How Does Intense Pulse Light Therapy Work?

Intense pulse light therapy has helped many patients residing in the Chardon, Ohio area as well as in other parts of the nation find relief from spider veins and reticular veins. Spider veins may be small, superficial veins that can be very unsightly, while reticular veins are a little bit deeper in the skin. These may not cause pain and heaviness in the legs like varicose veins, but many sufferers of spider veins and reticular veins seek treatment to find relief because of the unsightly appearance of the veins. A vein specialist will provide further insight as to the effectiveness of intense pulse light therapy in treating one's particular problem veins.

Intense pulse light therapy, or IPL for short, works by selectively damaging or destroying the abnormal veins in the treatment area. This type of treatment is more helpful for the treatment of vascular lesions that are slightly deeper in the skin compared to laser treatments. If sclerotherapy or laser therapy does not provide effective treatment of superficial veins, intense pulse light therapy may be recommended by the Chardon vein specialist. It may take a few treatment sessions of IPL to reach optimal results depending on the number and size of problem veins that are being treated.

In addition to spider veins and reticular veins, IPL may be used to treat many other conditions such as broken or dilated vessels, skin imperfections, birth marks, acne rosacea, sun damaged skin, cherry hemangiomas and freckles. What's more, IPL may be used to treat various parts of the body including the face, arms, legs, back, thigh, abdomen and ankles. Patients should discuss their candidacy for this treatment, as the best candidates include those who are in good overall health, have fair skin and do not smoke. Patients should have reasonable expectations of what treatment may provide as well. Patients who undergo IPL should not have any disease of the blood vessels or problems with bleeding.

Some of the patients not considered candidates for IPL include those who are taking or have recently taken Acutane, have keloid scarring, are pregnant, have unusual scar formations or severe scarring, have very dark skin, have had skin resurfacing problems, are taking blood thinners or have acute onset acne. Those who have recently gone tanning or who have an acute sun burn may not be considered candidates, either. For more information, patients should speak with a Chardon vein specialist.

Learn more about intense pulse light therapy in Chardon, Ohio.