IPL Photofacial for Sun Spots

If a flat brown mark has shown up on your face or hands, an IPL photofacial is one treatment you may hear about.

This page covers what published sources say IPL is used for, why the name of your mark matters, and what to ask before you pay.

What DermNet lists IPL for

A dermatologic surgeons' page on intense pulsed light for aging skin gives one published view of the treatment, and DermNet gives another.

DermNet lists intense pulsed light therapy for pigmented lesions, for the treatment of age spots, freckles, flat pigmented birthmarks and other skin discolouration problems such as melasma and erythromelanosis of the neck (poikiloderma of Civatte).

Why the name of your mark matters

The list above puts freckles, birthmarks and melasma side by side. They are different marks, so a provider who says "sun spots" without saying how they know is skipping a step. Knowing exactly what is being treated tells you what result to expect and when to call the treatment finished.

Ask what the mark is

• What is this mark, and how did you decide that?
• Is this the treatment you would choose for it, or only the one you offer?
• How will we both tell whether it has worked?

What to do next

Take the questions to a consultation and compare the answers with what a neutral reference says. DermNet's page on intense pulsed light therapy makes a good reference to keep open while you talk.