IPL LASER ACNE CONTROL

What will happen during my treatment?

You will be asked to put on goggles to protect your eyes. In Intense Pulsed Light treatments, a layer of gel is applied to the area to guide light into the skin. The applicator has a cooling action to increase comfort during treatment. The light applicator is placed on the skin and a short pulse of light is released. The applicator is then moved to the neighbouring area and the process is repeated until the entire area is treated. The gel is removed and the area cooled.

Can everyone have the treatment?

Unfortunately not all treatments are for everyone. Please check our contraindications list to make sure you avoid disappointment. Conditions that would mean you were not able to have this treatments:

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) an auto-immune disease often referred to simply as “Lupus”

What will happen after my treatment, are there any side effects?

Clients may experience temporary redness following treatment. This side effect is temporary and will resolve itself within a few hours. Light-based treatments have significantly decreased the appearance of acne and lessened the number of breakouts experienced by patients, revealing a clearer complexion and smoother skin. Patients have seen optimal results when combining light-based treatments with other therapies such as acne creams for a multifaceted treatment approach.

Which therapists at Beauty Holistic Avenue provide this treatment?

Vicki Hexter Viktoria Zem Find out more about each therapist at Meet the Team

How long will the treatment take and how many will you need?

A typical session will take from 15 to 30 minutes. Typically a course of six IPL treatments with each treatment every 2 weeks are needed. Skin acid peels can be done in the alternate weeks.

How much does it cost?

CONSULTATION & PATCH TEST: Free MICRO AREA (e.g. chin or upper lip): £29.00 per area - Course of 6 £145.00 SMALL AREA (e.g. cheeks, forehead or upper lip & chin): £39.00 per area - Course of 6 £195.00 MEDIUM AREA (2 medium areas): £69.00 - Course of 6 £345.00 LARGE AREA (full face): £99.00 - Course of 6 £495.00

Pre & Post Care Advice

Pre-Treatment Care

• In the lead up to your treatment ensure:

What is Acne

Acne can occur around the time of puberty, pregnancy, menopause and / or periods of long-term stress. This is due to an increase in testosterone which stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce excess sebum (oil) which is stickier in texture, this mixes with dead skin cells to form a blockage in the pore. As the skin continues to shed dead cells and produce more sebum, this blockage causes a build up and the plug develops into a comedone (blackhead or whitehead). Propionibacterium acnes (the P.acne bacteria), is anaerobic bacteria, meaning it thrives in an oxygen-free environment, that uses sebum as it’s main food source. With excess sebum and oxygen unable to enter the pore freely, it’s the perfect environment for the bacteria to multiple. P.acne bacteria release an enzyme called lipase to help digest the sebum i that irritate the lining of the follicle. This results in an inflammatory response and an inflamed lesion known as a ‘papule’ is formed. Your skins autoimmune system attempts to fight the bacterial infection with white blood cells, surrounding the infection. This is known as ‘pus’ and the formation of a ‘pustule’. If the inflammation is allowed to spread to the deeper layers of tissue, then a large painful pus-filled lesion known as a Nodule is formed.

Other causes of Acne

Below is a list of things that can cause or make acne worse: Cosmetics: when you use a new product or a product which doesn’t agree with your skin, it starts to breakout. It could be from makeup, sunscreen, products with ingredients that clog your pores, irritating fragrance from fabric softeners etc. Food Allergies: Some foods in certain skin type can cause breakouts or make acne worse. These include a sensitivity to milk, dairy, iodine, gluten, biotin, sugar, soy, etc Poor Cell Turnover Rate: when a dead skin cells are not being shed at the proper rate and contribute to pore blockage, it leads to acne. Disturbed Skin: When your skin is irritated (red, flaky, itchy, stingy) or overly dry, it can make you more vulnerable to p.acnes. With poor skin barrier function, your skin doesn’t do a good job protecting itself and keeping itself healthy. Underlying Health Problems: Underlying health problems can also cause acne. These include candida, thyroid problems, PCOS, diabetes, digestive imbalances, and metabolism issues. Stress, Lack of Sleep: Stress can be seen on the skin and can worsen acne symptoms but is not a direct cause of acne. Toxin Build-Up: Toxins can build up in your body through constipation or poor liver/kidney/intestinal function. When this happens, the build up gets released through your skin, resulting in acne.

Different types of Acne

Acne can be divided into 4 different grades depending on how it looks and its severity. The severity differs from one person to the other. Grade 1 – Mild Acne Grade 1 Acne is the mildest of 4 acne types hence it also most commonly know as mild acne. This Acne consists of comedones (blackheads) mostly on the nose, and a few papules which are small, red breakouts typically found on the cheeks. These breakouts are minimal and tend to be occasional. Grade 2 – Moderate Acne In moderate acne, there are more blemishes. Apart from the T zone area, lesions can occur anywhere in the face. The skin has several whiteheads which are also called closed comedones. They appear like raised white or yellowish dots. When squeezed white material will come out. Around a white head, there is surrounding redness due to mild inflammation and sometimes mild swelling of the area. Apart from whiteheads, there are papules (firm elevated reddish or skin colored bumps when felt feel rough and irregular) and pustules (small bump or blister filled with yellowish material /pus) which are also called pimples. Papules, when squeezed no fluid, will come out. Pustules when squeezed, yellow color pus will come out sometimes mixed with blood. Pus is an accumulation of skin debris, white blood cells, and bacteria. Grade 3 – Severe Acne Inflammation is marked and there will be a lot of papules and pustules over the face. Since the lesions occur near to each other, it can spread and merge with each other and look like crops. This will lead to skin damage and even without squeezing, scarring can occur once healed. In severe acne, infection is deep within the skin. There will be more redness and mild swelling of the face. Grade 4 – Cystic Acne This stage is very severe. The blemishes are large. They can occur not only on the face but neck, shoulders, back and sometimes arms. They are deep and firm to touch. There are cysts which look like a boil or a big blister. The size of a cyst may be about half a centimeter in diameter. They contain pus inside. There are also firm or hard bumps called nodules. They do not contain pus. When the face is touched, it may cause pain. Scarring is very common in Cystic acne as the lesions are deep.