If the sun left brown spots behind, or redness is showing up more than it used to, we’ll help you find the right place to start.
$350 a session
60-minute appointment
Little to no
downtime
Brown and red
one treatment pass
Face, neck, chest
commonly overlooked areas
4.8 to 4.9
Google rating
“I came in for my first laser session in an intimate area… made me feel so comfortable.”
Denver · Laser hair removal client
IPL Photofacial is a light-based skin treatment for brown spots the sun left behind and redness that is showing up more. We start by looking at your skin so we can tell you whether this is the right place to begin.
How it works
IPL is not a laser in the strict sense. A laser sends out a single wavelength; IPL sends out a broad band of it in each pulse, which is why one treatment pass can address brown and red together.
The full name is intense pulsed light, and people may also call it an IPL treatment or a photo facial. At Laser Loft, the service booked is the IPL Photofacial.
The provider typically chooses a filter that aims the light at what they are treating. The light is absorbed by the brown pigment and by the blood in small vessels, turns to heat, and the body clears what has been broken down.
IPL has been used in skin care for decades. It is different from Skin Resurfacing, which uses a single wavelength for texture and resurfacing work.
What it treats
You may be looking at sun damage that seems louder every year, age spots that makeup does not quite cover, or redness that shows up in photos before you feel ready. IPL Photofacial is used for acne and acne-related redness, sun damage, brown spots, freckles, age spots, facial redness, visible superficial vessels, rosacea-related redness and uneven skin tone.
As your complexion clears, IPL can also stimulate collagen production to improve skin texture and firmness.
IPL can be used on the face, and on the neck and chest, which are commonly overlooked areas. The package options include face, and face and neck.
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Candidates
IPL Photofacial may be a great option if you have fair to medium skin and want to improve:
The usual advice is to come in without a fresh tan from the sun, a bed, or a bottle. A tan is extra pigment for the light to land on, so most providers will reschedule rather than treat tanned skin.
Some medications make skin more sensitive to light, so providers typically ask what you are taking. Most providers wait until after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Your provider will review that history before deciding whether IPL makes sense for you.
Providers usually ask about cold sores before treating around the mouth. IPL is best suited to fair to medium skin tones, so your provider looks at your skin first and talks through other options if you have a deeper skin tone.
Prices
$350 is the per-session price for an IPL Photofacial.
$350
per session
The per-session price for an IPL Photofacial.
Ways to pay
An individual IPL Photofacial can be booked one appointment at a time. This is the simplest way to start when you and your provider decide booking as you go makes the most sense.
Loft Reserve has a six-month minimum. It includes a specialty skin treatment each month, and IPL is on the specialty treatment list.
Laser Loft lists prepaid specialty skin packages that are priced in person. We will walk you through the options if a package makes sense for your plan.
Cherry offers monthly payment plans at Laser Loft, so clients can spread the cost of a course instead of paying all at once. There are 0% APR options.
Current offers change month to month. See specials
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What happens
01
Your complimentary Skincare consultation is 30 minutes and bookable at every Laser Loft clinic. It is free, and you choose your provider when you book.
Take the guesswork out of skincare. Let our experts guide you with a complimentary skin analysis, no cost, no pressure, just our passion for getting you results.
02
The usual advice before light treatment is to keep the area out of the sun, skip self-tanner, and pause strong actives such as retinoids. You come in with a clean face.
Your provider gives you the list that goes with your appointment.
03
The IPL Photofacial appointment is booked for 60 minutes. You wear eye shields for the whole treatment, and so does your provider.
A cool gel typically goes on first, a patch test may be offered, and the handpiece rests against the skin as the provider works across the area. Most people feel each pulse as a brief warm snap; tell your provider if it is too much, because slowing down and more cooling is the normal answer.
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Afterwards
IPL has little to no downtime, which is not the same thing as none. Most people leave a little flushed, and that usually settles within a day or two.
Sunscreen is the part that matters most afterwards. The usual advice is broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day, plus shade and a hat while the skin settles.
We will talk you through what is happening, what to expect, and what to call us about.
