Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

IPL acne treatment (went once every 2 weeks). I hate my freckles, acne and has some new (never had before) red flat acne scars. I had 2 sessions of IPL laser facial (AKA Skin Rejuvination). She set it on a setting that would be anti bacterial and also reduce sun damage (freckles). It certainly got rid of ALL of my flat red acne scars. It also really really improved the loads of under the skin pimples (I'd say about 80% helped them). I didn't see any difference in the freckles but that was the least of my skin problems tbh. Maybe if I had more sessions it would have started to target them. It is quite painful to have done, and I've had IPL hair removal, tattoos, piercings etc. I'd say pain level is about 8/10 (maybe just because i'm freckily). It did definitely reduce the large, painful acne cysts around my jawline, however it didn't really prevent them from coming again,it just treated the ones that were currently there. But the clusters of under skin pimples it got rid of them and prevented new ones. I had to stop after the 2nd session as I am now pregnant. I am now having Red Light Therapy which is not painful, much cheaper, but obviously less effective. Nice effect after 1st treatment and going for another one today (once a week). Will 100% go back to the IPL treatment after I've had the baby. Think it really does work and worth the money (varies from £75- £150 depending on where you go).

I found this treatment to be great for hyper-pigmentation -performed in a Dermatologist Clinic NOT A SALON!! TAKE CARE HERE PEOPLE 2 days after the treatment, whilst gently washing my face I noticed that the sun damaged and darker spots literally flaked off. It also helped with some hyper-pigmentation from some old acne scars, looking forward to round 2. If you are going to invest in IPL then do your research as to the qualifications of the person and the machine used. Not all are the same. In the wrong hands these devices can literally ruin your skin.

I've suffered from different degrees of acne starting around 12 - now 37 :$ I have had both IPL and BBL. Treatments I first got them to help get rid of the melasma and discolouration from sun damage over the years ... I found that it lifted the discoloured spots after about a week and they came to the surface looking like coffee grounds lol and flaked off! It helped the tone and evenness as well as tightened my skin a bit ! But what the nice thing was even though it was not typically used for acne treatment , It helped clear and keep my skin clearer than prior to the treatments! It's been a couple years since I've had a bbl and I'm starting to get hormonal changes possibly peri menopause starting but getting different acne now! Deeper and in WIERD places like behind my ears and jaw line! I be moved to another province now and tried to go in for a bbl but the girls there wouldn't treat me with bbl and said it's not for active acne ! I tried to explain I had it done before at a dermatologists but they are making me wait until it heals up! It's frustrating because I am allergic to the antibiotics and had to go for a MRI because I got swelling in my brain from acutane ( it's dangerous stuff) I had good results from IPL and BBL's and look forward to being able have another treatment! For me It helps with both acne and anti aging! Just wish the clinic where I am going to now realized this! I've seen the results on my skin but do acknowledge other people may have different results!! ? I've heard it can make skin conditions worse but I haven't experienced that so far and have probably had at least 10 treatments over the past 6 years ...

Does it work? I'm thinking about treating with this laser, and I'm not entirely sure its positive effects. I read mixed reviews here and elsewhere, and I am very scared !. I would say that practically suffer from severe acne, I went to 3 dermatologists and have tomadod different pills and creams, including doxycycline, monoxiclina, Tetralysal, benzoyl peroxide, Differin, among others. Including some natural remedies, some helped me but didn ´t saw significant changes. I suffered from acne for several years and I'm 19, and I definitely want to solve this problem!

After my allergic reaction to roaccutane and suffering for 5years gradually getting worse, I decided to give this a go as a last resort. I first met the at the clinic to discuss the procedure and the effectiveness and was told it would clear the acne and reduce scaring over 8-10 weeks. also that i had to purchase £100 worth of creams. which I felt was a bit of a scam to be honest. considering the treatment was a £1000. The treatment was uncomfortable, slightly painful at times. I found no benefits at all, if anything It aged my skin considerably and the cost was horrendous. I then tried another form of roaccutane 10 months later and that had stopped my acne for 6 months completely. now 10 months on i get the odd couple here and there. save your money!!!

