IPL – Photofacial

San Francisco Dermatology | Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation | CosmeticWe are thrilled to offer IPL in our office to reverse sun damage, even out skin tone and treat rosasea. The machine produces a broad spectrum of light that is absorbed by both the melanin pigment and the blood vessels. Hence this procedure has been called “Photofacial”. It works beautifully to reduce the sun damage many of us get on our face, necks, and chests. You’ll be able to wear v-neck shirts again!

The procedure itself is easy to tolerate, although it is not really a no down time treatment. We will put a thin layer of topical anesthesia on the area and then treat about 10 minutes later. It only takes about 20 minutes to treat the face, as an example. Any brown areas that are treated will turn darker for about a week, and you may experience some peeling and crusting. When we treat the neck, many patients get some bruising that can last several days. IPL is safe when done by trained professionals. We do ask that that you avoid tanning for four weeks prior to your first treatment and then during the course of treatment as well. The reason for this is that the IPL can’t distinguish between brown that we want to get rid of and your tan.

We recommend planning on three treatments for each location. The cost varies depending on the areas being treated. Please call the office for more information.

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