Photo Facial or Foto Facial treatment is a skin rejuvenation procedure that uses IPL therapy to improve skin tone and reduce facial pigmentation irregularities over a course of four to six treatments performed three weeks apart. Photo Facial treatment is minimally invasive and non-ablative, meaning it leaves the outer layer of skin intact, requires no downtime, and poses very few potential risks.
Photo Facial Indications
Treatment with a series of Photo Facial is often recommended to patients with fair or medium skin skin types who wish to get rid of sun damage and hyperpigmentation, including:
- Brown spots
- Age spots
- Sun spots
- Freckles
- Melasma
- Acne discoloration
Photo Facial treatment is also ideal for reducing large pores, spider veins, broken capillaries and facial redness and is often recommended to patients suffering from rosacea. In addition, Photo Facial treatment heats the skin in such a way as to stimulate collagen production, so it may subtly reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Although Photo Facials are typically quite safe and suitable for treating a variety of skin conditions, patients with dark or ethnic skin types are advised to avoid IPL Photo Facials, as the treatment poses a greater risk of burns or long-term pigmentation problems in these patients.
Photo Facial Treatment
Before a Photo Facial, your skin is cleansed and may be prepared with a topical anesthetic. During the Photo Facial procedure, an IPL, or intense pulsed light, device delivers pulses of high energy broadband light to your face, targeting red and brown pigmentation beneath the surface of your skin. A cooling fan may be used on your face to minimize discomfort that may occur as a result of the heat generated by the light.
You must wear eye protection throughout the Photo Facial procedure, which typically takes about 30-45 minutes.
Photo Facial Recovery
There is virtually no downtime after Photo Facial treatment, however your skin will probably look and feel as though it is mildly sunburned for a few days after the procedure. Your face may lightly peel for a week or two after your Photo Facial, and skin pigmentation may darken temporarily. It is important that you not pick at or scratch your face as it sloughs off dead skin, even if your face is itchy, because this can lead to side effects like scarring and permanent pigmentation changes.
Once you complete your Photo Facial series, your skin should be completely healed and your complexion dramatically improved. In order to protect your skin and maintain the results of your Photo Facial treatments, use a full spectrum sunblock every day.
Would you like to learn more about Photo Facial treatment? Call 212-772-7242 to schedule a consultation at Sadick Dermatology.
