Seduced by the Light Side
The Fotofacial (aka Intense Pulsed Light) has a nice little buzz surrounding it. According to the hype it removes redness and brown spots, firms skin and is non-invasive. It does actually do all these things to an extent, but the results vary wildly from patient to patient – and in my experience, many end up disappointed.
Still, if the concept has you tempted, here’s what to expect and how patients are often misled.
‘The Fotofacial’
Misleading element number one is right in the name: the singular noun implies single visit. Fotofacials are always sold in packages of three, and probably should be sold in packages of five. You won’t notice much difference at all with from a single Fotofacial, and it wouldn’t be worth the money. Plan on spending between 1000 and 2000 dollars for a series.
‘Reduces Redness’
Read: May reduce certain kinds of redness. Mainly blush-type redness, diffuse redness. Any vessel you can see with the naked eye will probably require a higher intensity light treatment, like a laser (e.g. V-beam).
‘Eliminates Brown Spots’
Well, sometimes yes, sometimes no, but usually, if this is your main concern, you get more impressive results from a skincare regime and deeper peel. See this article for details.
‘Firms Skin’
The skin may look softer, more hydrated with pores a little less noticeable. But plastic surgeons aren’t feeling a threat, here.
‘Non-invasive’
It is pretty mild but there could be light scabbing that forms, and you may be red for a day or so after. That said, definitely non-invasive in the sense you won’t have to go about slathered in Aquafor (petrolatum).
Remember, the pictures that you see on the web are - at best - best-case scenarios. It’s not unheard of for a practice to combine technologies (e.g. a cream to reduce brown spots as well as a treatment series) and then attribute the cumulative success only to the treatment they’re touting. So, as always, buyer beware.