I rate 5 stars - if done properly I'm so sorry to hear the horror stories you guys are sharing! I own a Laser Clinic/Corrective Esthetics shop, and also have been an Acne 'victim' since I was 9 or so. To give you the insiders info, and not just coming from some quack esthetician looking for her next commission or tip...I can tell you a few things. *IPL will not help acne 'scarring' - not possible in any way. IPL works beneath the skin, not the scarring on the surface. *If you got Hyperpigmentation as a result from a medi spa visit - the technician used the wrong settings. Plugged into the IPL machine that you're skin tone was actually lighter than it was. Therefore, whatever the machine was looking for (IPL is pigment based) it was expecting you to be lighter, so if you weren't...it was trying to get you there. SUE THEM! See a dermatologist - get a bill. and take action. They have insurance, and you shouldn't have to suffer. *If you have undesirable skin texture or form - well, its hard to get a dermatologist to point out a specific condition on that and fix it. They'll probably try to recommend like a Fraxel laser or resurfacing or something crazy like that. Tell them no dice. When I got the IPL unit, I was breaking out (5 to 8 pimple count - even after acutane in my teens) Underground, painful jaw line lesions, and some forehead hair line. People said jawline are stress related, and well - I was just opening my clinic...rent was due, waiting on permits, no clients yet, etc. So after the wine was gone, I decided to take a dose of my own medicine/treatment. Did about 3 (at 2 week intervals)...and didn't break out for about 8 months after those treatments! It worked very well for me, and my clients as well. The IPL targets the sebaceous gland and blasts the bacteria out. If hormones are questionable, then don't bother with the treatment. Waste of time and money. I tried doing a clients "Bac-ne" acne on the back. Then after a few treatments, no results were apparent. Then found out he was taking steroids! So our treatments were pointless. Birth control, steroids, pregnancy, breast feeding or hormone replacements will compromise the results (just like Laser Hair Removal) What you should expect after a properly done treatment is: Bacteria purging| You will get worse before you get better. The bacteria you see coming up was always there, however the IPL chased it out of the sebaceous gland and brought it all out at the same time (I always warn my clients 100 times prior to conducting the treatment, and ask them if they have any special events coming up weddings, etc.) its up to you to use a good salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide wash/cream following. Its all you after we bring it up and out! *What to do following IPL* Try not to squeeze | I know...its like an alcoholic at a Liquor Store. However, we can't walk around with gross white heads - this, I understand. Hold a hot face cloth up against the pimple for about 5 minutes. This will open the pore (heat expands) and squeeze gently with the finger tips, no nails! this will prevent scarring. Hit the drugstore | You don't have to get the million dollar creams that the esthetician recommends to you, the drugstore will do fine. Try to find a clay mask with "Bentonite" in it, use it every second day. Salicylic acid and/or benzyl peroxide in your cream or cleanser After the Acne is gone, or even still apparent - the best and only thing for scarring is Microdermabrasion. This can be costly, depending on where you're located (my shop $45). If your texture, pigment or smoothness is compromised by previous treatments or just a life of Acne...this will work wonders. You will need about 6 to 8 treatments (realistically - unfortunate, but a good investment), and space them out a week or 10 days apart. The skin growth cycle is every 2 weeks for the face, so essentially you develop a new layer of skin in that time. You want to beat that cycle. Think of it as digging a hole, and you keep adding more soil to the edges - the hole is the scar. Makes it deeper. You can find email deals wherever you are, like Groupon or Dealfind - that kind of thing, which will make it more affordable for you to get the full amount of treatments required. If you are still suffering with stubborn acne, speak to a Dermatologist and they can prescribe you an antibiotic or acutane if it's really severe. Then get some Microdermabrasion to smooth things up. Always wear a sunscreen (specific for the face) of at least 30spf, every day. Winter, summer or even cloudy days. This is a shield for your skin, this spf protects you from all elements and carbons. And as a unspoken rule for Acne sufferers, always OIL FREE! If you're having a hard time finding moisture in the skin while going through all this, use a product that claims 'oil absorbing' cream - and apply as much as you need to, so you get your desired moisture level. I hope my information helped anyone or someone at least! I wish everyone was in Canada where I am, I would help you all! Remember that acne isn't permanent, but you all are permanently beautiful. Feel free to ask me questions anytime.

I've had red acne scars for months. They're difficult to cover up and as a result, I feel incredibly self-conscious, like everyone is staring at my skin. I've tried creams, natural remedies, even a chemical peel. Then my aesthetician suggested we try the IPL laser. It worked immediately! I had it done Monday, and by Saturday my scars have reduced by at least 60%. I wish I had before and after pictures to show everyone. I don't think I would recommend the laser for anyone who doesn't really have problem skin, but I would definitely encourage anyone with some stubborn redness in smaller areas to get this treatment! I'm also happy to answer any questions about the procedure!

I'm pretty sure this started my acne. It's that simple. I never had acne as a teenager - just the odd spot. But being dark-haired, I have had hirsutism since my teens (male-pattern hair growth in a woman). I don't look like a man, and most people probably don't notice, but I have tried (and continue to try) many things to manage it over the years, and IPL was one of them. I'm 34 now, and started IPL treatment when I was 28, in the spring of 2006. By the autumn, I had moderate acne - big, sore, swollen bumps along my jawline and on my cheeks (areas I hadn't had spots before). I did say to the woman who did my treatment that I seemed to have developed acne while having the treatment, and asked if the two could be related. She insisted not, and that the acne would most likely be hormonal; at the time, I went along with it. But now, when I look back, I can't think of anything else that could have caused it. I had hormone tests at the time, which came back normal, and although some people said it was having my son that started it, he was two before my acne appeared and I'd long finished breast-feeding. So however good IPL might be for treating some people's acne, I can honestly say that I think it actually started mine. I continued with the treatment for my hirsutism even after the acne appeared, and the spots didn't get any better. I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone wanting to treat their acne. I wonder if the intense heat drastically dries out the skin, leading to the compensatory over-production of oils to re-moisturise it; this certainly seems to be where my skin has defaulted to for the last six years.

Waste of money. Didn't help my acne or scars at all. I got only two treatments of this and the doctor decided to try something else because he wasn't seeing the results he wanted.

I did my treatments at the Toronto Cosmetic Clinic and they used the Sciton BBL profile on me. I saw noticeable results after the first 2 sessions and I finished the 8 sessions and after 6 months after the full treatment I hardly get any break-outs! [link removed]