I went back home a week ago to NO.VA and my SIL who is a dermatologist just purchased a new laser machine for her office. I'm Asian and I'm always bothered by the freckles on my cheeks and nose. She used the laser on me and I immediately saw the difference. It faded my freckles dramatically! She told me that I would probably scab over and ithat it will fall off but I didn't have any of that. She also gave me some creams just in case it was painful afterwards but I didn't even have any pain.

Anyway, I since I've returned back to Tampa I'm hoping to continue the IPL at least 1 more time so that it will zap all of my freckles completely. I made a couple of calls in the area and found that the IPL photofacials that were being performed in a Doctor's office range from $250-$450 per session. While the ones that were being performed at "laser centers" by aestheticians were funning around $75 per session. Big difference!

Does anyone else have any experience with IPL and using a medical doctor versus an aesthetician? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

I've had two done this year & love the results. I had mine done by an aesthetician so I wouldn't be able to compare the experience to a MD.

The last time I was there I did have to ask her to turn it down a notch because it seemed a bit painful and she said if it's near that time of the month your skin can be more sensitive to the pain.

But I will definately try it again!!!

In NV, they are changing the laws on who can operate these machines effective Jan '09. After Jan 1st, only nurses & doctor can run these machines. There were too many people being harmed. They showed some of these poor women in TV, it was sad.
These laser center here are being staffed by people with no experience, they are not aestheticians.
Personally, I put my health as my #1 concern. I do not go cheap when it comes to any procedure. I would never go out of the country of any kind of health issue either.
JMO

I am in total agreement with Vegas Long Legs. I would never go cheap when it comes to my health. I'm just too afraid that something will go wrong and they won't react quick enough to "save" my life. I basically have made up my mind to go with a medical doctor but I was just curious as to the pros/cons of going to an aesthetician. thanks for all of your thoughts!

People also get burned if they don't honestly tell the clinic that they have been in the sun recently or are on a new medication. Burns happen all the time because people don't think it is that important. It is. Ibuprofen is a big no no, as is any antibiotic. A test patch is recommended in these circumstances. It's inconvenient but worth the delayed treatment.

I got it done a couple times at an aesthetician. I didn't think the results were overly amazing, but it did fade some spots a little.

Unfortunately, I broke out like crazy a couple months after stopping my monthly facials (microderm/photofacials/chemical peels) and now I have marks all over again.

I just got my first treatment last week and I love it!! I'm doing it for mild rosacea. The person doing mine is a friend who is also a chiropractor but started in this line of work because she likes it better! I too, didn't have any pain (she gave me a gel for it after) nor any scabbing.. so far so good!

^For mild rosacea too?! I must do this! How does it work?

Originally Posted by inkypina

^For mild rosacea too?! I must do this! How does it work?

I had laser genesis which targets the red pigments in the skin I am pretty sure IPL is for the brown pigments. I am pretty sure both lasers help your skin produce more collagen. I think IPL you have to wait 4-6 weeks between treatments. You do for laser hair and vein removal which I have done and would highly recommend!!!

http://www.realself.com/files/images/iplsux-26681.jpg

Be careful and VLL post was excellent. IPL has done a LOT of harm to many. Google Nicoletta N on yelp she was featured on Inside Edition for her wedding. The IPL damage she had was horrific. I just don't think IPL is worth it. There are many that have damage show up years later and after the procedure was performed.

I totally get where people are coming from, wanting to have only medical personnel perform this kind of thing. But I also hate that only medical personnel are "worthy" of using this equipment. Can't they just require lots of testing? What about chiropractors? Aren't they good enough?

It's a conundrum.

^^^I dont get why a Chiro would do IPL? They deal with the skeletal system, not the skin...

My IPL will be done by my dermatologist, who went to school for many years, understands all the types of skin and not just trained in a machine, but has a Phd in skin.

IPL didn't do anything for my skin, so I never went back for it. Maybe it's improved over the years, but my Quasar MD has done more, and I feel like I don't have to spend the extra $$ to go get an IPL.

Quote:

IPL didn't do anything for my skin, so I never went back for it.

Total waste of money for me.

I do IPL (I'm a MD), have had a series of initial IPL's and subesquent maintenance treatments and adore it's results, but I also respect and am more scared by it than any other tool when bad machines are used by people with limited training.

The range of IPL machines out there is very significant - you can get a cheap used IPL for 5K with almost no safety features or power to get results. Put that in the hands of someone who took a weekend course and it has more risk of burns and scarring than any other laser/light technology. If you're using a weak system, you are also more likely to do those treatments which give no results and give IPL a bad rap.

The highest end IPL systems cost $200K and up, but have amazing cooling and other features which allow you to use them to treat not only brown spots, but also acne, rosacea, spider veins and fine lines safely. New research out of Stanford shows that people who do a series of IPL and then 1-2 maintenance treatments a year actually "anti-age" their skin - the treated skin actually has less dna damage and genetically is younger than the same person's untreated skin.

Like anything, do your due diligence. If someone's offering a $99 groupon (the office is actually taking in about 30% of that), you know they're having a minimally trained person using an inexpensive machine and their office doesn't have enough business from happy repeat patients and word of mouth that they have to do a groupon.

Ask your friends, hair or nail stylist (they usually talk with people who do these things) and find and office that does good work. Schedule a consult and talk with the people who do the treatments and ask them about both their equipment, training and experience. If you do it right, IPL should be one of the best things you can do for your skin!