DepiCool UK – Blog

When to Choose
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Over Laser Therapy
A comparison of treatments.
Christopher Zachary, M.D., Neil Sadick, M.D., Christian Raulin, M.D., George Hruza M.D.

More than a decade later, however, IPL has made huge
strides in treating common skin problems. And while
IPL and IPL RF can treat a variety of conditions, the
technology typically requires more treatment sessions than lasers

Lasers, for example, better target
specific chromophores in a single treatment
session, while IPL typically
requires three to five treatment sessions
(depending on whether you use photodynamic
therapy as an adjunct). This
raises costs and some patients see it as
less convenient than fewer treatments.
On the other hand, IPL treatments
produce fewer side effects and less
downtime for patients. Downtime from
lasers can include some degree of crusting
or desquamation that can last from
several days up to a couple weeks.
So which therapy is best? This question
is difficult because no research
has directly compared pulsed dye
lasers to IPL. That said, here’s a headto-
head comparison of how IPL and
lasers treat many common conditions.
The Mechanics —and Strengths—Of IPL and Laser

IPL is less target-specific than lasers
for several reasons:

• Broad spectrum of wavelengths.

• Relatively low fluence for any

individual wavelength.
• Lack of coherence or collimation.
Because of those characteristics, however,
IPL has several strengths, which
include offering patients a “global”
type of treatment. IPL can be effective
in patients with photodamage, particularly
in combination with:
• vessels
• lentigines
• lackluster skin.
IPL’s benefits are less certain when
treating photoaging and fine lines. If
patients have a lot of rosacea and IPL
produces good heat absorption, fine
lines can improve.
Lasers remain the better choice
when trying to achieve benefits for
problems such as individual and spider
telangiectasia. Tattoo treatment
remains in the realm of the Qswitched
laser. IPL for tattoos will just
cause a lot of scarring.

A Comparison of IPL and Lasers

The advantages of IPL

• Achieves multiple tasks.

• Covers diffuse anatomic areas.
• Maximal pore reduction.
• Treats generalized pigment
dyschromia.
• Treats flushing syndromes
like rosacea.
• Treats mild papulopustular acne.
• Produces some skin tightening.
• Effective for telangiectatic matting
(neoangiogenesis) on legs.
• Best single technology for
non-ablative photorejuvenation.
• Excellent patient satisfaction.

The advantages of lasers

• Chromophore-specific (targets
water with secondary effects on
sebaceous glands and collagen
pigment blood vessels).
• Best single-treatment results for
chromophore targets such as wrinkles,
papulocystic acne, acne scars,
leg veins, hair reduction.
• Fewer treatments/greater efficiency.
• Longer wavelength technologies
can be used for darker skin phenotypes
and even patients with
some degree of tanning.

**This medical supplement is taken from www.skinandaging.com, accessed on 09/04/09**