Intense pulsed light (IPL) is a technology used by cosmetic and medical practitioners to perform different skin treatments for aesthetic and therapeutic purposes like hair removal, photorejuvenation (e.g. the treatment of skin pigmentation, sun damage, and thread veins), and to alleviate dermatologic diseases.

IPL shares similarities with laser treatments in that they both use light to heat and destroy their targets. Unlike lasers that use a single wavelength (color) of light that can only treat one condition, IPL uses a broad spectrum. When specifically filtered, this enables it to treat several skin conditions.

The treatment uses a bright light with filters placed in front of it to censor out certain wavelengths not consumed by pigment and blood vessels. The light energy penetrates just below the skin’s surface, damaging either the melanin (skin pigment) or blood vessels.

The body’s natural skin repair mechanisms then remove the damaged tissue to produce a smoother skin appearance. It usually takes three to six treatments to see significant results and treatments can be spaced out every three to four weeks.

IPL is good for removing pigment, like age spots, and small blood vessels, such as telangiectasias. In some cases it can also help with fine lines by lifting and tightening the skin, but that’s never guaranteed. It has also been marketed for hair removal, although newer technologies seem to provide better results.

The advantage to IPL systems is that downtime is usually very minimal – although patients may experience a slight darkening of pigment before it eventually lightens.

Why some treatments go wrong

Every person is different, and what works for 90% of the population may not work for the remaining 10%.  Skin sensitivity, skin care products, pain tolerance, lifestyle habits such as sun exposure, smoking, drug use; all these factors affect a patient’s potential for successful skincare treatment.

I recently heard about a 30-something Los Angeles woman who purchased six sessions of laser hair removal treatments at a med spa in the Valley. The treatments were deeply discounted on Living Social, so she was more apt to experiment and try the full leg hair removal procedures.

Though the sessions slowed its growth, her leg hair was never fully removed. She later learned from one of the nurses that women on birth control may not find the treatments as effective as those who are not. Though frustrated with the results, she noted that if she found another discount offer, she would try the treatment once again.

Similarly, I know of a 40-something Chicago woman who unsuccessfully tried various ointments and topical treatments to get rid of brown spots that were developing on her skin. She purchased a $1,000 laser treatment from a dermatologist to remove the spots. After 48 hours of her skin “burning” from the treatment, she was extremely disappointed to see no change whatsoever in the pigment she so desperately hoped would return to its original coloring.  The experience turned her off from trusting professionals and trying any more laser treatments as a solution to her problem.

According to Hochstedt, some “practitioners don’t always understand the treatments they’re doing – which can put patients at risk.” At Cook’s practice, “he knows every treatment that every one of his patients has had in the past,” says Hochstedt. “Many med spas are not run this way. Sometimes doctors hang their certificates on the wall, but aren’t actually there to ensure that patients are receiving adequate treatments.”

At a professional plastic surgeon’s office there is always a nurse practitioner available if the doctor is in surgery. Clients may pay more but “don’t mind because they feel protected and safe,” notes Hochstedt. I know it made a difference with my own successful IPL experience.

Everyone ages differently but certain patterns do emerge by decade.

Visible signs of aging generally begin to manifest in your thirties.

Minimally invasive treatments can make it possible to put off surgery for many years.

Understanding exactly how the face changes with age can help you determine what issues need to be addressed and which treatments will be most effective.

We spoke with three experts to gain their insight into the subtle markers of facial aging — decade by decade. Depending on which decade you fall into, here’s what can be done to slow down or turn back the hands of time.

How the face ages

The aging process involves both intrinsic and extrinsic influences.

Intrinsic (cellular and genetic) aging begins in our twenties as the production of collagen decreases, eventually leading to a loss in skin elasticity. Cellular turnover also gradually slows, leading to duller-looking skin.

Extrinsic aging encompasses environmental and lifestyle-related factors, including diet, alcohol consumption, smoking and sun exposure — all of which speed up the aging process.

It’s important to understand that everyone experiences these aspects of aging differently. Chronological age and physical age occur at different rates and vary from individual to individual.

“This is because physical aging is largely based on hereditary factors,” Boucree adds. “Factors such as ultraviolet radiation, smoking, heavy drinking and substance abuse manifest in the skin as wrinkles. These physical changes to the ‘scaffolding’ in the face result in skin laxity.”

On the flipside, there are steps you can take to avoid these aging influences. Be proactive and develop healthy habits, such as drinking enough water and wearing sunscreen, to help maintain your youthful look.

Signs of aging in our twenties

When it comes to aging, our twenties are the glory years — you really shouldn’t notice much aging.

When we are in our teens, twenties and early thirties, our faces show the glow of youth.

“The surface of our skin, the stratum, is a layer of dead cells,” Truswell explains. “In those years, whenever we wash our faces, we shed those cells and retain that glow. When we move from 20 to 30, very little happens to our faces. At 30 we pretty much look like we did ten years earlier.”

However, towards the end of your twenties your skin may begin to look slightly duller than it used to, and you may start to notice early signs of sun damage, including wrinkles, enlarged pores and sun spots.

Recommended treatments

“To deal with dullness, mild blemishes, dark spots and enlarged pores, I recommend starting with a light laser resurfacing treatment to improve skin texture and tone, such as a light Halo or Clear and Brilliant laser every 3-4 months.

To further boost collagen formation, I also recommend microneedling treatments to keep your fibroblasts in check.