IPL for Sun Damage: Why Fall Is the Best Time to Start

Summer may be winding down, but this is often when sun damagestarts becoming more noticeable. Brown spots, darker freckles, uneven tone,redness, and visible vessels can all show up after months of extra UV exposure.If you're noticing those changes, fall is one of the best times to startaddressing them with IPL.

What Is IPL?

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. It uses targeted light energyto treat unwanted pigment and redness in the skin. You may have also heardsimilar treatments called BBL, or Broadband Light. BBL is a branded form of IPLtechnology. At vIVid Wisconsin, we use Dye-VL through the Alma Harmonyplatform, which is designed to target many of the same pigmented and vascularconcerns.

IPL can be especially helpful for:

• Sun spots and brown pigmentation
• Freckles
• Redness
• Visible facial vessels
• Uneven skin tone

It can also be used on areas like the face, neck, chest,shoulders, and hands.

Why Start in the Fall?

IPL is best performed when your skin is not freshly tanned orsunburned, which makes fall a great time to begin. Summer tans are fading, sunexposure is decreasing, and there are several lower-sun months ahead to workthrough a treatment series.

For many patients, we recommend around 3 to 4 treatments,depending on the amount of pigmentation or redness being treated.

What Should You Expect?

Treatments are quick and usually involve minimal downtime. Mostpatients describe the light pulses as a brief warm snap. Skin may look slightlypink afterward, and brown spots can temporarily darken before gradually fading.

Where Should You Start?

Not every brown spot or area of redness should be treated the sameway.

At vIVid, we can use our Alma IQ skin analysis to evaluate yourskin and determine whether IPL is the right place to start. If you're noticingmore sun spots, redness, or uneven tone after summer, fall is the perfect timeto take a closer look.

Schedule an Alma IQ skin analysis or laserconsultation at vIVid Wisconsin in Eau Claire to create a treatment plan forclearer, brighter, more even-looking skin.

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