What is Fluorescent Pulsed Light (FPL) ?
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), the traditional form of pulsed light, has been used for 12 years on over two million people to treat facial redness, fine wrinkles, flushing and pigmented problems on the face, neck, hands and chest. We utilize a patented form of Intense Pulsed Light technology, about which health magazines write growingly, called Fluorescent Pulsed Light (FPL). FPL technology prevents the harmful shorter wavelengths of light from hitting the skin. Instead of trying to filter out or reflect the bad light, FPL technology converts all shorter wavelengths to longer, usable, and therapeutic wavelengths. This is why our FPL laser treatments can restore a more youthful appearance to your skin with no down time, mild discomfort, and minimal risk.
The cool tip of the hand piece delivers a warm flash of bright light energy to about one square inch of skin. The device "Photo Rejuvenates" skin by shining intense bursts of light on it for a split second and delivering one flash every two to four seconds. A series of light pulses is delivered to the skin.
This bright light is scientifically tailored to cause the destruction of: unsightly and unneeded spider veins; unhealthy skin infiltrates, like certain bacteria and microorganisms; and damaged cells that signal sun damage (brown spots). The destruction of these items is relatively easy to accomplish with the right type of light. At the same time, studies show that Intense Pulsed Light heats the dermis to above 65 degrees Celsius, which activates the skin to produce a wrinkle-filling material called collagen over the course of 5-12 weeks. Basically, this light from the Alma will reduce the unwanted effects of aging, but only a little bit each time the skin is treated. Various settings are available, and are chosen depending on your skin type and treatment goals. Most often, three to five treatments are needed, with treatments spaced 3-6 weeks apart.
Benefits of FPL:
- Smoother skin and reduced pore size
- Reduce irregular skin pigmentation
- More even skin tone
- Diminish unwanted redness
- Anti-aging ("turn back the clock")
- Reduce acne breakouts
- Remove vascular lesions (red spots)
- Erase unwanted spider veins
- Reduce fine lines
- Improve nearly any skin imperfection
- Reduce dark hairs in light-skinned individuals
- Treat many different problems:
- Rosacea
- Vascular lesions
- Cherry angiomas
- Telangiectasia
- Lentigines
- Hyperpigmentation
- Sun damage
- Rosacea
What are treatments like?
Each treatment takes 20-30 minutes (depending on how much skin needs to be treated), with each inch of skin receiving 1-3 pulses. The pulses feel like a warm rubber band snapping against your skin. Some patients experience mild discomfort, so we can desensitize skin prior to or during treatment (if necessary). Following each treatment, skin may appear red and flushed for up to 12 hours, and/or brown spots may become darker. However, redness usually disappears within an hour, and brown spots fade over the course of 1-5 weeks.
Who is a candidate?
FPL works best on fair skinned people.
What results can you expect from IPL?
After each session, you should experience improvement of skin tone, texture and/or color.
Though six to eight treatments are normally performed, you will experience smoother skin, improvement in skin tone, reduced brown spots and diminished redness after each treatment. Improvements are gradual and accumulate with each successive session.
Does it hurt?
The FPL/ IPL treatment is associated with mild discomfort which can be controlled by topical anesthetic or cooling of the face. Many people do not need any supplemental anesthesia.
Before-treatment instructions:
List all pills, herbs and drugs you are ingesting or rubbing onto your skin. Dr. Ghohestani can tell you if any of these are photosensitizing. Do not ingest or rub in any photosensitizing substances 48 hours before or after treatment. The most popular substances are antioxidants, St. John's Wart and skin creams containing acids. Avoid melanocyte-activating levels of sun exposure for two weeks prior to treatment. Don't take a bubble bath or apply strange chemicals to your target skin for at least 48 hours prior to treatment. Don't take aspirin for 48 hours before or after 9after consulting your PCP or heart Doctor.
After-treatment instructions:
Post-treatment, you should wear sunscreen and try to avoid unnecessary sun exposure for three weeks (because this treatment makes you a little photo-sensitive). You should avoid using soap on treated skin for 24 hours post-treatment. You should avoid using photo-sensitizing or pigment-changing products for 3 weeks (e.g., self-tanner, hydroquinone, retinoids, some antioxidants and herbs), unless Dr. Ghohestani specifically advises you otherwise. To maintain the best long-term skin health, ALWAYS avoid tanning beds and smoking.
Who performs the treatments?
The treatments are performed by our highly trained and experienced staff, who are closely supervised by Dr. Ghohestani.
If you are interested FPL /IPL treatment, what is the next step?
The next step is to call Texas Institute of Dermatology at 210-698-6777 and schedule a cosmetic consultation. At that time Dr. Ghohestani will advise you whether you are a candidate for this procedure, and what other possibilities exist for improving your appearance.
Why should you choose to have your FPL/ IPL treatments at Texas Institute of Dermatology?
At the Texas Institute of Dermatology, we want you to have an excellent outcome and to feel that your needs and concerns have been promptly addressed in a caring and sensitive fashion. We strive diligently to ensure your satisfaction, your comfort, your privacy, and your safety. All treatments are supervised or performed by a highly trained dermatologist with many years of successful experience in a large variety of cosmetic procedures. Many treatment modalities are available, and we can recommend the one or two that are most likely to meet your needs; we're here to meet your needs and help you realize your aspirations. At our clinic in San Antonio, Texas, we serve communities throughout the Bexar County and the Kendall County, including San Antonio, Boerne, Leon Spring, Fair Oaks Ranch, Canyon Lake city; many of our patients also come from San Marcos, New Braunfels, Kerrville, Austin, Wimberley and Corpus Christi.
