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Home / Treatments / Photorejuvenation

Photorejuvenation – Time is not always kind to our skin. It begins to suffer from the effects of exposure to the sun and the elements, from the wear and tear of daily life, reduced production of collagen and as a result of our lifestyles. It loses its natural shine and vibrancy, becomes more lax and starts to develop freckles, sun-spots, age-spots, broken capillaries and thread veins.

Photo-rejuvenation using intense pulsed light is the ideal answer. It removes these signs of sundamage and premature ageing, and restores the natural shine and vibrancy of your skin, turning back the clock and taking years off your appearance.

Procedure Time 15-45 mins
Pain Mild/Moderate Discomfort
Anaesthetic None
Full Recovery 48 hours
Results Duration Permanent
Risks Redness, warmth, pigmentation and burns
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What areas can be treated?

Intense pulsed light treatment can be used wherever the skin shows these signs of premature ageing.  Areas most susceptible tend to be the face, neck, hands and chest (décolletage).

We will happily put you in our light box and perform a free of charge skin analysis to look for signs of sun-damage and ageing prior to treatment.

How does the treatment work?

The IPL device delivers precisely controlled strong pulses of light at specific wavelengths.  This light energy targets, and is absorbed by, the pigment melanin (targeting freckles, sun-spots, age-spots and uneven pigmentation) and haemoglobin (targeting broken capillaries, thread veins and redness).  The intense pulsed light is designed to selectively treat only these pigments so the surrounding skin remains unharmed.

Is it safe and does it hurt?

Clinical trials conducted on intense pulsed light have shown its safety and effectiveness and it has been used on millions of people worldwide.  During treatment, eye protection will be used and a cooling gel applied to the skin to minimise discomfort.  Additional cooling can be applied using a skin cooling probe.

Intense pulsed light skin rejuvenation is not particularly suitable for very dark skin types (and suntanned people) as their skin will have very high levels of melanin and so may absorb too much energy.  Most people find the treatment is a little uncomfortable but does not hurt – it is often described as the sensation of a rubber band being flicked against the skin.

Are there any side effects?

If you have an active suntan, including the use of fake tans, you may find too much heat energy is absorbed by the melanin-rich skin and mild burning can occur.  For this reason you may not be suitable for treatment until the tan has settled or the fake tan completely removed.  There may be redness of the treated area afterwards although it is usually mild and settles within a few hours.  Immediately after treatment any pigmented blemishes will appear darker but within several days this will settle and the blemishes should disappear.  Very rarely, hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation, blistering or scarring may occur as a result of IPL.

What can I expect after treatment?

We have invested in a state of the art IPL device so you should expect to return to your normal activities immediately afterward, however the skin may appear quite red for a few hours to days.  Following treatment, an ice-pack can be applied to the skin if it feels warm or red or the practitioner can recommend skin-care products for this purpose.  Sun-cream must be applied to protect the treated area and sun-exposure should be avoided for 4 weeks.  The skin may appear to be a little blotchy or there may be patches of darker pigmentation for a number of days following treatment as the epidermis renews and sheds the treated problem areas.

Treatment time varies according to the size of the area being treated; a full face may take 45 minutes, the hands probably just 15 minutes.  You may notice some improvement after the first session, but for the best results we recommend a course of treatment 4 weeks apart and you may find a session of Medical Microdermabrasion or a Skin Peel beforehand enhances the results even more.

Aftercare advice

Possible side-effects of IPL treatments include:

  • Excessive discomfort
  • Redness/heat in the treated area (usually resolves within a few hours to days)
  • Burns or crusting of the treated area (usually resolves within 2 weeks)
  • Swelling of the treated area

Other side effects include darkening of pigmented areas (this is normal on treated lesions and will disappear along with the lesion after a week or so), itching of the treated area, infection at the treated area, an outbreak of cold sores in susceptible people and failure of the treatment.  Very rarely, there may be hypopigmentation (pigment loss), hyperpigmentation (increased pigment), blistering or scarring.

Depending on the condition being treated, skin type, level of pigmentation and response to IPL, several treatments are usually required and sometimes the condition fails to respond at all.

After the treatment it is vital that you follow the following guidelines:

  • Avoid sun exposure/sun beds/fake tans and ALWAYS wear sun-cream when outdoors (UVA/UVB protection of SPF30 or above) for at least a month.
  • Avoid perfumed products and do not apply make-up to the treated area for 24hrs.
  • Do not pick or scratch at the treated area, especially if there is a reaction as this may result in scarring or infection – these will settle if left alone.
  • Avoid moderate-heavy exercise and alcohol for 24 hours following treatment (can exacerbate any skin discomfort/damage).
  • Avoid exfoliating or peels for at least 2 weeks, and further IPL treatment for at least 1 month.
  • Drink plenty of fluid/water during the 48hrs after treatment.
  • Apply ice, recommended skin care products or Aloe Vera to the treated area if uncomfortable or red until if settles down.
  • Contact the clinic immediately if you have any concerns.
Quotes

“After spending years worshipping the sun I had a great deal of sun damage, thanks to my treatment at Cosmedic, my face has been given a second chance. I am really, really pleased and don’t go anywhere now without my sun protection.” Angela, Mere Green.

Treatment areas

Upper face = 1 area

Mid face = 1 area

Lower face = 1 area

Decolletage = 1 area

Shoulders = 1 area

Hands = 1 area

Before & After Gallery
Price List
Treatment Name Price List
Free photorejuvenation consultation and patch test Free
Photorejuvenation £40 per area