Should I Chose IPL or Laser for treatment?
IPL is an acronym for Intense Pulsed Light and describes the method through which light therapy or treatment is delivered. To dispel a common belief, IPL is not a brand and is certainly not a type of laser as many are led to believe.
Regardless of type or brand all light based treatment devices rely on a very similar methodology. That is a theory known as selective photothermolysis which describes the process of selectively heating a target whilst causing minimal thermal damage to surrounding tissue.
Key difference between Laser and IPL
Lasers use a fixed wavelength of light to ensure the target is treated effectively whilst greatly minimising risk of heating/damaging other chromophores/tissue.
IPLs use filters to reduce the bandwidth of light emitted however a much broader spectrum of light is still absorbed during treatment. Many clinics chose IPL over laser as it is a substantially cheaper technology and a single device can often treat a myriad of conditions.
The simple answer is Laser is a much safer technology with research also suggesting more effective and thus cost effective method of achieving lasting cosmetic results.
Hi I’m interested in laser skin resurfacing for some mild acne scarring on the cheeks. Which type of laser does your clinic offer and is there any down time? Thanks