Here at PureLite, we’re used to answering questions. In fact, we encourage them! Your skin means a lot to you, so it also means a lot to us. Of course, you’d want to understand how our technology works and if it’s safe.
One of the most common questions we get regularly is about the safety of our laser/IPL technology and if it can cause cancer. We’d like to dispel that myth right now, once and for all.
What do we use?
To start, we use Lyntons medical grade IPL machine. Our beloved Lynton EXCELIGHT machine is a certified medical device that’s not only made by UK’s No.1 IPL manufacturer but also NHS-approved. In fact, it’s the only machine the NHS use for their IPL treatments.
Better still, it’s widely accepted among dermatologists as the top IPL machine due to being incomparably effective and producing lasting results with minimal side effects.
Which brings us to the next question…
What is IPL?
IPL or Intense Pulsed Light is a common procedure used for aesthetic and therapeutic purposes. Better known as The Photo Facial, IPL targets problem areas by saturating the skin’s surface layers with light.
How does IPL work?
Pigmented and vascular imperfections can appear on your chest, face, hands, and elsewhere preventing you from looking and feeling your best. IPL uses light energy to target these discoloured areas. The light energy non-invasively penetrates the skin, heating both the surface and deeper skin cells. While this is happening, the patient may feel a small sting, often referred to as feeling like a rubber band gently snapping against the skin.
The light and heat energy applied is just enough to ‘get rid of the unwanted skin cells, cleaning up the blemish or problem area in the process.
Photofacials are best known for treating:
- Freckles, Facial lines and wrinkles.
- Removal of unwanted dark hair.
- Minimizing the appearance of scars.
- Reducing signs of ageing.
- Lightening darker patches of skin.
It can also undo some visible damage caused by sun exposure – called photoaging.
What about side effects?
As with all cosmetic treatments that use light and heat energy to perturb the cells, IPL triggers a healing response in the skin. In this case, it’s restorative, leading to refreshed, new skin cells. However, there are some side effects that arise during the healing process. The most common being:
- Redness.
- Swelling.
- Light bruising.
- Itching.
- Peeling.
- Scabbing.
These side effects usually subside within 1 to 2 weeks.
Note: although there are unwanted effects associated with the treatment, these incidences are usually brought about by individuals untrained in the application of IPL.
Can IPL cause cancer?
At 500-550nn, the wavelengths that IPL uses are not within the carcinogenic spectrum of light. As a result, fortunately, IPL does not cause cancer, nor has it been shown to produce a legitimate cancer risk.
Does IPL use lasers?
Short answer: no. Long answer: While IPL systems work on the same principles as lasers, they’re different in some key ways. Unlike lasers, an IPL device sends out more than one wavelength of pulsating light, allowing for a more thorough effect upon the skin. This broadband approach enhances penetration without excessive energy levels, meaning the skin is refreshed without excess agitation.
Does heat produced by IPL damage my skin?
IPL is a flashlamp therapy. That means it incorporates 5 to 100-millisecond delays between pulses. During these pauses, the epidermis cools down, preventing damage to the skin.
Is IPL safe for my skin?
IPL-based technology is generally considered a safe procedure as it filters out potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation and only allows natural light to contact the skin.
What does the research say?
In a 2017 study, researchers stated that “IPL-based technology is generally considered a safe procedure as potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation is typically filtered by blocking wavelengths below 500 nm.”
What that means is that IPL only employs visible light, usually in the 500-550nm range. So, while the pulses may be high-intensity, they never change from what the skin is used to.
In conclusion
Lasers and Intense Pulse Light treatment are safe as long as they’re in the hands of a trained, certified professional. And here at PureLite we have only trained and certified professionals. Moreover, IPL is generally considered to cause less agitation to the skin due to its use of natural light over laser’s ultraviolet light.
Overall, both light-based treatments are effective in reducing imperfections of the skin for aesthetic and therapeutic purposes.
