What are the Disadvantages of Photofacials? A physician explains!
Is there any chance that the photofacial will leave a spot or make it darker?"
How painful is a photofacial?"
Can't I take it if I have tanned skin?"
Hello, I am a doctor at Smart Skin Clinic.
Do you have any questions about photofacials?
Photofacial is a machine that can approach a wide range of skin problems by irradiating special light called IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). While the effects can be expected, some may be concerned about the disadvantages.
In this article, a physician will discuss the disadvantages and advantages of photofacials and how to eliminate the disadvantages.
Disadvantages of Photofacial
This section describes the disadvantages of photofacials.
Photofacials can be painful.
Although the pain felt varies from person to person, some people feel pain as if they were popped with a rubber band during the photofacial procedure.
Pain is alleviated by the application of a cooling gel before the procedure and can be received without anesthesia.
Redness, swelling, and itching may occur.
The light from a photofacial reacts with the target and turns into heat energy. This may cause temporary redness, mild heat, swelling, and itching. In most cases, these will subside within a few hours.
Regarding skin sensitivity due to photofacial treatments, the following paper concludes that repeated IPL (≈photofacial) treatments do not affect skin sensitivity.
The treated side of the face showed a decreased TEWL on D1 and D3, which reverted to normal on D7. Epidermal thickness increased and skin glossiness decreased on the treated side on D1, but returned to normal on D3. We found no statistically We found no statistically significant differences in CPT values or in regional blood flow volume and velocity, with the exception of D1, which exhibited a higher regional blood We found no statistically significant differences in CPT values or in regional blood flow volume and velocity, with the exception of D1, which exhibited a higher regional blood flow volume on the treated side.
Repeated IPL treatments had no effects on facial skin barrier function, skin nerve sensitivity, or local microcirculation among healthy individuals. IPL is a safe skin care procedure that does not affect skin sensitivity.
(Japanese translation) Sixteen volunteers completed the 12-month follow-up study. On the treated side of the face, there was a decrease in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) at D1 and D3, returning to normal at D7; at D1, epidermal thickness increased and skin gloss decreased on the treated side, but returned to normal at D3. There were no statistically significant differences in perceived nerve current perception threshold (CPT) values, local blood flow and blood flow velocity, but local blood flow was greater on the treated side in D1.
Citation:Xue Wang, Zhen Zhang, Ying Shang, Xiangdong Chen, Hui Xu, Chao Yuan (2022). Will repeated Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment sessions affect facial skin sensitivity? -face study.
. Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine. 2022 Jul;38(4);382-390. doi: 10.1111/phpp.12765.
Risk of darkening of melasma.
If a photofacial is applied to melasma, there is a possibility that it may become darker.
Although the cause of melasma is not completely understood, it is believed to be a blemish caused by irritation and female hormones. It has a tendency to be aggravated by even minor irritations, and the light from a photofacial can also be irritating.
Note that "Photofacial Stella M22" also has a melasma mode that does not exacerbate melasma, but this is not a treatment for melasma. We recommend internal treatment for the treatment of melasma.
Ineffective stains.
It does not react with moles or spots in the dermis layer (ADM) that appear gray to bluish.
There are also cases of thin stains that do not respond well.
May temporarily darken spots.
There is a disadvantage of temporary darkening of spots after photofacial.
Skin repeatedly expels melanin, the source of blemishes, through metabolism. The skin, where melanin has accumulated due to sluggish metabolism, is stimulated to metabolize by the light of IPL, causing the hidden melanin to rise to the surface.
Please be assured that this stain is temporary and will scab over and peel off in about a week.
scab
When the light from a photofacial reacts with melanin pigment, a thin scab is formed, which is a disadvantage. However, this is a normal reaction.
The scab will naturally peel off in about a week and be replaced by new skin. Please be careful not to touch the scab until it peels off naturally, as forcible removal will cause hyperpigmentation.
May cause pigmentation and other skin problems
If the irradiation output of a photofacial is too high, the heat energy may cause burns, blistering, and pigmentation.
