Pulsed light: is it really worth it?

Waxing, removing tattoos or removing spots on the skin. These are just some of the problems you can solve with pulsed light.

Pulsed light is a type of treatment similar to the laser, which can be used for several purposes: to remove spots on the skinfighting wrinkles and fine lines and definitive removal of unwanted hair all over the body, namely on the chest, abdomen, arms, armpits, bikini line and legs.

The pulsed light technique was developed in 1994 and approved by the FDA (North American organization that regulates public health and safety) in 1997. It consists of applying soft pulses of light to the skin through a xenon lamp. Light is absorbed and converted into heat by the melanin present in the hair, progressively weakening the hair follicles and inhibiting their growth, thus guaranteeing the progressive hair removal.

Advantages of pulsed light

despite the hair removal being the most common objective for people seeking this type of treatment, pulsed light can be successfully applied in many other situations.

Pulsed light can be used to remove unwanted hair from all over the body, but it should not be applied to some more sensitive areas, such as the nipples, for example, as it can lead to the appearance of blemishes or burns on the skin.

The hair can be removed completely, but the best results are seen with people with fair skin and dark hair, who have greater amounts of melanin, which attracts the laser. In this way, the incidence of light goes directly to it, destroying the follicle, thus eliminating the hair for good.

Pulsed light is also indicated to remove dark spots on the skin especially caused by sun exposure and by ultraviolet rays, as it lightens the skin, increasing the amount of collagen and elastin fibers by 50%, which makes the skin firmer and less flaccid. In addition, it also helps to increase the presence of small vessels in the skin, which improve local blood oxygenation.

The frown lines can be completely removed and the wrinkles can be attenuated with the use of treatments based on pulsed light, as it promotes an increase in collagen and elastin fibers that support the skin, and whose production normally decreases with advancing age.

In this case, the results are not immediate, but are maintained for long periods. The ideal is to have sessions every 6 months to completely eliminate wrinkles and expression lines without having to resort to more invasive treatments, such as plastic surgery.

It is a good treatment because it improves skin elasticity, but better results are seen when acids such as tretinoin or glycolic acid are used after the session. A reduction in the amount of stretch marks and also decrease in its width and length.

Pulsed light is also a powerful ally in eliminating pimplesnot only indicated when the patient is taking some type of medication such as corticoids, acetylsalicylic acid and non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The reddened skin and the presence of small blood vessels in the cheek area (rosacea) and in the nose (telangiectasia) is a common problem, but both can be solved with a treatment with pulsed light, because the light and energy emitted by the device promote better cell reorganization and distribution of small blood vessels.

The application of pulsed light completely removes the tattoo, because the dark color is attracted by the beam of light that breaks the ink, eliminating it from the body. However, this treatment must be done with care because when it comes to colored tattoos, it may be necessary to adjust the device each session due to the different wavelengths that must be used to eliminate each color.

After the sessions, redness and slight swelling may appear in the treated area due to the inflammatory process that is installed and which is expected, it is also common for small crusts to appear, which should not be removed.

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Contraindications and disadvantages of pulsed light

In a pulsed light session, there is a risk of:

• skin burns if the equipment is poorly calibrated or misused;
• light or dark spots on the skin – at the treatment site, the region may have lighter or slightly darker skin, which indicates that the equipment did not have the best wavelength for the person’s skin tone (and these blemishes are more common in people with dark skin or who are tanned, so it is important to adjust the device if there are changes in the person’s skin tone between one session and another).

Pulsed light is not recommended on the face of people using certain types of medication, namely corticoids or anticoagulants for more than 3 months, photosensitizing medications.

Furthermore, it is also not recommended for tanned skin, when the area to be treated has white hair, when there are signs of skin infection, over or around skin wounds and in people with cancer. Look out for these signs that may indicate treatment complications:

• a lot of burning in the skin during or right after the treatment;
• very red region;
• itch;
• bubble formation.

These could be signs of burns and treatment should be discontinued immediately.

Care during and after sessions

• During the session, the therapist and the patient must wear appropriate glasses to protect their eyes from the light emitted by the equipment.
• If it is necessary to carry out the treatment in regions with a tattoo, it may be necessary to place a white sheet to cover the tattoo, to avoid burns or its depigmentation.
• After treatment, it is normal for the skin to become red and swollen, requiring the use of healing creams or ointments with sunscreen to protect the skin.
• Sun exposure should be minimal and after a few days, the skin may flake off and small scabs may appear, which should not be removed, waiting for them to fall off by themselves.
• If the skin on the face is peeling, it is not recommended to use make-up, giving preference to the use of moisturizing creams with a cooling or calming effect several times a day.
• One should not take a bath with very hot water on the same day as the treatment and light clothes that do not rub the skin are more indicated.

Remember that the number of sessions varies from person to person and varies according to the purpose for which you are seeking pulsed light treatment.