Hyperpigmentation Treatment

Cool ultra sound gel is applied before the IPL crystal block is rested on the skin. The IPL feels flicky and warm on the skin as light is administered. There is no discomfort and minimal downtime after treatment.

This is a winter time treatment as we cannot treat clients that have an active tan. This means that they must not have been exposed to the sun or sunbeds in the last 6 weeks before treatment. It’s also essential that fake tan has not been applied to the skin for at least 10 days before treatment.

If you are on prescription skincare, please seek advice from your practitioner to advise how soon you are able to reapply after treatment.

IPL is an excellent fast effective treatment for reducing the appearance of pigmentation concerns, but there is no cure for hyperpigmentation marks on the skin. They are there as skin cells are damaged for good. Common pigmentation concerns treated are age spots, liver spots, brown spots, sun spots, brown marks on skin, red marks on skin, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), post-inflammatory Erythema (PIE), birthmarks, freckles and sun damage. What we can do is manage the release of new pigment so that a client can live day to day with no evidence of brown marks with or without make up.

The most common (and expected) side effect of treating pigmentation is an immediate darkening of the more superficial brown spots. This darkening of the pigmentation will start to flake off after about 7-14 days and lighten. Treatments are repeated until the pigmentation is gone. Clients usually find this process very satisfying.

Brown spots that have been removed with IPL treatment may come back months or years later. This does not mean the treatment did not work, it may mean that the client had not been applying SPF every day which would trigger more melanin which is the pigment. Pregnancy, hormonal changes and medications may also cause pigment marks to  appear or reappear. Hyperpigmentation can not be cured, it just needs to be managed with top-up maintenance treatments and or skincare.

Hyperpigmentation will get slightly darker post-treatment which is a good sign that the settings have been correct to lift the pigment (this is similar to tattoo removal). This is because the IPL breaks the pigment up and lifts it to the surface of the skin, where it gently flakes off. As long as a thorough consultation is done and medical history is recorded there is no risk of making dark spots worse long term. We definitely would not recommend this treatment to anyone with Melasma. If Melasma is present we recommend Obagi Medical Skincare to achieve the same results in a similar time scale.

You can have IPL every 2 weeks. you will notice a difference after one treatment but we recommend a minimum of  3 for significant improvements. Some clients may need to have up to 6 treatments for more severe cases.

If you have have underlying health conditions and or are taking any medications other than the contraceptive pill please email info@fijiskinclinic.co.uk to seek advice and treatment suitability before booking.

Before your treatment

• Avoid injectables 4 weeks before treatment
• Stop all forms of topical Vitamin A such as Retinol & prescription skincare, all acid / granular exfoliators 7 days before treatment
• If you are using prescription skincare please seek advice from your practitioner as not all products need to be stopped for 7 days

After your treatment

• No Make-up for the rest of the day
• SPF must be applied in the morning and topped up regularly through the day
• Reintroduce Vitamin A / Retinol & prescription Vitamin A, and all acid / granular exfoliators 5 days post treatment
• If you are using prescription skincare please seek advice from your practitioner to advise how soon you are able to reapply.

The Intense Pulse Light (IPL) releases short pulses of light on to the skin. This light is absorbed by the pigmented areas such as freckles, sun spots or liver spots etc. Simply put… it's a bit like wearing a black t-shirt on a hot summer day. The black t-shirt absorbs more light/heat than a white t shirt. This is why the darker cells get warmer and get treated and not the light cells.

Unfortunately, IPL Light treatments are not suitable for all skin types, it's only suitable for Fitzpatrick 1-3.  This is why we prescribe Obagi Medical Skin Care as an alternative. This means we can achieve all the amazing benefits of IPL with prescription skincare. Results are seen in a similar time period of 14 weeks to transform your skin. If you have raised hyperpigmentation, like a mole for example, this is not be suitable. Nor would we advise melasma to be treated with IPL, this would be better suited to Obagi Medical Skin Care.

The skin may be slightly red and the pigment marks will darken and may appear more obvious before they fade away.

Most people experience slight redness, darkening of pigment and possibly mild swelling post treatment which usually disappear within hours to a couple of days. Very rarely a small blister may form or temporary lightening of the skin can occur. We support you the whole way and you will be give written guidance on pre and post aftercare too.

Hyperpigmentation is long term as this form of pigmentation is caused because the cell has permanently been damaged. This may have been caused by too much sun exposure, medications, hormones etc. We can get rid of hyperpigmentation but regular maintenance treatments are required to keep it at bay, there is no cure for hyperpigmentation. This is why it is so important to protect then skin from damage in the first place by wearing broad spectrum SPF every day. Examples of imperfections that can be treated are: Pigmentation, Liver Spots, Sunspots, Age spots, Sun Damage, Brown spots & Freckles.

Freckles are small, brown spots that can appear anywhere on the body, but are most commonly found on the face and arms. Freckles are hereditary and are more noticeable on lighter skin and after sun exposure.