Many people are searching for ways to look younger, and although there are many different types of procedures on the market, the idea of having surgery or another type of invasive procedure to treat the side effects of aging does not appeal to most people. For those who want to treat, rosacea, sun spots, spider veins on the face and general skin discoloration, a photo facial is a popular choice.

Commonly referred to as an IPL (intense pulse light) treatment, a photo facial combines an intense pulse light similar to a laser light and radio frequency that heats the deep layers of the skin. It targets the brown spots, uneven skin pigmentation that is a usually a result of a hereditary skin condition, acne, over exposure to the sun or some hormone medications. Since photo facials are also beneficial in encouraging the skin to create more collagen, fine lines and wrinkles are greatly reduced, and the result is younger looking skin. Patients with enlarged pores usually see tremendous results from photo facial treatments as well. Not only does the photo facial treatment improve the appearance of the skin, it also clears “peach fuzz” off of the face, leaving the face feeling extremely smooth.

It is common for most people to see results after just one photo facial treatment, and most conditions have disappeared after just 3-5 treatments. However, individual results will depend on the strength of the light and the severity of the condition. Photo facials can be done about every 3-4 weeks, and the treatment only takes about 20 minutes. Depending on how the skin reacts to the treatment, some patients experience slight redness; however the redness only lasts for 1-2 hours. For this reason, the photo facial is the treatment of choice among those who have busy lifestyles and can’t afford to take the time to recover from surgery. The photo facial treatment is also popular because most patients describe it as feeling as if someone has snapped a rubber band on their face. After the initial treatment, most patients don’t describe the feeling as “pain” but as slightly uncomfortable. Even though it is fairly painless, some doctors will apply a type of numbing gel to the patient’s face prior to administering the treatment.

Although most people are good candidates for a photo facial treatment, people who have tans, dark skin color, light sensitivities/allergies or a tendency to scar should not have the photo facial treatment. If you use glycolic acid or vitamin A products, your photo facial technician will ask you to refrain from using those products prior to your treatments.

Photo facials are less expensive than surgery and can range from $250-600 per treatment. However, many photo facial technicians will offer a discount when your purchase a certain number of treatments as a beauty treatment regiment.

It is important to remember that although the results of a photo facial are long lasting, there is no way to get permanent results from the treatment. In order to keep seeing great results, it is recommended that you have the treatment done about every 3-4 months in order to maintain your results.