Welcome to Part Three of our new Prevention Series! We’re exploring the best treatments for patients looking to feel their best and age beautifully.

Whether you’re just noticing your first lines and wrinkles or already enjoying more mature stages of life, this series offers insights for everyone. Last month our skincare explorer Alyssa tried Laser Hair treatment for the first time at Oakville Plastic Surgery.

This month Alyssa explores Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment for the first time!
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is an innovative laser treatment that uses several different wavelengths of light to treat concerns like wrinkles, rosacea, uneven skin tone, and can also help with pore size. IPL treats the skin with quick and powerful flashes of light. The light energy then penetrates below the skin’s surface, where the unwanted brown pigment (melanin) lives. The heat breaks down this pigment into tiny particles, which either rise to the skin’s surface as scabs (naturally sloughing away within a week or so) or get carried away by the body’s lymphatic system.

Here’s an inside look at what the experience was like for Alyssa at Oakville Plastic Surgery:

Hi Alyssa! So why an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment? What outcomes were you hoping for?
I’m choosing IPL because I’m hoping it’ll make a real difference in my skin- mainly a softer, more even complexion.

What would you tell people who were also thinking about getting the treatment?
Having a nice, smooth, glowing complexion is the best feeling. It affects how you think about yourself and how others see you in a really holistic way.

Here’s a useful side note for those of us looking to choose the right treatment for skin rejuvenation: IPL is similar to Microdermabrasion in that it also rejuvenates and transforms skin. But microdermabrasion and IPL differ in process and in results. Microdermabrasion uses tiny crystals and a vacuum system to exfoliate the top layer of skin, while IPL uses the healing power of light. The key difference is that IPL penetrates more deeply than microdermabrasion and allows the treatment specialist better control over skin resurfacing. This is why we primarily recommend IPL treatments over microdermabrasion.

How did it feel? Was the treatment painful at all?
I have really sensitive skin so I was anticipating that it would be painful or at least uncomfortable. But amazingly my skin wasn’t irritated and I was totally comfortable throughout the whole experience!

That’s great! Did your skin improve right away?
Right after the treatment, your skin has a bit of redness from the light. But this went away relatively quickly as my skin healed, and right after my appointment, my specialist took me to get a post-procedure touch-up done!

Tell us about the makeup you tried after your treatment- I heard you had a great experience with that.
I had never tried Glo Skin Beauty before until it was applied after my treatment. It’s an incredible line of camouflaging makeup that Oakville Plastic Surgery carries. I was really impressed because it’s mineral makeup with coverage that’s actually effective. Their make-up is great after a treatment- it nourishes skin and is effective in covering up even super sensitive skin like mine. Using this after BOTOX® treatments or IPL made a huge difference. Michele helped me apply a tinted primer that evened out my skin tone and masked the imperfections. I left the clinic feeling glowing and refreshed, which was such a plus! Glo is also certified PETA Cruelty-Free – which is really important to me.

Thanks Alyssa!

Take a look at our Fotofacial RF treatments which combine the renewing powers of IPL and RF (radiofrequency) technology to completely transform skin imperfections for a beautiful complexion.

Feel free to give us a call at (888) 948-9477 with any questions about Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment- we’d love to book a consultation and create a treatment plan you’ll feel great about.