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Find a Rosacea
Treatment Specialist
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Before & After Photos
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 | | The Patient’s Guide™ to Rosacea is the most respected online publication providing information about facial redness & rosacea, its management and treatment, and its symptoms. Our mission is to provide you, our reader, with unbiased, scientifically accurate information about rosacea, its causes and symptoms, as well as potential treatments. | | | >>More About the Patient's Guide | |
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Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) | | |
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How Does It Work on Rosacea?
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Intense pulsed light treatments (IPL) can help reduce the redness, dilated blood
vessels, and acne-like breakouts associated with rosacea. It does this by emitting
high-intensity, non-laser pulses of light that penetrate the skin to very specific
computer-controlled depths, but without damaging the top layer of skin.
IPL uses a wide spectrum of light. Different wavelengths of light are used to target
different tissues in the skin. For example, wavelengths that can be absorbed by
the reddish color of hemoglobin in blood vessels are used to remove the dilated
“spider” veins associated with rosacea.
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What Is the Treatment Like?
Your skin will be gently cleansed before treatment, and a topical anesthesia may
be applied to make you more comfortable. You’ll be given goggles to protect your
eyes, and a cool gel will then be spread onto the area of your skin targeted for
treatment. The treatment itself takes about 15 to 30 minutes. During the procedure,
your physician will gently press a smooth wand-like handpiece, which delivers the
carefully calibrated pulses of light, across your skin. Some people describe the
sensation of the pulsing light as similar to the tiny “snapping” of a rubber band.
You can expect to see some results after a week or two. For optimal, long-lasting
results, however, you’ll most likely need a short series of treatments—four to six,
spaced a month or so apart. Effects can last for 12 months or longer.
Minimal Side Effects
Because its light does not damage the top layer of skin, IPL is known as a non-ablative
procedure. As a result, side effects are minimal. You’ll experience some mild redness
and swelling for 24 to 48 hours, but bruising and other side effects are rare. As
a result, you can return to your normal activities immediately after treatment,
if you wish. You won’t need to take any time off for “recovery.”
IPL does not work on all skin types. People with darker skin tones or who have spent
a lot of time out in the sun may not be good candidates for this treatment. Be sure
to ask your physician about all the risks and benefits of IPL—and about all other
treatment options—before you select a strategy for treating your rosacea.
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Find a Rosacea Treatment Specialist
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Dr. Bernstein explains how light based treatments are used to destroy the tiny blood vessels that cause facial redness.
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