In addition, frequent repeated treatments without following the appropriate treatment intervals or neglecting aftercare will increase the likelihood of skin problems.
Multiple treatments are required before the effect is felt.
Although it varies from person to person, it takes a series of 5-6 treatments at 3-4 week intervals to see results with photofacial. Because of its mild action, it takes a number of sessions, especially for conditions such as blemishes. It takes time and money for the effects to become apparent.
Some people are able to feel the effects of improved skin brightness and firmness after only one treatment.
Benefits of Photofacial
Photofacials have not only disadvantages but also advantages, such as
- Can be effective for multiple skin concerns at the same time
- Little or no downtime
- Makeup, face wash, and shower can be performed immediately afterwards.
- Relatively inexpensive treatment
Photofacial is a machine that irradiates special light called IPL onto the skin, which can be applied to a wide area including the face, neck, and décolleté. IPL acts on multiple areas including melanin pigment, small blood vessels, and the dermis layer, and can be expected to improve dullness, spots, freckles, redness, and firmness.
Because the skin irritation is mild, there is almost no downtime, and busy people can easily use the system without worrying about how it will affect their daily lives.
Cases in which photofacial should be stopped
Photofacials can provide a wide range of therapeutic effects and are relatively mild in action, but there are some cases in which they are not suitable.
No sunburn on or after treatment on sunburned skin
Avoid performing the procedure on tanned skin or tanning after the procedure.
Photofacials cause a small amount of heat damage to the skin. When sun damage is compounded, it becomes more difficult for the skin to recover from the damage.
Tretinoin and hydroquinone are not used together.
Some people may be using tretinoin or hydroquinone while treating acne or blemishes. Tretinoin (retinoic acid) should be discontinued 1 week prior and hydroquinone 3 days prior to use.
Please consult your physician if you are on any other medications under treatment.
Photosensitivity is NG.
Patients with photosensitivity are not allowed to undergo the procedure. It is dangerous because exposure to the light emitted by photofacial may cause allergic symptoms.
How to eliminate the disadvantages of photofacials
Here are some steps you can take to eliminate the disadvantages of photofacials.
Choose a clinic you can trust.
Check websites, SNS, case photos, and word-of-mouth to select a clinic you can trust.
Since cosmetic clinic fees are unregulated, the fee structure differs from clinic to clinic. It is recommended that you also check the fees for counseling, anesthesia, and other expenses.
Determine if a photofacial is indicated.
Photofacial can be expected to have a wide range of effects, but in some cases, other treatments may be more effective, depending on the symptoms.
It is necessary to determine whether the symptoms you are suffering from are indicative of photofacial treatment.
Check the progress after the procedure.
Photofacial has the advantage of little or no downtime, but symptoms such as pain, swelling, and scabbing may occur.
Knowing the normal progress beforehand will save you unnecessary worry.
Choose a machine with less pain.
There are several types of photofacial machines.
For those who are sensitive to pain or have strong anxiety about pain, we recommend M22, which is said to be relatively painless among photofacials.
Dryness and UV protection are essential before and after photofacial.
Because photofacials generate heat energy, the skin after the treatment tends to be dry and sensitive to UV rays and other skin irritants.
Use moisturizers, sheet packs, parasols, sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses to protect against dryness and UV rays more thoroughly than usual.
Receive the appropriate number of times to realize the benefits.
To realize the benefits of photofacial, it is recommended to have about 5 sessions at 3-4 week intervals, depending on the individual.
One session is effective, but if you expect visible results, you should receive the appropriate number of sessions.
For photofacial, go to Smart Skin Clinic.
Have your questions about photofacials been answered?
Smart Skin Clinic uses the Photofacial Stella M22, a medical device approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The Stella M22 is a device with reduced pain compared to previous models.
We also offer a 515nm filter that can approach thin surface stains.
In order to avoid the disadvantages of photofacial, the physician diagnoses and assesses the indications in advance and then proposes appropriate treatments.
Counseling is free of charge, and we strive to set prices that are easy to continue in order to realize the benefits of the program.
Please feel free to contact us first.
Reference
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