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pre-treatment advice

IPL and IllumiFacial

pre-treatment
contra-indications
Aftercare

Test patches

 

Test patch what to look for – Test patches are carried out to determine the treatment parameters and to judge how your skin might react to a full treatment.

A test patches a small trial in an area with similar hair and skin to the treatment site and allows the practitioner to assess how well the light energy is being absorbed and whether the skin is responding as would be expected.

Clients are asked to make a note of any redness or swelling and how long it takes to reduce following the test patch, also whether or not the skin blisters or feels excessively hot and for how long.

 

Pre-treatment Advice

  • Stop the use of prescription-strength topical Vitamin A (e.g. Tretinoin) at least 2 weeks before treatment. Low strength retinol should be ceased a few days before treatment.
  • Do not undergo any superficial peels in the 2 weeks before your treatment and 3 months for a deep chemical peel such as a TCA peel
  • Do not undergo any cosmetic face procedures in the 2 weeks before your treatment – such as laser, microneedling, dermaplaning.
  • Do not undergo any botox or fillers in the 2 weeks before treatment.
  • The area to be treated should be free from makeup perfume deodorant and body or face creams. Be careful when using spray deodorant prior to treatment.
  • There should be no active or fake tan in the area to be treated. Use of sunbeds or prolonged exposure to sunlight is not allowed in the month prior to treatment and Lynton’s Light Protect Daily Defence SPF 50 or an SPF 30+ must be used on the area between treatments. Suntans must be left to fade completely before treatment can start. Fake tans must also be fully faded before treatment can commence.
  • We reserve the right to charge for any appointment booked but abandoned due to active suntan or fake tan.
  • A medical history is taken at the consultation, but we rely on you to inform us of any changes to this. We need to know of any medication you are taking including those bought from a chemist or herbalist.
  • Make sure that you arrive in good time for your appointment, this would allow us to pre-cool the skin if this should be required.

Contra-indications

The following may prevent or restrict the treatment. We will conduct a full consultation at your first appointment but please contact us prior to your appointment if any of the following apply to you:

  • Under 18 years of age
  • Sun Exposure in the past 4 weeks and skin colour must have returned to baseline
  • Fake tan in the past 14 days. There must be no trace of fake tan at the time of treatment to prevent burning
  • Roaccutane, Accutane or Isotretinoin use within the past 6 months
  • Prescription-strength topical retinoids (Tretinoin, Differin, Retin A) within the last 2 weeks
  • Retinol within the past 3 – 5 days dependant on the strength
  • Topical steroids in the week before treatment
  • Oral steroids in the 4 weeks before treatment
  • Pregnancy and Breastfeeding will prevent treatment
  • Skin pigmentation disorders e.g. melasma, vitiligo or post-inflammatory pigmentation cannot be treated
  • Skin Cancer – any history of malignant melanoma will prevent treatment. For basal cells and squamous cells, carcinoma treatment can be given 3 years post removal of the lesion providing no other treatment was given.
  • All Other Cancer – anyone presently under a consultant’s care for cancer is not suitable for IPL. If 5 years have passed since all clear and the client is no longer under consultant care then they may proceed.
  • History of keloid scarring will prevent treatment
  • Epilepsy will not prevent treatment providing there have been no seizures in the past 12 months
  • Clients with poorly controlled diabetes Type 1 or 2 cannot be treated. A GP letter will be required for treatment in cases of well-controlled diabetes.
  • Photosensitizing conditions such as Lupus or Porphyria will prevent treatment
  • Immune/Lymph system disorders will prevent treatment
  • History of Cold sores. IPL may activate the virus. Prophylactic treatment with anti-viral medication or Zovirax used the day before and 4 days after treatment may prevent a breakout.
  • Photosensitive drugs – some photosensitive drugs will prevent treatment as follows:
    – All drugs for Photodynamic therapy (e.g Foscan, ALA, Metvix) – wait 6 months
    – Roccutane – wait 6 months
    – St Johns Wort – wait 4 weeks
    – Amiodarone – wait 4 weeks
    – Minocycline (antibiotics) – wait 4 weeks
    – Topical steroids (wait 1 week)
    – Oral steroids (wait at least 1 month)
    – Gold Salt Injections or Gold Medication (Arthritis)
    – Tanning Enhancers (injections, nasal sprays or tablets) will prevent treatment indefinitely

