Why can’t you receive an IPL treatment when you have tanned?

Intense pulsed light treatments work by producing a high intensity flash of filtered light from the applicator head, which has been placed in contact with the skin. These gentle pulses of light are absorbed by the pigment melanin, which is the chromophore that gives hair and skin its’ colour. The hair rapidly absorbs this filtered light and conducts it to the surrounding cells. This heat raises the temperature of these cells to 70 degree Centigrade or higher, which denatures the cells making them incapable of producing further hair growth.

When skin is exposed to sun or tanning equipment, there is an increase in the levels of melanin in the top layers of the skin. If an IPL treatment is carried out on top of this excess melanin, it can result in a burn or other undesired effects.  Thus, it is very important to wait 4 to 6 weeks after sun exposure and tanning beds before an IPL session.  This gap period will allow the necessary time for the tanned skin cells to shed off, and the skin to return to normal. 

For information on Ecolite IPL and where you can get a treatment email info@ecoliteipl.com and visit www.ecoliteipl.com 

A new solution to sun-damaged skin!

With summer just upon us, many of us are looking forward to spending many afternoons sitting in the sun with our friends, walking around the beautiful streets of London and escaping on hot holidays. Not only does sunlight have a great positive effect on our moods, but studies demonstrate that sunlight can also provide a dose of Vitamin D which keeps our bones healthy. 


However, just like most things in life, too much of a good thing can also be harmful. Excessive exposure to the sun without protection can lead to various types of damage and cosmetic blemishes. Over time, due to cumulative sun exposure, alterations in the colour and texture of the skin inevitably occur, and excessive sun exposure decreases the production of collagen, which in turn causes damage to the skin making it feel wrinkled and coarse and looking red and tired.


Just as Intense Pulsed Light technology has revolutionized depilation, for cosmetic symptoms of sun damaged skin, such as fine lines, wrinkles, ago spots and sun spots, intense pulsed light therapies are quite effective in restoring the skin to a naturally healthy and youthful condition. 


The Intense Pulsed light photo rejuvenation treatment uses a safe, visible infared light to increase the body’s natural production of collagen, thus, leaving you with younger, fresher and non-blemished skin! 

In terms of the sun, what should I do before and after my treatment? 

In general, it is highly recommended that you should stay out of the sun for one month before your treatment, use a minimum of SPF 30 sun protection when you are exposed, and try to wear a hat when possible. Furthermore, it is important that the sunscreen contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to block harmful UVA rays.  

For information on Ecolite IPL and where you can get a treatment email info@ecoliteipl.com and visit www.ecoliteipl.com 

What's the difference between Laser and IPL? And why do you need a course of IPL treatments?

Hair removal using laser technology has developed greatly throughout the last three decades. Today, along with IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments, it is the most popular and most effective form of epilation on the market. However, despite the popularity of laser and IPL treatments in the beauty industry, many consumers are still confused between the two different types of treatments, and at times consider IPL to be the inferior of the two. However, read further to understand that IPL is faster and more versatile that its laser counterpart.

IPL epilators are not technically lasers, however, they use a xenon flash lamp to emit a full spectrum of light to deliver the same result as a traditional laser. Both technologies generate heat that targets the melanin in the skin and hair, the oxyhemoglobin found in the blood, and the water found in the skin. Furthermore, both technologies work by delivering heat energy to a depth which is determined by the wavelength used and can increase the amount of heat delivered at the selected depth by increasing the power of the light. The common misconception that ‘more power equals greater depth’ is simply false. Effective treatments are a function of delivering the proper amount of power (heat) to the proper depth in a safe manner, which can be done effectively by either a laser or an IPL.

That said, however, there are several advantages of IPL over laser. First, is the area that can be covered by an IPL in each session is much larger, and results in quicker treatment speed. Generally IPL treatment heads are up to 8 times larger than the small spot produced by lasers and therefore treatments are much quicker. The second major difference is the wavelength of light produced. Lasers produce light with one specific wavelength whilst IPL uses an entire waveband. Different wavelengths penetrate the skin to different depths so using IPL is like using a group of lasers in a single treatment.

WHY DO I NEED A COURSE OF TREATMENTS?

Hair grows in cycles and many factors influence it's growth including age, ethnicity, weight, hormones, diet, medication and metabolism along with your hair's location, thickness and resilience. Only hair that is in its’ growing cycle (called anagen phase) will be destroyed at each treatment session. The number of hairs growing at any one time and the length of time between treatments varies, but generally we allow 4 to 8 weeks.

For information on Ecolite IPL and where you can get a treatment email info@ecoliteipl.com and visit www.ecoliteipl.com 

Can IPL treat Rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition, affecting both sexes, which causes redness and swelling on the face, scalp, neck, ears, chest and back. The condition can often progress to a persistent redness, pimples and visible blood vessels in the centre of the face that can eventually involve other parts of the body. Unless it affects the eyes, it is typically a harmless cosmetic condition.  

Although the cause of Rosacea is unknown, various triggers have been noted to spark episodes of flushing and blushing, which play a part in the development of Rosacea.  Exposure to temperature extremes, strenuous exercise, heat from sunlight, severe sunburn, stress, anxiety, cold wind, and moving to a warm or hot environment from a cold one such as heated shops and offices during the winter can also cause the face to become flushed and trigger an episode of Rosacea. There are also some food and drinks that can trigger flushing, including alcohol, food and beverages containing caffeine, foods high in histamines and spicy food.

Various treatments have been developed to fight this annoying skin ailment, however, today, IPL is considered to be the best treatment for this condition.  IPLs use light to penetrate the epidermis to target the capillaries in the dermis layer of the skin. The light is absorbed by oxy-hemoglobin which heat up causing the capillary walls to heat up to 70 °C, damaging them, causing them to be absorbed by the body’s natural defense mechanism. With a sufficient number of treatments, this method may even eliminate the redness altogether.  Not only do most Rosacea sufferers see great improvements in symptoms, but also a reduction in the rate of future flare ups.  Furthermore, the warming effect of the light energy from the IPL device also increases the production of collagen that has a tightening and smoothing effect on the skin. This increase in collagen supports and heals the tiny blood vessels in your skin. People with mild to severe rosacea can see an 80 to 90% overall reduction in facial redness in 4-6 treatments. 

For information visit www.ecoliteipl.com