Persistent skin issues such as sun damage, age spots, and uneven skin tone can be tough to address with over-the-counter products alone. These concerns often require a more effective solution. At U | 180 Spa and Wellness in Winnsboro, LA, we offer IPL treatments for effective and efficient skin rejuvenation. Our tailored approach ensures each session significantly improves your skin’s health with minimal downtime. We offer services to patients from across Northeast Louisiana, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments are a non-invasive cosmetic treatment used to improve the appearance of the skin. By delivering broad-spectrum light to the deeper layers of the skin, IPL targets and reduces various imperfections. The light energy is absorbed by the pigmented cells and blood vessels, which are then destroyed and naturally removed by the body, leading to a clearer and more even complexion.
IPL uses a broad spectrum of light that can penetrate multiple layers of skin at once. Each pulse of light is filtered to specific wavelengths that match the depth and pigmentation of the treatment area, allowing precise targeting without damaging surrounding tissue. The heat generated by the light stimulates collagen production, which helps improve skin texture. IPL treatments can be adjusted based on skin type, depth of discoloration, and vascular visibility, and are a versatile option for a wide range of concerns, including broken capillaries and rosacea.
IPL treatments target pigmentation issues, reducing the appearance of age spots, freckles, and sun damage. This results in a more even and radiant skin tone.
The light pulses target blood vessels, minimizing redness and flushing associated with rosacea. This can lead to a calmer and more balanced complexion.
IPL treatments help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating collagen production. Increased collagen levels also improve skin elasticity and firmness over time.
IPL can effectively reduce the bacteria that cause acne and decrease inflammation. It also helps fade post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and acne scars, promoting clearer skin.
IPL is a non-invasive treatment that requires no incisions or injections. This makes it a safer option with minimal risk of complications.
With IPL treatments, there is little to no downtime, allowing patients to resume their normal activities quickly. Mild redness and swelling may occur but typically resolve within a few hours.
IPL settings can be adjusted to address specific skin concerns and suit different skin types. This ensures a personalized treatment plan that meets individual needs.
With proper skincare maintenance, the results of IPL treatments can be long-lasting. Regular sessions help sustain the benefits and keep the skin looking youthful.
IPL is versatile and can be used on multiple areas, including the face, neck, chest, and hands. This allows for comprehensive treatment of sun-damaged or aged skin.
IPL treatments enhance overall skin health by addressing multiple skin issues simultaneously. The treatment promotes a clearer, smoother, and more youthful appearance.
IPL treatments can be used for long-term hair reduction. By targeting hair follicles, IPL helps slow down hair regrowth, resulting in smoother skin.
Treating the face with IPL can help reduce visible sun damage, broken capillaries, and uneven pigmentation that develop with repeated sun exposure. You can enjoy a reduction in blotchy patches or lingering redness that topical products fail to improve. The heat from the light pulses also stimulates collagen remodeling, which can create a smoother, more even appearance. IPL can also help with persistent adult acne, especially when inflammation and redness are involved.
The neck often shows signs of aging earlier than expected because the skin is thinner and typically receives less consistent sunscreen protection. Using IPL on the neck can improve discoloration by encouraging the breakdown of pigment clusters and vascular lesions. By evening out tone and reducing visible redness, IPL can help the neck better match the face.
Sun exposure frequently leads to diffuse redness and brown spotting on the chest. Applying IPL to the chest helps fade unwanted color while promoting a more uniform tone, even in areas with years of cumulative sun damage.
The hands receive constant sun exposure and often reveal age through dark spots, visible veins, and textural roughness. IPL can lighten sunspots and reduce redness caused by dilated capillaries for a more youthful look. Treating the hands with IPL not only improves appearance but also complements facial treatments.
The V-IPL handpiece from the V20 platform uses light control and contact cooling to give you comfortable, precise treatments for a wide range of skin concerns. The device features interchangeable filters and adjustable pulse durations, which allow treatment settings to be fine-tuned based on your skin tone, pigmentation type, and vascular depth. Its built-in cooling system protects the epidermis throughout each pulse, keeping you comfortable throughout the whole appointment.
You can combine a consistent skincare routine with in-office treatments to treat sun spots on the face. Sunscreen is your most important tool for preventing new spots, but it will not fade the ones already present. IPL can be used to treat dark spots from previous sun exposure. Topical retinoids and brightening agents like hydroquinone or tranexamic acid can help lighten dark spots gradually when used in combination with energy-based treatments. For stubborn discoloration, alternating IPL with other treatments may give you better long-term results.