 

  • For all other photosensitive medication, we will patch test and wait 1 month to monitor the outcome
  • If you take a course of antibiotics during treatment, we will wait 1-4 weeks after completing the course before treating again (depending on reason and length of course). Please seek advice from the clinic.
  • Regular smoker – because smoking has a marked inhibitory effect on collagen formation, it will compromise the clinical outcome of the treatment.
  • Psoriasis/Eczema in the treatment area will prevent treatment.
  • High Blood Pressure – may compromise the effects of a vascular treatment
  • Allergies – to skincare products, fruit, aspirin may restrict treatment. All allergies should be communicated. If you suffer from multiple allergies, you may be more likely to have a heightened histamine response to IPL; it is recommended that only small areas be treated in one sitting.
  • Tattoos in the treatment area (may restrict the treatment)
  • Alcohol – Alcohol may be a contributing factor to broke capillaries as a vasodilator, and therefore, heavy alcohol consumption will be detrimental to clinical outcome
  • Cosmetic treatments – do not undergo botox, fillers or other injectables, or any superficial peel in the 2 weeks pre-treatment. Do not undergo any other cosmetic procedures 2 weeks before treatment, such as laser hair removal, skin needling or dermaplaning. Deep skin peels should not be performed in the 3 months before treatment

Aftercare advice

  • In order to minimise skin heating and to reduce the likelihood of skin reactions, the treatment area may be cooled before, during and after the procedure. If the area still feels hot at home, you can apply a cold flannel or cool pack. Do not allow ice packs or ice into direct contact with the skin.
  • Following treatment, the area may appear red and raised and you may experience a tingling sensation. This is completely normal and should settle over the next few days.
  • Occasionally you may experience swelling or bruising and this can last anything from 1-2 days up to 1-2 weeks. If you experience swelling it is usually worse 1-2 days following treatment. If it follows a treatment to the facial area, sleeping with your head raised on pillows will minimise its appearance. Ice packs will also help to reduce the swelling. If your skin is particularly sensitive and prone to histamine reactions, you may also wish to consider taking an antihistamine medication.
  • Following vascular treatments, a bruise may appear in the treated area. This may last up to 15 days and as the bruise fades there may be brown discolouration of the skin. This usually fades in 1 – 3 months. When larger vessels are treated they may take on a dark colour. Again this may take up to 4 weeks to resolve as the body reabsorbs the damaged vessels.
  • Makeup can be applied after several hours if the skin is not sore or broken. However, we advise caution if the area is feeling sensitive. Remove makeup carefully as rubbing the skin can cause irritation or infection. If the skin in the treatment area becomes broken, then makeup should be avoided.
  • Care should be taken to avoid trauma to the treated area for 4- 5days afterwards. Avoid strenuous activities, sauna and steam, excessively hot baths, massaging etc.
  • Wash and bathe as normal but take cool showers rather than hot baths. The skin should be patted dry and not rubbed. Use Lynton Light Soothe Serum to reduce irritation and keep the area moisturised and the skin protected. If there is any discomfort treat the area as you would sunburn.
  • Use Lynton’s Light Protect Daily Defence SPF 50 or an SPF 30+ and protect the area from sunlight as much as possible between treatments and for at least one month after treatment ends. Failure to do this can lead to sunburn and hyperpigmentation of the treated area (most cases of changes in pigmentation occur when the treated area has been exposed to sunlight, or in people with darker skin types).
  • If blistering occurs contact the clinic immediately for further advice. Keep the area clean and dry and allowed it to heal naturally. Do not use any lotions or creams on open skin as this may increase the risk of infections. Do not pick grazes or blisters as this may increase the chance of a scar occurring. Once the skin has healed a high protection sunscreen should be used daily for 12 months to prevent pigmentation changes in the skin
    If you have any urgent concerns or queries regarding the treated area please phone the clinic for advice.