Dr Ophelia or a trained practitioner will assess your skin type, pigmentation pattern, redness, sun damage, vascular activity, and treatment history. The appropriateness of IPL for your skin tone will be confirmed, and where another modality would be more appropriate, this will be discussed honestly. VISIA skin analysis provides an objective baseline.

For patients whose redness or pigmentation has a medical driver, including rosacea or hormonally influenced pigmentation, appropriate prescription treatment will be discussed and incorporated into the plan. Cold sore history is reviewed and oral antiviral medication prescribed before treatment where indicated.

Consistent use of broad-spectrum SPF 50 in the weeks before treatment is essential. Tanning and significant sun exposure should be avoided before each session. Some patients may be advised to use prescription topical agents including tretinoin before or between sessions.

The treatment area is thoroughly cleansed to remove make up, SPF, oil, and surface impurities.

Protective IPL certified goggles are worn throughout treatment.

The skin is kept cool during treatment using cooling gel or a chilled light tip, improving comfort and protecting the skin surface.

The M22 handpiece is passed across the treatment area, delivering controlled pulses of filtered light energy. The wavelength range, fluence, and pulse duration are selected for the patient's skin tone and concern. For patients with both sun spots and redness, the filter selection allows both to be addressed within the same session. Most patients describe the sensation as a mild rubber band snap with each pulse, followed by brief warmth.

Full aftercare instructions are provided, including advice on gentle skincare, sun avoidance, and SPF. At subsequent sessions, VISIA imaging is repeated to confirm objective improvement.

The Lumenis M22 is a market leading IPL platform with one of the most extensive published evidence bases of any IPL system available. It uses interchangeable filters to select the most appropriate wavelength range for the concern being treated, delivers energy without grid patterns for consistent coverage, and was chosen for this clinic on the same basis as every other device: it is the best available option for the clinical purpose it serves.

IPL is most suitable for patients with fair to light medium skin tones who have diffuse sun damage, solar lentigines, rosacea-related redness, or the mixed picture of pigmentation and vascular change associated with photoageing. In darker skin tones, where the broad spectrum of IPL carries a higher risk of pigmentation changes, the Nd:YAG vascular laser or PicoSure PRO are safer alternatives.

At Dr Ophelia's clinic, laser hair removal is performed using the Cynosure Elite iQ Nd:YAG and Alexandrite platform, which provides more precise, targeted energy delivery than IPL and is significantly safer in darker skin tones. IPL for hair removal carries a meaningful risk of pigmentation complications in patients with higher Fitzpatrick skin types. IPL at this clinic is used for skin rejuvenation, pigmentation, and redness, where it is well suited, rather than for hair removal.

Yes, IPL is effective for the vascular redness and telangiectasia associated with rosacea in suitable skin tones. However, rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition that requires ongoing management, and IPL alone is not a complete treatment. At Dr Ophelia's clinic, rosacea is assessed by a Consultant Dermatologist who can prescribe topical and oral medical treatments alongside IPL where indicated.

The Nd:YAG vascular laser uses a single targeted 1064nm wavelength to selectively coagulate blood vessels with precision, particularly suitable for darker skin tones and the signature vascular laser facial. IPL uses a filtered broad-spectrum light that targets both pigment and superficial vascularity simultaneously, making it better suited to the mixed photoageing picture in lighter skin tones. The two approaches are complementary, and the most appropriate choice depends on the individual patient.

PicoSure PRO is a picosecond laser that uses a targeted photoacoustic mechanism to fragment pigment, and is the preferred option for more stubborn or deep pigmentation, melasma, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, as well as collagen stimulation and acne scarring. IPL is better suited to the diffuse, mixed photoageing picture of sun spots and redness in lighter skin tones, and is a more natural choice as a regular maintenance treatment.

Most patients describe each pulse as a brief rubber band snap followed by a moment of warmth. Discomfort is generally mild and short lived. The M22's cooling system reduces discomfort throughout treatment.

Downtime is minimal. Most patients return to normal activities immediately. Pigmented lesions may darken for up to two weeks before clearing, which is a normal part of the treatment response.

A course of 3 to 5 sessions spaced 3 to 6 weeks apart is the standard initial recommendation. Many patients then continue with maintenance sessions every 3 to 6 months to sustain their results.

VISIA skin analysis is performed at baseline and at follow up visits, using the pigmentation and vascular filters to quantify and map changes in sun damage, pigmented lesions, and redness objectively.

Tanning, significant sun exposure, and tanning products must be avoided before each session and throughout the course. Broad spectrum SPF 50 should be applied every day. Active skincare ingredients including retinoids and exfoliating acids should be paused as advised around each session.