Dur­ing Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments, short pulses of intense light are emitted from an applicator onto your skin. To treat acne, specific wavelengths of light target bacteria in the skin, as well as inflamed sebaceous glands that contribute to breakouts. IPL energy at various wavelengths is also used to selectively destroy pigment cells, blood-filled capillary veins, or hair, depending on the intended nature of your treatment.

​

When your skin absorbs the light energy, it heats up and you will experience a brief, pinprick sensation. A layer of chilled gel applied before treatment helps to ease the discomfort, and as each individual pulse of light can treat a generous area of skin, IPL treat­ments are gen­er­ally quite short. A typ­i­cal ses­sion ranges from 15 to 20 mins, and most patients require between four and eight ses­sions to achieve the desired results.