing that can turn a good result into a mark.
What suits you is decided at consultation, from your skin and your history. Consultations are complimentary.
Your skin is assessed and, where appropriate, patch tested. Cool gel is applied and you wear protective eyewear. Each pulse feels like a warm snap against the skin. Afterward the area is pink and warm for several hours, similar to mild sunburn. Brown spots darken over the next few days and flake away across one to two weeks. Redness responds more gradually and usually needs a series.
Sun spots often improve visibly after the first session, while redness usually needs a series. Your provider will plan the course after assessing your skin rather than quoting a fixed number.
That is the expected response. Treated pigment darkens over the first few days, then flakes away across one to two weeks. Leave it alone while that happens.
Usually not, and it can make it worse, because melasma is hormonally driven and aggravated by heat. Tell your provider if your pigmentation appeared during pregnancy or on hormonal contraception, because it changes the recommended treatment.
No. Tanned skin absorbs the light where it should not, which risks burns and pigment change. This applies to spray tans as well. The tan needs to be gone before treatment.
No real downtime, but plan for the look. You will be pink for a few hours and any treated spots will be visibly darker for several days before they flake. Do not book this in the week before an event.
Medical aesthetic treatments at Salon Oasis Med Spa are performed or supervised by our medical director, Marc L. Epstein, M.D. This page is general information, not medical advice. Individual results vary and suitability is determined at consultation based on your health history.
Consultations are complimentary. Tell us the result you have in mind and we will personalize the treatment that gets you there, whether that is this one or something gentler.