Brown spots typically look darker before they clear. That is what the treatment is meant to do: pigment is lifted toward the surface and comes away as your skin turns over.
How long that takes differs by person and spot. The usual advice is to leave the spots alone, let them come away on their own, and keep the skin clean and moisturized while they do.
How it goes for you is what your provider walks you through. We do not want you wondering at home whether what you are seeing is expected.
What most people get is redness and warmth for a day or so, and spots that darken before clearing. Mild swelling can happen too.
Less commonly, skin can blister or change color for a while, and scarring can happen very rarely. The risk is higher on sun-exposed skin and deeper skin tones, so your provider screens before treating.
The course
IPL is typically done as a short course, most often a few sessions a few weeks apart. You and your provider decide the number and timing at the consultation, based on your skin and what you are treating.
A short course
most often a few sessions
Most people see it build across the course rather than all at once. Sun exposure keeps adding to the skin, so many treat this as something they keep up rather than finish, and many come back for occasional maintenance visits.
Builds over time
across the course
If the outcome is not what you hoped for, we want you to call us so we can look at your skin and talk through the next step.
Call us
if it is not what you hoped
Why here
We start IPL Photofacial with the complimentary skin analysis, which you can book online. We look at your skin tone and history before anything is scheduled.
We publish the per-session price, so the cost is not quoted in the room. We book IPL Photofacial in Denver, Loveland, and Denton.
IPL is chosen because one pass can address brown spots and redness together, instead of splitting the plan into two separate courses. Because IPL is bought as a course, we say up front how many visits we expect your plan to involve before you start.
Reviews
FAQ
ask us anything
IPL Photofacial may be used to improve acne and acne-related redness, sun damage and uneven pigmentation, brown spots, freckles, and age spots, facial redness and visible superficial vessels, rosacea-related redness when appropriately assessed, uneven skin tone and mild photodamage, and overall skin clarity and complexion. It can also be used on the neck and chest for discoloration, sun damage, and visible signs of aging in those commonly overlooked areas.
IPL uses broad-spectrum light rather than a single wavelength, so one treatment pass can address brown and red together. Skin Resurfacing is used for resurfacing and texture work.
Yes. IPL can be used on the neck and chest, and Laser Loft has a face and neck package option.
That depends on what you are trying to treat, which is why we like starting with a complimentary skin analysis. An IPL Photofacial has little to no downtime, and your provider can tell you whether it is a smart fit for your skin.
The usual advice is to keep the area out of the sun, skip self-tanner, pause strong actives such as retinoids, and arrive with clean skin. Your provider will review your routine with you before treatment.
You may need a short course. Your provider will recommend the number after looking at your skin and what you want to treat.
In general, IPL sessions are spaced a few weeks apart. The timing is set with your provider around your skin and your plan.
IPL has little to no downtime, and most people leave a little flushed. We walk through what to expect for your skin and when to call us.
Your brown spots can look darker afterwards because the treated pigment is moving toward the surface. At your visit, your provider will talk you through what is expected and what not to pick at.
The usual advice is not to treat freshly tanned skin, whether the tan came from sun, a tanning bed, or self-tanner. After looking at your skin and recent sun history, your provider makes that call with you.
IPL is best suited to fair to medium skin tones. Your provider looks at your skin first, and if you have a deeper skin tone, we talk through other options with you.
Most people feel each IPL pulse as a brief warm snap. If you need it, your provider can slow down or add cooling.
Because sun exposure keeps adding to the skin, many people treat IPL as something they maintain with occasional future sessions. Your maintenance plan depends on how your skin responds.
The main downside is that it is bought as a course rather than one visit, and little to no downtime is not the same as no downtime. Flushing, warmth, swelling, and brown spots darkening before they clear can happen. Less common risks include blistering, temporary color change, and very rare scarring; the risk is higher on skin that has been in the sun and on deeper skin tones, which is why the screening comes first.
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You do not have to know which treatment to choose before you come in. Start with the complimentary skin analysis, and we will look at your skin with you.
