Immediately following IPL treatment your skin will appear flushed or pink. The nurse will apply ice compresses to the area to reduce mild swelling. In most cases you will not experience significant discomfort during or after the treatment. If you do, we will apply topical lidocaine cream to diminish the discomfort and in rare instances we will administer oral pain medication. You may apply make-up immediately following treatment.

Dr. Kopelman and his aesthetic nursing staff will assess your skin and make recommendations based upon the severity and number of skin conditions present. Typically a series of three treatments spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart are needed to achieve good results. Hair reduction treatment requires several treatment sessions over many months and ongoing “touch- up” treatments. By dividing IPL treatment sessions over several weeks to months you will experience a gradual improvement with lower risk and you may return to your daily routine immediately. Compared to invasive laser therapies, IPL is a perfect treatment option for a busy person who has little time to recover.

IPL may take several sessions to achieve your aesthetic goals. The results are not instantaneous. Pigmentation that has been treated may at first appear darker. After about a week the dark skin will shed off like a scab and the original dark spot will have disappeared or will be lighter. Spider veins may take two to three weeks before you see a reduction in the number of vessels. Hair reduction will take several sessions and weeks before you see a significant difference.

Treatment is contraindicated during pregnancy, if you have a sun tan and if IPL is performed on the face no active infections or cold sores should be present unless treated with the appropriate drugs.