I have discovered a forum which has collected stories from various people having negative side effects from IPL treatments:

http://messageboards.makemeheal.com/viewtopic.php?t=68824

I am uncertain if this is the explanation to my recent changes in skin texture. Over the last couple of years, (ever since I had 3 ILP treatments from LaserGenesis) my skin has dramatically "aged" in ways I can barely describe. I suddenly have "male skin" - it seems alot thinner, with orange peel texture around my lower cheeks, and my pores are very dilated, and I have lots of very fine wrinkles which moisturizer just doesn't help.

I know I did alot of picking & squeezing in my younger days, but until now I still had pretty smooth skin. I am fair with northern European skin. The only way it showed - I had a couple of ice pick scars & when I got cold I had a bazillion purple marks. I was assured IPL treatment STIMULATE collegen regrowth, REVERSE AGING, and won't penetrate deep enough to do any damage anyhow. I took the treatments to reduce the redness caused by some broken blood vessels which had surfaced in the apples of my cheeks, and some superficial brown "masking" caused by the hormones in BCPs.

Anyhow, I'm not convinced this is the entire reason of my new problems .... it could be a combination of other factors along with the treatment. It could be my genetics, but I have been analyzing the skin of other family members - (cousins, aunts, great aunts) and nobody has this radical damage. It could be the person who gave me the treatment wasn't qualified, or the machine was a first generation of the technology.

Anyhow, I've posted this to help others. DO YOUR RESEARCH - It seems it might work well for some, but there also seem to be lots of other horror stories like mine.

I had Aramis laser and I think (not sure) it's similar to IPL...I've suffered some negative side effects as well. The skin from my temple down to my lower cheeks is now visibly changed and different than the normal skin I had prior to the laser treatments. The skin seems tight, thin, and has a reddish discoloration....I went to a derm and the conclusion for the time being is that the skin is now more susceptible to yeast growth and I have folliculitis, or seborrheic dermatitis. Right now I'm applying a special shampoo on those areas to see if any improvements will occur...But we'll see..I recommend you see dermatologist (perhaps another one) to find out what kind of damage you have and if it's treatable.

I had about 5 IPL treatments two years ago which DRAMATICALLY improved my skin. I used to have very severe large cystic acne with pustules sometimes becoming over an inch in diameter. I did not react to the treatments badly in any way. My skin started clearing up within two weeks and I have since then only suffered minor hormonal acne. I have not had a single large pustule for over a year.

I have a very light skin and they do say that the lasers are most effective for lighter skin types because of the way the work at targeting pigmented areas or something like that.

I posted elsewhere that IPL was miraculous for me- it cleared my skin like nothing ever has and made my pores smaller and ALL red marks, brown spots, etc. went away for good. It plumped my skin so that my scars appeared to be gone. Unfortunately, the plumping goes away and the indented scars reappear w time. But if I had the money, I would have IPL every year. The one negative that I swear was caused by IPL, but the tech (of course) argued that it wasnt, was two indented scars that I know were not there before. Both were on spots she used a higher frequency and I felt burned after. Within a few months, those two spots turned into "holes". I don't know for sure, maybe erasing all the discoloration made the scars more obvious. I will never know.

I've read about the loss of fat, which worries me, but wouldn't that be more likely with laser? They use laser for removing fat, so how can they laser faces and not lose fat?

I have to tell you -- I got ONE IPL treatment at the end of 2007 by a woman named Carole Lea Burns in New York. It has RUINED my face. I promise you, my breakouts only got worse, and my skin has aged considerably since the treatment.

I honestly think it has ruined my last few years, and I have gone through emotional and mental trauma due to the DRAMATIC aging that has taken place since the treatment. I PROMISE YOU -- it is NOT WORTH it. try something safer. please, for your own sake. I don't want anyone to go through what I did.

Hi! I note that you're also 35; that's when facial collagen loss usually starts with people, particularly women, particularly those who've done sun worshipping in their teens and twenties. If you did not do a lot of tanning when younger, then it is possible that the IPL may have started the cascade of aging although I don't see how unless the settings were incorrect.

Retin A would help considerably with smoothing the small lines and wrinkles you notice.

The pigmentation you note (the brown stuff, melasma) is common with SUN damaged skin. Stay OUT of the sun or use high SPF protection and you'll be less likely to have it. I had some melasma from only one day of sun exposure while using glycolic acid (almost two years ago I got this melasma) and continuing use of glycolic acid, SPF 30 has reduced the melasma to almost invisible.

Actually I am not 35. Not sure where you saw that. I'm 27.

Well, your current age aside, I can second Wynne's sundamage advice, it makes eveything look worse. (BTW, I am over 35)
I've been using Tri-Luma for melasma, & I use Shiseido 55 block for sunscreen every darned day of my life now... Fun!
I went and had IPL done for my melasma and broken capilaries, I got nothing, no negative affects I noticed, no positive one's either.. It did cost me a bundle.
I would not recommend it unless you feel it's really worth the risk of possible damage, or being fleeced for nothing.

I had a good experience with a series of IPL "photo facials" ... it zapped some little broken capillaries and brown sun spots.

I think they used a fairly low setting.

I HAD MY FIRST IPL TREATMENT 2 + WEEKS AGO. DURING THE TREATMENT I GOT A VERY BAD HEADACHE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TREATMENT I FELT WEAK, LIKE MY STRENGTH HAD BEEN ZAPPED. LIKE I SAID, IT'S BEEN 2 ALMOST 3 WEEKS AND I STILL FEEL WEAK AND HAVE A LINGERING HEADACHE.
HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS?

Yes! I had my first IPL 3 weeks ago and it has been as if I have the flu ever since.

No energy, aching joints, and sooooo tired.

I can hardly drag myself out of bed, and I am a person who runs 2 miles a day and has tons of energy normally.

REALLY odd, and very difficult to deal with.

I found your posting because I came online to search and see if anyone else experienced this.