Be in the Know: What is Photofacial?

Even with diligent skincare routine, having a clear and flawless complexion can be difficult to achieve. You are bound to experience at one point or another, and especially as you age, some of the most common hyperpigmentation problems such as sun damage, brown spots, melasma, freckles, and scars after skin injury (like acne scars).

Laser Pigmentation Treatment for Age Spot Removal

Photorejuvenation, or photofacial is an effective skincare treatment that uses Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology to treat and reduce skin blemishes. However, this treatment should be done in by a trained and licensed skincare specialist in a certified aesthetic laser clinic.

Because IPL emits light over many wavelengths, it is able to penetrate various levels of the skin and draw out dark spots from the topmost layer where they scab and fall off, making photofacial an ideal hyperpigmentation treatment.

How to Remove Pigmentation and What Causes It?

Hyperpigmentation appears as a patch of skin darker in color than the surrounding skin. This darkening happens because excess melanin, the brown pigment responsible for normal skin color, forms deposits in the skin.

While it is usually harmless, and a fairly common skin problem, skin pigmentation can be embarrassing as it often appears in the face. It can also affect any skin color of any race. For some individuals who want to have safe freckles removal, they can be an ideal candidates for photofacial.

In a medical aesthetic clinic, an IPL handpiece is used to provide intense light in a series of gentle pulses on affected skin areas. Unlike the focused light of lasers, IPL emits diffused light over many wavelengths so it reaches various skin depths.

Other IPL Benefits Beyond Sun Spot Removal

In addition to removing pigmentation, IPL heats up the collagen and other connective tissues in the deeper layer of the skin and triggers the body’s natural production of this essential protein. The result is reduced wrinkles and fine lines on top of smoother, even-textured skin. In several aesthetic clinics in Singapore, patients find that their facial redness are significantly reduced.

Because photofacial is a non-invasive procedure that uses diffuse light, it can also be used to treat sensitive areas like the neck, chest and hands, in addition to the face. Patients will be asked to wear protective eye wear during the treatment. Topical anesthetic may be applied to the skin to provide the patient additional comfort before the treatment. Warm and mild stinging sensation are to be expected once the IPL procedure is being done.

What Can I Expect After the Treatment?

Photofacial does not require any downtime. Most patients from laser clinics in Singapore are able to resume regular activities after an IPL session. Some of the most common side effects, is redness but it usually fade within a few hours after the procedure, or may last up to 2 to 3 days.

The pigmented area may appear darker for up to two weeks because the skin needs to shed these for the results to be visible. Over time, the pigmented area will become lighter than it was before the treatment.

Depending on the skin type and other lifestyle factors, a few sessions of IPL treatments spaced four weeks apart may be necessary to achieve better results.