Aftercare advice

  • IPL Client Information and Aftercare Advice

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 patch is 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

  1. The area to be treated should be free from make-up, perfume, deodorant and body or face creams. Be careful when using spray deodorant prior to treatment.
  2. Avoid waxing, plucking, hair removal creams and bleaching for, one month prior to hair removal treatments. Hair should be shaved prior to treatment and be no longer than 1mm in length.
  3. 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 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.
  4. We reserve the right to charge for any appointment booked but abandoned due to active sun-tan or fake tan.
  5. A medical history is taken at 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.
  6. Make sure that you arrive in good time for your appointment; this will allow us to pre-cool the skin if this should be required.

Post-Treatment Advice

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 one to two days following treatment. If it follows a treatment to a 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 anti-histamine medication.
  4. Following vascular treatments a bruise may appear at 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 darker colour. Again this may take up to four weeks to resolve as the body re-absorbs the damaged vessels.
  5. Make-up 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 make up carefully as rubbing the skin can cause irritation or infection. If the skin at the treatment area becomes broken, then make-up should be avoided.
  6. Care should be taken to avoid trauma to the treated area for 4 or 5 days afterwards. Avoid strenuous activities, sauna and steam, excessively hot baths, massaging etc.
  7. 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.
  8. Use a sunscreen (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 hyper-pigmentation 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).
  9. If blistering occurs contact the clinic immediately for further advice. Keep the area clean and dry and allow to heal naturally. Do not use any lotions or creams on open skin as this may increase the risk of infection. 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 to the skin.

  • Fractional Client Information and Aftercare Advice

Pre-Treatment Advice

  1. The area to be treated should be free from make-up, perfume, deodorant and body or face creams.
  2. There should be no active tan or fake tan in the area to be treated.
  3. Use of sunbeds or prolonged exposure to sunlight is not allowed in the month prior to treatment and an SPF 30 must be used on the area between treatments. Suntans must be left to fade completely before treatment can start. Fake tans and gradual tanning products must also be fully faded before treatment can commence.
  4. We reserve the right to charge for any appointment booked but abandoned due to active sun-tan or fake tan.
  5. A medical history is taken at 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.
  6. Make sure that you arrive in good time for your appointment; this will allow us to pre-cool the skin if this should be required.

Post-Treatment Advice

  1. Following treatment the area will appear very red and may be swollen. It will feel hot and tender for several hours following treatment. The redness (similar to sunburn) and swelling may last a few days but can be minimised with the application of cold compresses. Facial swelling can be reduced by sleeping with your head raised on pillows.
  2. In order to minimise skin heating and to reduce the likelihood of skin reactions, the treatment area will be cooled after the procedure. Once you get home, you may like to apply a cold compress / wet flannels etc. If applying an ice pack at home, always put ice inside a clean plastic bag and wrap in a soft cloth. Do not allow ice packs or ice to come into direct contact with the skin.
  3. While redness remains on the skin after treatment, do not indulge in heavy drinking, going to a sauna or heavy exercise. Those activities may increase the redness of your skin.
  4. The skin will also feel quite tight following treatment and using Vaseline, Lynton Light Soothe Serum, or a gentle moisturiser for a day or two following treatment can help to relieve this. Test for sensitivity on a small area of skin before applying to the whole face.
  5. Starting on day 2-3 the skin will appear flaky and have a bronzed appearance as the epidermal debris comes to the surface; this generally lasts for about 5 days. This is a positive sign and indicates that the skin is regenerating. If required 4-5 days after your treatment, you can use a very light exfoliator to help remove the dry/flaky skin (providing the erythema has reduced and skin sensitivity has returned back to normal).
  6. Keeping the skin well moisturised at this point will also help reduce the risk of tightness.
  7. Avoid cosmetics for approximately 48hrs after treatment. Mineral make-up can be applied after this time, however when removing, use a very gentle cleanser and a lot of water and try to avoid vigorously rubbing the skin, as this may cause irritation. If the skin at the treatment area becomes broken, then make-up should be avoided until the area is completely healed.
  8. Avoid hot baths / showers for 24hrs.
  9. Do not pick at any flaking or crusting that may form.
  10. The skin will usually return to normal by day 7 to 10, although some flakiness may remain for up to 14 days.
  11. Use a sunscreen (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 hyper-pigmentation 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).
  12. If blistering occurs contact the clinic immediately for further advice. Keep the area clean and dry and allow to heal naturally. Do not use any lotions or creams on open skin as this may increase the risk of infection. 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 to the skin. If you have any urgent concerns or queries regarding the treated area, please phone the clinic for advice.