Radiofrequency treatments use heat to stimulate collagen and tighten the skin, and are often used to improve skin firmness rather than discoloration. While IPL focuses on pigment and vascular issues, radiofrequency targets skin laxity. The two treatments work well together for those with both tone and texture concerns.
Lasers use a single wavelength of light, which means they are highly specific in what they treat. Some laser devices focus on pigment, while others address texture or scarring. IPL uses broad-spectrum light, which gives it more flexibility across various skin types and concerns. Lasers tend to require more downtime, especially when treating texture or resurfacing, whereas IPL usually allows a quicker return to daily activities.
Microneedling stimulates collagen production and improves texture by creating perforations with rows of tiny needles. It helps with fine lines, acne scars, and enlarged pores, but does not target pigment or vascular issues as directly as IPL. When someone has uneven tone and surface irregularities, combining microneedling with IPL can offer broader benefits.
Using IPL preventatively can help keep your skin clear by addressing early signs of redness or pigment before they become more prominent. Early intervention also helps stimulate collagen and maintain a brighter, more even tone. Patients who already use sunscreen and follow a skincare routine can choose IPL as an added step to stay ahead of environmental damage. Preventative treatments can be spaced out throughout the year to maintain skin health with minimal downtime.
Before your first IPL session, we start with a conversation to review your skin type, medical history, and treatment goals. Bring a list of any medications or skincare products you currently use, especially those containing retinoids or exfoliating acids. To prepare for an IPL treatment, avoiding sun exposure, tanning beds, and self-tanning products for at least two weeks before the session is important. Patients should also discontinue the use of certain skincare products, such as retinoids and exfoliants, for a few days before treatment. On the day of the treatment, the skin should be clean and free of makeup, lotions, and other products.
When you arrive, we clean the treatment area and apply a cool gel to help with comfort and to make it easy for the device to move across the skin. You will wear protective eyewear while we deliver short pulses of light across the skin using the V-IPL handpiece. Each pulse may feel like a mild snap from a rubber band or a quick burst of heat, but treatment moves quickly, and most patients tolerate it well. We move methodically across the area to ensure even coverage. Depending on the size of the area, sessions usually last 20 to 30 minutes.
After your IPL session, you may feel like you have a mild sunburn on the treated area, and you may be a little pink. Pigmented spots may darken initially and then flake off gradually as the skin renews. Redness or visible veins fade slowly as the body clears away the treated vessels. Your skin may look brighter after the first treatment, or we may have you schedule multiple sessions to give you the best results.
After an IPL treatment, patients should avoid direct sun exposure and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to protect the treated skin. Wear sunscreen even when you are planning to spend time indoors. It is also recommended to avoid hot showers, saunas, and strenuous exercise for 24 to 48 hours post-treatment. Keeping the skin moisturized and following any additional aftercare instructions provided will help ensure optimal results and healing. Use a mild cleanser and apply a plain moisturizer without acids or active ingredients. As darkened pigment begins to flake off in the coming weeks, let it shed naturally rather than picking or scrubbing the area.
Winter creates the ideal conditions for IPL because you are naturally getting less sun exposure, which lowers the risk of post-treatment pigmentation. Skin tends to be paler during these months, which can allow the device to better detect and treat unwanted pigment or redness. If you plan to do a series of sessions, starting in winter helps space them out before summer. Use this season to treat accumulated sun damage from the summer and reset your skin tone for the year ahead.
Spring works well for touch-ups and maintenance, especially if you completed a corrective series during the winter. As the weather warms and sun exposure increases, you may begin to notice more freckling or mild redness reappearing. IPL can help keep these concerns from settling in long-term. Plan your treatment early in the season before vacations or outdoor activities.
You can still schedule IPL during summer, but you will need to plan to take extra care before and after your session. Avoid direct sun on the treatment area for at least two weeks before your appointment and protect your skin consistently afterward. If you tan easily or spend a lot of time outdoors, it may be better to postpone IPL until fall.
Fall is a good time to restart IPL, especially after a season of sun, travel, and outdoor activities. Treating the skin in early fall helps remove the pigment changes that settled in during summer and prepares the skin for the drier winter months ahead. You can use this time to address lingering redness or sun spots while your tan fades and your skin tone becomes more stable.
