ICON Optimised IPL

–  Skin Tone and re-texture
–  Pigmentation
–  Vascular lesions
–  Acne & rosacea

Skin rejuvenation is also known as photo-rejuvenation – the non-invasive, non surgical face lift. The intense pulsed light is absorbed by colour particles which are present in blood and in melanin. The IPL also treats the propioni-bacterium in acne and protein present in cells which produce collagen.

Pigmentation marks slowly come to the skin’s surface and are shed naturally.

Vascular lesions dissipate into the lymphatic system for excretion, just as bruises do. Enlarged pores, minor pitting and scarring diminish and fade.

Fine lines and wrinkles are softened and may virtually disappear.

Collagen & elastin production increases.

ICON MaxG IPL is designed to treat spider veins and broken vessels on the face, neck, and some other areas of the body.

It is difficult to predict the number of sessions required, as it depends on the nature of the lesions to be treated and their size, plus the client’s skin type, condition and colour. 

Some conditions may require maintenance treatments from time to time.  This will be discussed during your consultation. 

Different types of skin rejuvenation require different numbers of treatments.

The following is a guide only:

SKIN TONE & RE-TEXTURE:
Fine lines & wrinkles, enlarged pores, minor pitting & scarring,etc
2 to 4 treatments usually recommended, at 4 to 6 week intervals.

VASCULAR LESIONS:
Facial redness, broken capillaries, spider veins, etc
2 to 6 treatments usually recommended, at 2 to 6 week intervals.

PIGMENTATION MARKS:
Freckles, sun spots, flat birthmarks, etc,
2 to 8 treatments usually recommended, at 4 to 6 week intervals.

ROSACEA AND ACNE:
Results are profound, but these hormonal conditions may return.
2 to 6 treatments usually recommended, at 1 to 3 week intervals.

Consultation and Test Patch:
Your first appointment will be a comprehensive consultation to answer all your questions and to check that there are no contra-indications to IPL treatments, such as medications which cause photo-sensitivity, and to ascertain the degree of recent sun or UV exposure on the area to be treated.

The colour of your skin and the condition to be treated must be assessed, then a calculation is made to determine the appropriate setting. 

A patch test will be applied and we must wait to see the outcome.   Some conditions only require a few minutes wait, while others will require a separate appointment of up to 48 hours after the test patch.  

It is very important to be honest about medications and your recent sun or UV exposure.  Clients with photo-sensitivity problems may develop some adverse reactions such as blistering or mild burning sensations. 

Your first test patch flash will be set on a low setting in order to avoid this.  The setting may be raised if appropriate.

The treatment area is re-assessed, wiped with a mild antiseptic lotion to remove all traces of oils, etc., and ultrasound gel is then applied.  Both the operator and the client will wear glasses to protect their eyes from the bright flashes of light, then treatment may commence.  The flash light lamp at the head of the hand piece is held against the client’s skin and the intense light is pulsed at the trigger of a button.  

The lamp is moved to cover the entire area, with a minimum of 2 seconds between each flash.   Once the treatment is completed the gel will be wiped off and a cooling gel will be applied, plus sun block where appropriate.

Some treatments have little or no sensation at all, but for other treatments, clients may feel a slight sting, similar to the flick of a rubber band against your skin.  It is certainly not unbearable, and we can always reduce the intensity if you feel the need. 

Immediately after some treatments, you may feel a mild heat for a few minutes, or a couple of hours, but after most treatments you will feel next to nothing at all.

In most cases there is no visible reaction and you would be expected to be able to return to work and resume your normal activities immediately after your appointment.  However, IPL causes heat in the target tissues; therefore it is quite acceptable for the area to be slightly reddened immediately after treatment, but this would normally dissipate within half an hour.  It is possible for the skin to appear slightly red for a couple of hours and up to 24 hours.   If a reaction is visible after 48 hours it is imperative to contact your IPL operator for further advice.

Please note: In darker skinned people, these responses may be delayed for up to 24 hours.

Light produced by laser and by IPL is absorbed by the colour pigment, melanin, which is present in our hair and skin. 

Caution is required when treating people with darker skin tone.

Hyper-pigmentation or blanching of the skin is likely to occur if there is too much melanin present in the skin. It is possible to treat medium to medium/dark skin on a low intensity. 

The consultation process and a test patch, will determine whether each individual can be treated. Strict guidelines must be adhered to, when treating darker skin tones using only low levels of intensity at each session. This means more treatments will be needed to achieve the desired result. 

Most patients notice a difference a week after each session, but individuals should expect to see the best results after 3-6 months.

We refer to IPL as a semi-permanent hair removal procedure as once the first course of treatments will remove all of your hair follicles, patients typically need a top-up treatment once every 6-12 months.

Usually, there is little to no downtime for IPL treatment though it is natural for your skin to feel warm. This should calm down between 1 and 3 days after. Some may also experience bruising of the skin, which will also gradually subside within 1 and 2 weeks of treatment.