If you are prone to keloids, hyper or hypo pigmentation, are dark-skinned, darkly tanned or do not react well to burns you may not be an ideal candidate for Intense Pulsed Light Therapy. Also, if you have ethnicity (like Greek, Italian or African American, etc.) in your biological family, you may be prone to hyper or hypo pigmentation resulting from the procedure. An ideal patient would be of white European descent with elastic, non-oily skin. Although many other types of skin are treated successfully, only a qualified doctor or dermatologist can determine if you are eligible for treatment.

During the fotofacial procedure you will wear protective eyewear. A topical anesthetic will be applied. After the treatment area is "numb" a cold, soothing gel will be applied and a glass prism (pyramid) will then be placed over the gel and treatment area. An intense flash of light, or pulse, is flashed through the prism where it is directed at the treatment area to rid you of your complaints. This initial treatment may not be as aggressive as your following treatments so as not to possibly damage the skin and to determine your skin's tolerance for further fotofacial treatments. Fotofacialt reatments are usually performed every 3-4 weeks.

Since there is no real "downtime" you may resume your normal activities after an IPL treatment. However you must protect your treatment area from UV light, be it natural sunlight or tanning beds. You may be slightly pink or red directly after your treatment as well as have mild swelling. This should subside in a few days and if not you should inform your doctor.