Many people have ages spots or freckles on their faces and bodies. Over time these can increase and become darker. With many Med Spas offering treatments that will remove or reduce the signs of age spots every client should understand the techniques used. Let’s compare the two techniques commonly used to remove age spots: microneedling vs. IPL(Intense Pulsed Light). Each type of treatment has benefits for specific skin conditions.
The Microneedling technique uses an electric skin needling device. When passed over the surface of the skin, this device makes multiple tiny, shallow skin punctures. These small breaks in the skin immediately stimulate the skin to produce collagen. As collagen production increases the skin gets plump and thicker, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. The process of micro needling also breaks up melanin in the skin absorbing it into the body, so it is an effective treatment for age spots.
Optimum results usually require multiple treatments. The area and the type of skin treated determine the number of treatments needed. The result is beautiful smooth skin with an even tone.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a laser treatment that targets dark spots on the skin. IPL is used for lightening and removing sun spots, age spots, and brown blotches on the face, and upper body. The spots usually appear darker after the treatment, but a few days later they flake off leaving behind smooth even toned skin. IPL can be more efficient than micro needling at removing age spots because not only are the brown freckles removed but the background pigmentation as well.
IPL isn’t as good of treatment for smoothing skin texture and isn’t as effective in encouraging collagen production. So IPL is not good if getting rid of wrinkles is a priority. IPL can be used in combination with micro needling.
There is very little risk of damaging your skin from IPL treatments, also known as photofacials. A photofacial is a non-invasive treatment that saturates the surface of your skin with light to target problem areas and reverse both signs of damage and aging.
Is IPL laser safe?
IPL-based technology is generally considered a safe procedure as potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation is typically filtered by blocking wavelengths below 500 nm, although there are unwanted effects associated with the treatment.
No matter which treatment you seek, it’s important to consult with an expert technician to find the treatment that will give the best results for your skin type.
Further reading:Everything you need to know about IPL Hair Removal
