IPL services can help you look and feel your best

As a licensed aesthetician, I’m often asked about the latest technologies available to deliver fast, safe and effective results. When it comes to common concerns about facial skin — from unwanted hair to scars, fine lines and wrinkles — increasingly more providers are using Intense Pulsed Light to address these issues.

IPL is a safe and effective treatment option that is performed in clinical office setting. With its non-surgical approach and impressive results, it is swiftly gaining popularity among clients and providers alike.

How does IPL work? Light waves are selected for a client’s specific condition or concern, and those light waves target melanin in the skin. The light pulls the pigmentation up through the layers of the skin until it reaches the surface layer (stratum corneum) and crusts/flakes off. The light waves can also target hemoglobin in broken blood vessels to help lessen the appearance of rosacea and broken capillaries as well as targeting the pigment in hair and destroying the follicle, allowing for hair removal. IPL uses multiple lengths of light rays at varying intensity, allowing it to treat more than just one type of skin condition at once.

With IPL, clients typically feel minimal discomfort during the procedure, and depending on the type of condition being treated, the procedure may only take a few minutes. After only a few treatments, some clients are able to see noticeable results.

Depending on the type of condition that you want to treat, a provider will be able to recommend if IPL service or another type of treatment is best for you. It’s important to note that these conditions are unique to the individual, so a treatment that works for one person might not work best for someone else.

If interested in IPL, the first step is to schedule a consultation. In our office, patients are initially scheduled for a consultation and skin examination to determine if their concerns can be best addressed with IPL or a different treatment. At that time, we will be able to give an estimate as to how many treatments will be needed to achieve the desired results. We will address any questions or concerns you may have before beginning treatment. And, we will discuss pre-treatment and post-treatment instructions to optimize the likelihood of a successful treatment.

If you are interested in learning more about the range of services offered at Mount Nittany Physician Group Reconstructive & Cosmetic Surgery, visit www.cosmetic.mountnittany.org. You can also sign up for our free e-newsletter, “Complements,” which has great information about looking and feeling your best.

Lashelle Kuhlman is a licensed aesthetician with Mount Nittany Physician Group.