An Introduction To Lumecca IPL
The most advanced IPL on the market.
Written by: Jessica Cipriano, RN, BSN, Clinical Director
Historically, you may have heard us talk about BBL Forever Young as a way to treat these skin concerns. We now have a new way to treat unwanted brown and red spots. This new device is Lumecca IPL. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) devices have become a common treatment in medical aesthetic practices for skin rejuvenation and treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions. In fact, a recent national survey reported it as the 5th most frequently requested aesthetic facial treatment!
We agree, as we regularly have patients come in with concerns of sunspots, age spots, generalized hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries, rosacea and uneven skin tone. These all fall under the treatment umbrella of IPL or Intense Pulsed Light because both brown and red skin lesions can be treated with specific wavelengths of light energy. Enough with the science. Let’s answer your questions.
What is Lumecca IPL
Lumecca is the most powerful intense pulsed light (IPL) to treat pigmented and vascular lesions. After a single treatment, patients notice improvements in the complexion of the skin. Lumecca operates using selective photothermolysis, which means that it specifically targets certain chromophores or colors and provides a photofacial via a comfortable light treatment.
What makes Lumecca IPL different than other IPL devices on the market?
Lumecca IPL has a higher peak power than most IPL or light-based devices on the market. Higher peak power means that more power is released into the lamp during each pulse which results in a more focused treatment with the wavelengths of light needed to treat browns and reds in the skin. Long story short. It more effectively treats the browns and reds with a lower energy without affecting the healthy tissue and it can treat smaller targets.
What are the benefits?
In an average of 3 sessions, Lumecca improves the appearance of:
• Age spots (red/brown pigmentations)
• Vascular lesions such as facial telangiectasias (spider veins) and poikiloderma
• Rosacea (redness)
• Freckles
• Sun damage
What areas can be treated?
The Lumecca IPL photofacial can safely be performed on almost any area of the body provided that the patient is a Fitzpatrick skin type I-IV. If you don’t know your skin type, contact our office so that we may help.
What should I expect from the treatment?
Your provider will go over pre-procedure instructions before your treatment which generally include avoiding direct sunlight, tanning, annd use of self tanning solutions. You will wear metal eye goggles during the treatment to protect your eyes from the bright light. A cool, clear gel will be spread over your face. You may note a bright flash of light in certain areas of the face even with the goggles. A slight snap-like sensation may be felt in some areas. Warmth and tingling is common. This usually subsides within an hour. Over the next 2-3 days, the dark spots will get darker before eventually falling off. Vascular lesions may become darker or disappear. They may also require additional treatments.
Does it hurt?
Most patients tolerate the procedure well without any type of numbing cream or other pain relief methods.
How many sessions will I need?
Improvement may be noted in a single session. Best results come from a series of treatments. This will be determined at your consultation. We recommend a series of 3 sessions for most patients concerned with dark spots. Rosacea patients usually need 2-5 sessions to achieve best results.
How quickly will I see results?
Results are visible between 1-2 weeks post-treatment but may be seen sooner for dark spots and closer to 2 weeks for vascular lesions.