We hear the word “laser” a lot. Any time any form of laser tool is involved in anything, we think of this high-tech weapon from Star Wars, that destroys planets or something. They seem so futuristic and complicated, even scary. But lasers are actually a huge part of our reality. They are used in a whole bunch of different fields; in science, from geology to astronomy, in surgeries. And nowadays, they’re even used on your face. That’s right, you heard me correctly; on your face. But don’t be alarmed; these lasers don’t melt your face off or something. In fact, they are actually used for health, and even beauty. And if you don’t believe me (even though I know you fully do), here are a few spa treatments, which utilize cutting-edge lasers, to take care of those tiny problems that nature has kindly given us.
Wrinkle Damnation
Hey, so are you annoyed by your wrinkles, scars and other skin damage. I’m assuming you’re going to say “yes”. Would you believe me if I told you that there exists a laser tool designed to treat such skin condition? I’m assuming you’re going to say “no way”. Yes way, there most certainly is a treatment like that. In fact, it does much more than just get rid of wrinkles, but before we understand what it does, let’s understand where it comes from, because it’s always interesting to know how these things are developed.
The Tool Itself
Now, first of all, you need to understand that the procedure is called Intense Pulsating Light (IPL) rather than a standard laser. Big scientific words aside, basically, a standard laser works on one wavelength, whereas the IPL uses a variety of different wavelengths to get the job done. Where the standard laser tool is more precise, the IPL scatters its light all over the place, which actually goes through the first layer of skin and down into the second. Any more information than this is way too hard to understand for me, so I’m just giving you this rough summarization. The tool itself was first used in 1997 as a hair removal procedure, and it showed resoundingly positive results.
The Procedure Itself
So, as stated previously, the procedure basically sends beams of scattered light through your skin, and into the inner layers. Once inside, it begins to generate heat, which actually starts destroying hair roots as well as the skin cells which make your skin look damaged. Now, the best part about the IPL is that, unlike the standard laser tool, you can use it pretty much anywhere on your body. Using lasers on sensitive parts of the body, such as head and neck is not recommended, but the IPL is much more robust in its usage.
The procedure itself goes as follows: first the specialist will find the areas on your skin which need to be focused on. Once an area on your skin has been found, the specialist will focus the laser on that particular part of your skin. The treatment will then last for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the settings the IPL is using and which part of the skin it is focused on. During the procedure itself, you won’t be asked to do anything extraordinary; in fact, you’ll be asked to do nothing at all. Just sit there and think about tacos or something. Keep in mind, your eyes will still be covered for your own protection, despite the laser being completely safe, but it is important for extra precautions. So, you won’t be able to look at photos of tacos on your phone. But again, the relatively short time the procedure takes is really not all the unnerving. So sit back, close your eyes, think about tacos, and enjoy the laser which is traveling through your skin. And no, that’s not something I’ve ever thought about before today.
Outcomes
“Yeah, OK, lasers and hair follicles and pigmentation and other big words, but what does it actually do?” Good question for which I have an even better answer (am I overconfident or what?). So, there are many things the IPL actually helps with. Do you have age marks that annoy you? Well, it helps fade them away. Do you have varicose blood vessels which show off their bluish color from under your skin in the most inconvenient of places? IPL has you covered. Do you have hair that you don’t want? IPL. And there are even other things the IPL is capable of that I didn’t talk about. But one way or another, it is good at ridding your skin of all these nuisances.
However, as with any good thing in this world, one treatment is just not enough. “Really?” Look, there’s 7 billion people on this planet, do you honestly expect everyone’s skin and hair to be the same? So, depending on your skin, its color and thickness, as well the thickness and color of your hair, it may have different results. However, one way or another, for the IPL to do its work properly, you may need to return for a few more treatments in order to get your most desired results.
After the procedure itself, you will probably go through pretty much any of the expected side effects which come with pretty much any skin and hair treatment procedure: a little redness, and little dryness. This, however, goes away very quickly, as the IPL has an amazingly quick recovery time, so you don’t have to worry about being locked up in your dungeon of a home for weeks before going out into civilization. Before the procedure itself, you don’t really have to do anything spectacular; just keep your skin clean, and avoid waxing or tanning booths, or some drugs and creams. So, nothing too difficult.
There you go; now you know what the Intense Pulsating Light procedure does. All that’s left for you is to book an appointment if you are interested. And I forgot the best part about this procedure; you can tell your friends you had a laser pointed at you for 20 minutes. I’m sure they’ll be very jealous.
