Is IPL safe for darker skin tones?

How does IPL work?

IPL stands for intense pulsed light. Our device, the Candela Nordlys IPL, sends out filtered light in short pulses, which means it narrows the light to the range we want for each treatment.

Two things in the skin absorb that light: blood in small vessels, and pigment, the natural colour in skin that is concentrated in sun spots at the base of the top layer. The light turns into heat, and for redness that heat closes the small vessels.

You can read more on our IPL page.

Why does skin tone matter with IPL?

IPL works by being absorbed by brown pigment, but the light can't tell the difference between a sun spot and the natural pigment in your skin.

On lighter skin, a sun spot stands out clearly against the skin around it, so most of the light goes where we want it. On darker skin, the surrounding skin holds more pigment too, so it absorbs more of the light. That extra heat in the surrounding skin is what raises the risk of burns and of pigment changes, meaning patches that turn darker or lighter than the skin around them.

So is IPL safe for darker skin?

There isn't a single yes or no that fits everyone. For many people with darker skin, IPL is not the right choice, because the risk of burns and pigment changes outweighs what it can offer.

That's why we never start IPL without looking at your skin first. Skin tone sits on a range, and two people who describe their skin the same way can still respond differently, so the decision depends on your skin, your history and what you want to treat.

What is a skin type assessment?

At your consultation we look at your skin's colour, how it reacts to the sun and how it has healed in the past. Clinicians often use the Fitzpatrick scale as a general way to describe skin type, based on how skin tans or burns in the sun.

We also ask about anything that changes the picture:

• Any history of dark marks after spots, cuts or past treatments.
• Recent sun exposure, tanning or self-tanner.
• Medications, recent skin treatments and pregnancy.

All of this helps us decide whether IPL is suitable, whether another option is better, or whether we should hold off.

What if IPL isn't right for my skin?

We may talk about the Frax 1550 instead. It is a non-ablative fractional laser: it treats thousands of microscopic columns of skin and leaves the skin between them intact, which prompts new collagen, the protein that gives skin its structure.

It works differently from IPL and is used for texture, scars and fine lines, such as Texture & pores, Acne scars and Stretch marks. More detail is on our Frax 1550 page.

We check your skin at the consultation and confirm whether Frax 1550 is suitable. We also go over the healing: pink for a few days, then rough or slightly bronzed as the skin renews.

Will you tell me if neither treatment suits me?

Yes. If we don't think IPL or Frax 1550 is right for your skin or your concern, we'll say so plainly. A treatment that carries more risk than benefit isn't one we want to offer.

Sometimes the answer is to wait, for example until a tan has faded, and sometimes a different kind of care would serve you better.

What happens at the consultation?

Every treatment starts with the 30-minute one-on-one consultation. We assess your skin type, talk about what you'd like to treat, and explain which option, if any, we'd recommend and why.

If treatment is a good fit, we'll tell you how many sessions you'll need and the price. For reference, IPL for Pigmentation & sun damage is from $100 per session, and full-face Frax 1550 for texture and pores is from $449. Every price is on our prices page.