Photofacials

Photofacials, also sometimes called fotofacials, refers to a skin treatment that uses pulses of light that penetrate deep into the skin. Photofacials can be used for multiple conditions, but are mostly used for boosting collagen and treating skin conditions such as acne, enlarged pores and broken capillaries.

Photofacials are done in two different ways. One uses an IPL laser which stand for “intense pulsed light”. The other uses LED, which stands for “light emitting diode”.

IPL photofacials are a type of IPL laser treatment. It is mostly used for reducing the redness of the skin and broken capillaries. An IPL photofacial uses a bright intense blast of light at very high energy levels that are delivered deep into the skin. A cooling agent is usually used to keep your skin cold and to minimize any discomfort. A common IPL photofacial laser is the Starlux 500

During an IPL photofacial, the intense pulsed light is absorbed by imperfections in the skin. These imperfections are injured by the light and when healed will disappear over the course of a few treatments. Photofacial treatments also give the benefit of stimulating collagen growth. This new collagen can improve irregularities of skin texture, mild acne scars, and reduces the appearance of large pores in the skin.

IPL treatments take multiple sessions to reach the desired results with each treatment taking approximately 30 minutes. Side effects of a IPL photofacial are usually mild and may include an increase in redness, swelling and bruising.

An LED photofacial is a treatment that uses gentle pulses of intense light that use a narrow spectrum of light to boost collagen and kill the bacteria that causes acne. LED photofacials are painless, and carry no risk of burning. Their collagen boosting properties have been proven with medical research and are a good choice for people who want to treat acne with little to no downtime.

Unlike laser treatments, the light from a LED photofacial treatment penetrates all levels of the skin by emitting many different wavelengths. Lasers are limited to one wavelength, which restricts its penetration abilities, and to what it can treat. During a photofacial different levels of light energy are used in order to maximize the results. Light energy is delivered to the target area, which is absorbed by the damaged tissue under the skin.

These photofacial treatments take approximately 30 to 40 minutes to complete. Three to six treatments are usually required to get the best results. LED Photofacial treatments were designed to have little to no down time and can sometimes offer similar results to laser treatments.