A Guide To IPL Facials: Cost, Results, & Who It's Best For

I've had a longtime fear of laser facial treatments because the pain and healing time seemed more daunting than it was worth. However, a few months ago I began to dive deep into the research-backed benefits of IPL photo facial treatments and the shocking before and after photos, displaying overhauled complexions free from my main skin concern: Dark spots. 

After some deliberation, I decided to go for it—in the name of beauty journalism, of course. I’m happy to report back that I'm quite impressed by the results following my first IPL photo facial.

“IPL or Intense Pulsed Light treatments are commonly used to address skin issues like acne scars, hyperpigmentation, freckles, spider veins, birthmarks, and rosacea,” explains board-certified dermatologist and founder of Bergen Dermatology Naana Boakye MD, MPH, FAAD. 

While commonly referred to as "laser" treatments in the beauty discourse, IPL isn’t actually in the same category. “ Lasers use a single wavelength of light, whereas IPL uses a broader spectrum of light with multiple wavelengths,” explains board-certified dermatologist Lauren Penzi, M.D.

If there’s one benefit of IPL that reigns supreme, it’s this one: Dark spots—including freckles, melasma, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. 

“IPL is great for dark spots and sunspots because it selectively targets pigmented cells and breaks them down, resulting in reduced pigmentation and more even skin tone,” Penzi says. 

Spider veins, also known as broken capillaries, are another common skin concern that can be remedied through IPL. See, the light from IPL can also target hemoglobin or the pigment that makes red blood cells red. The hemoglobin absorbs the light energy that IPL gives off.

“As a result, the absorbed light is converted into heat, causing coagulation and closure of the targeted blood vessels,” Penzi says. Over time, she adds, the body can eliminate the closed vessels and thus improve the appearance of spider veins long-term, too. 

As Boakye mentioned earlier, IPL is commonly used to treat rosacea. Just as the light targets the hemoglobin in spider veins, it helps to target uneven flushing from rosacea and may even help to smooth the bumps that often accompany a blotchy complexion. 

“Although not a first-line choice for acne, IPL has shown to be anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, both of which help acne,” Penzi notes. 

She adds that IPL helps to reduce the activity of the sebaceous glands, which are responsible for the increased oil production that often leads to breakouts. 

Depending on what kind of scar you’re dealing with, IPL could be of service. 

“​​IPL helps stimulate collagen that may help the appearance of scars, and also helps to remove redness from the skin, which would be helpful for red or pink scars,” Penzi explains.

Speaking of collagen production, let’s discuss IPL for fine lines. Similar to acne, IPL isn’t the first candidate for fine line reduction, but it can help support the smoothing of light wrinkles because of its elasticity and collagen-supporting function. 

Now that you know why IPL is such a popular non-invasive treatment, let’s dive into the lived experience. 

In general, I’m not opposed to my freckles. I’ve had some of them since I can remember and I do believe they are part of what makes me me. Still, some of my recent dark spots from a summer spent in the sun (and no regrets about that, I might add) didn't fade as well as they used to.

During a normal year, my spots would come and go with the seasons. This year, they all came and none went. So, IPL was a fit option for me. 

After a conversation with my nurse practitioner where we discussed my current routine and concerns, I was ready for the treatment chair. Ever/Body feels more like a spa and less like a dermatology office (which I love) so I was soothed by Nora Jones playing over the speakers instantly. 

My expert first asked me if there were any freckles I wanted to save before I could mention it myself as I’d planned. I decided to salvage the freckle above my lip and one on my forehead and chin. These held a certain level of sentiment to me, so I kept them around. Looking back, I'm glad I did.

Next, my expert applied some sticky eye covers to account for the bright light that IPL delivers. She gently cleansed my skin of the moisturizer and SPF with a wet pad. After that, she applied a cooling gel to my skin which is often used to ease discomfort—not every place uses a gel, but some do. 

She tested the laser on my neck so I could get a feel for the sensation before starting on my face. The laser feels like a rubber band snapping on your skin—it’s not comfortable, but not super painful, either. I’ve tried laser hair removal, and I found it less painful than that.

In fact, I’d say IPL is less painful than many other facials I’ve had before with microinfusions or extractions. 

Still, I was incredibly shocked by how bright the light was, even with my eyes closed and covered. It was a unique optical experience similar to closing your eyes after staring at a bright light, but painless for my eyes nevertheless.

After the stickies were removed from my eyes, the nurse practitioner applied a layer of cooling gel to my skin, followed by the EltaMD UV Clear Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 (a product I’ve used and loved many times before). 

Just as she’d warned me, my skin felt slightly tingly right after. My complexion was flushed, as expected, and my dark spots were slightly pronounced. 

Once I got home (say, half an hour later) my skin felt mildly sunburned, which is normal. This didn’t last more than a few hours, and it wasn’t too uncomfortable. 

The very next day my freckles looked darker than before—a pattern that continued until about one week in. After that, the dark spots began to flake off and fade dramatically. 

I was met with a smoother, more even-toned surface the week following as well. 

If I had to pinpoint the “peak” results, I’d go with about a week and a half. At that point, all of the dark spots had either flaked off completely or faded to become barely noticeable.

As you can tell by the images above, the difference from just one IPL treatment was significant and much more dramatic than I’d anticipated. 

IPL can be expensive (ranging from $300-$600 for a single session). Given the steep price tag, you should know that there are plenty of other options to treat dark spots, both in the office and at home. Here, a lengthy list of remedies to consider.

For those with darker skin tones, Boakye recommends looking into chemical peels and professional laser treatments, specifically the NDYAG wavelength, for removing dark spots on melanin-rich skin.