By: Katharine Griffiths
Created on 18th June 2010
Confused about the differences between laser and intense
pulsed light treatments? Dr Elizabeth Raymond Brown of the
LCS Academy explains
I describe laser as a ‘pure' form of light; what I mean by that is a single colour or single wavelength. This makes it highly selective of the target area that is being treated which could be hair reduction or vascular lesions or pigmented lesions. The laser will selectively target that particular chromophore, and that one alone.
By having a single wavelength it also means we are only penetrating to a single depth and no more. The result is very controlled, prescribed treatments of a given target.
Intense pulsed light is different from laser because it is not single wavelength - it is a range of wavelengths, which is why they are called broad spectrum or broad band sources.
The advantage to having multiple wavelengths is that not only do they target a range of chromophores in one treatment but also those wavelengths will penetrate to different depths. This is why IPL is the ideal treatment for skin rejuvenation because patients don't usually present with one particular problem - it is usually a combination of different problems such as redness from rosacea or broken veins, pigmentation from sun damage or tired, lax skin due to ageing.
The IPL can target all these chromophores in a single treatment whereas with laser you might need one system to treat the vascular problems, then another wavelength or system to treat pigmentation and yet another to achieve skin tightening. One slight disadvantage of the IPL is that you might need a few treatments to achieve the results you want because it is a less targeted treatment for some conditions.
For treatments such as hair reduction, then laser will have a very targeted result. There are studies that support that hair reduction is more efficacious with laser than IPL systems, but a good IPL system in the hands of an experienced operator can produce comparable results.
In terms of discomfort there is no particular evidence to say that either IPL or laser is more painful - and, like everything, it is down to your personal pain threshold.
Prior to regulation, IPL was marketed heavily in the beauty sector because it can offer a wide range of treatments. The machines were often sold as being easier to operate than laser systems but to get a really good result then you have to understand how the technology works. Unfortunately, many users end up just using the default settings which doesn't allow for more personalised, targeted treatments; the default settings are, by their very nature, ‘safe' settings.
In terms of laser and IPL treatments, it is important to find a practitioner who really understands their system and is using it at optimum levels. It is also important that it has a good pedigree, backed up by clinical papers.
The next generation
Advances in light based technology have been directed at combining the best of laser and IPL and the new buzzword is Optimal Pulse Technology. From Lumenis, the company who first introduced IPL, the M22 system has been designed to deliver the right pulse and fluence for each application to produce consistent results.
All you need, in one...
IPL - the M22's standard IPL treatment head is able to tackle photorejuvenation, hair reduction, age spot reduction, vein erasure... all using one universal treatment head.
Nd:YAG - the M22 also offers a laser module for vascular lesions, leg veins and the non-ablative treatment of facial wrinkles.
Available from: Dr Elizabeth Raymond Brown is Director of Education for the LCS Academy (www.lcsacademy.co.uk). For more information on the M22 from Lumenis, visit www.lumenis.co.uk
