Laser Therapy
Intense pulsed light
Diffuse redness, sun spots and inflammatory acne: one light, three different targets.
Intense pulsed light — IPL — is not a laser. A laser emits a single wavelength; intense pulsed light emits a broad band, which is filtered each time to reach a precise target. This versatility explains why the same device serves conditions that seem entirely unrelated.
There are essentially two targets: the haemoglobin in vessels and the melanin in pigment. In the first case the light selectively heats superficial capillaries, addressing diffuse redness and the vascular component of rosacea; in the second it breaks up the pigment accumulations of sun spots. On inflammatory acne it works differently again, on the inflammatory component of active lesions.
The point that really matters, and that must be stated before any session, is that intense pulsed light reads the colour of the skin. Since one of its targets is melanin, dark or tanned skin absorbs energy where it should not: parameters change according to phototype, and tanned skin is not treated. This is not a formality — it is why assessment precedes treatment, and why the summer months are not the best time to start.
A course is almost always built over several sessions spaced out in time, because each session acts on part of the target and the result builds gradually. The number is not the same for everyone: it depends on the picture, its extent, and how the skin responds to the first session.
How the treatment works
Assessment of phototype and any current tan: this determines the parameters, and may postpone the session.
Eye protection for patient and operator: the light is intense and eyes must always be shielded.
Application of a cool contact gel, which acts as an interface and protects the surface.
Pulsed emission over the area, with a sensation usually described as an elastic band snapping against the skin.
Immediately afterwards, transient redness is normal; on spots the pigment may darken for a few days before clearing.
Strict sun protection in the following days: this is the part that depends on the patient and affects the result.
The Skinfarm path
- 1Assessment visit: the picture to treat, phototype, history of sun exposure and current therapies
- 2Definition of the target — vascular, pigmentary or inflammatory — because parameters are not the same
- 3First session and observation of the response, which guides those that follow
- 4A course of spaced sessions, the number set case by case
- 5Final review with maintenance and photoprotection advice
FAQ
Is intense pulsed light a laser?+
No, and it is a technical distinction with practical consequences. A laser emits a single, highly selective wavelength; intense pulsed light emits a broad band filtered according to the target. This makes it more versatile on diffuse conditions such as redness or widespread spots, while for other indications a dedicated laser remains the better choice. Which suits your case is decided at the visit.
Can it be done in summer or if I am tanned?+
Tanned skin is not treated. One of the targets of intense pulsed light is melanin: tanned skin absorbs energy diffusely rather than at the chosen target, with a risk of unwanted reactions and pigmentary outcomes. Courses are therefore typically scheduled in months of lower exposure, and postponed without argument if a tan is still present.
How many sessions are needed?+
There is no number valid for everyone, and it is reasonable to be wary of anyone promising one. It depends on the target, the extent of the area and above all on how the skin responds to the first session, which is itself informative. The course is set after seeing that response, not before.
Does it hurt?+
The most commonly reported sensation is an elastic band snapping against the skin, brief and tolerable, eased by the cool contact gel. Transient redness usually remains for some hours. On spots it is normal and expected for the pigment to darken for a few days before lightening: that is not a worsening, it is the pigment clearing.
Where it is performed
Intense pulsed light in Siena
In Siena, intense pulsed light is performed at Viale Federigo Tozzi 7, where a dedicated laser specialist also works: assessing the phototype and setting the parameters is the focus of the work, because the same indication requires different settings from patient to patient. It is used both on vascular and pigmentary conditions and within pathways for inflammatory acne.
Viale Federigo Tozzi 7 — Siena clinic →Intense pulsed light in Florence
At the Florence clinic, Viale Augusto Righi 19, intense pulsed light is delivered with Lumecca, the IPL platform installed here. The preliminary assessment is the same — phototype, any current tan, the target to be treated — because those determine the parameters, not the name of the device.
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