IPL works well alongside other treatments that support skin structure, hydration, and surface texture. Pairing therapies can help address multiple concerns at once, such as combining pigment correction with collagen stimulation or improving both redness and elasticity in the same treatment series. Some treatments can be alternated between sessions, while others can be performed on the same day.
Here are several treatments that may be used alongside IPL:
The right treatment plan depends on your skin type, goals, and the timing of your sessions. Not all treatments can be done together in a single visit, so we will customize the schedule to make sure your skin has time to respond and recover properly.
Ideal candidates for IPL treatment are those looking to address sun damage, age spots, rosacea, or fine lines, especially if they have light to medium skin tones. Suitability may vary based on age, skin condition, and lifestyle, including the ability to follow post-treatment care. Consulting us is essential to determine if IPL suits your skin needs and goals. Ideal candidates for IPL are generally in good health and have skin concerns that respond well to light-based treatment, such as redness or pigment changes. Before we move forward with treatment, we assess the skin to make sure there are no active infections or open wounds. It is also important to avoid recent sun exposure and self-tanning products to reduce the risk of irritation.
You may be a good candidate if you:
Pulsed light therapy works best on light to medium skin tones because the light targets pigment, and may not be suitable for those with darker skin types. We spend time during your consultation to find the right treatments, and we adjust treatment settings based on your skin’s characteristics to minimize risk and improve results. If your skin is darker or recently tanned, we may recommend other treatments that work better with higher levels of melanin.
There is a noticeable difference between an IPL treatment performed in a medical setting and one done with an at-home device. Professional systems deliver more energy with greater precision, and the settings can be customized based on your exact skin type and concern. At-home versions are far less powerful and usually come with safety limitations to reduce the risk of misuse. While they may offer mild improvement in tone or hair reduction, they cannot treat pigmentation or redness as effectively. For long-lasting, visible results, in-office treatments are the more reliable choice.
During an IPL treatment, you will experience a quick treatment that typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes. A cooling gel is applied to the treatment area, and you will wear protective eyewear. The IPL device emits light pulses that may feel like a light snap with a rubber band against your skin.
The number of IPL sessions varies depending on the individual’s skin condition and the specific concerns being treated. Generally, most patients achieve optimal results with three to five sessions spaced about a month apart to allow the skin to heal properly between treatments.
The results of IPL treatment can be long-lasting, particularly when patients adhere to a recommended skincare routine and protect their skin from sun exposure. Periodic maintenance sessions may be suggested to manage new skin issues or enhance the initial results.
To prepare for an IPL treatment, avoiding sun exposure, tanning beds, and self-tanning products for at least two weeks before the session is important. Patients should also discontinue the use of certain skincare products, such as retinoids and exfoliants, a few days before treatment. On the day of the treatment, the skin should be clean and free of makeup, lotions, and other products.
After an IPL treatment, patients should avoid direct sun exposure and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to protect the treated skin. It is also recommended to avoid hot showers, saunas, and strenuous exercise for 24 to 48 hours post-treatment. Keeping the skin moisturized and following any additional aftercare instructions provided will help ensure optimal results and healing.
Ideal candidates for IPL treatment are those looking to address sun damage, age spots, rosacea, or fine lines, especially if they have light to medium skin tones. Suitability may vary based on age, skin condition, and lifestyle, including the ability to follow post-treatment care. Consulting us is essential to determine if IPL suits your skin needs and goals.
At U | 180 Medical Spa & Wellness, we combine medical expertise with a patient-centered approach to help you look and feel your best. Every treatment, from wellness services to IPL therapy, is guided by our mission to deliver compassionate, personalized care in a comfortable setting. We take time to listen, answer questions, and create a plan that fits your unique situation. Serving Winnsboro and surrounding North East Louisiana communities, we are proud to offer solutions that support both skin health and overall well-being. Your experience matters to us, and we are always here to help you move forward.
At U | 180 Spa and Wellness in Winnsboro, LA, we offer cosmetic solutions with a personal touch. We specialize in the latest skin rejuvenation techniques, including IPL treatment, to help you achieve visible and lasting skin tone, texture, and overall health improvements. IPL treatment diminishes sun damage, age spots, redness, and fine lines. It is a quick treatment with minimal downtime, ideal for efficiently and effectively enhancing natural beauty.
If you’re considering this transformative solution, we invite you to schedule a consultation. We are here to guide you through the process and help you achieve the radiant skin you desire. Call us today at (318) 412-2261, contact us online, or use our booking form to discover how IPL can refresh and revitalize your appearance.