Aging is never a fun process, but there are certain aspects of it that you don’t have to put up with. One of those is the physical manifestation of age that shows up on your skin. It could show up in the form of unwanted hair in strange spots, sagging skin, wrinkles, sun spots, and more. But it will definitely show up. If you are finding yourself starting to see some of those problems with your own skin, light and laser procedures could help you.

What’s the Difference Between a Light Treatment and a Laser Treatment?

You may have seen information about Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy before, and you may have assumed that it was the same as laser treatment, however, the two types of machines produce two very different types of light with very different properties.

IPL generally produces a wider beam of light with some color variation and a mild temperature. IPL devices produce mild light that is meant to stir up skin cells in a broad way. The idea is that the rays or pulses that go down deep into the skin will nudge the body into action. It will be tricked into believing that cells are damaged and need to be repaired. That will lead to collagen production increasing and skin eventually looking tighter and healthier.

On the other side of the coin you have laser treatments. A laser is a very specific, focused beam of light. It generally produces a decent amount of heat, and it is monochromatic, meaning that it is all one very clear color. The most obvious difference between lasers and IPL in terms of treatments is that lasers can accurately treat specific spots on the skin or remove small patches of unwanted hair in a specific way. IPL, on the other hand, tends to be a more all-encompassing treatment performed on a large section of skin.

Types of Laser Treatment Devices

Medical laser equipment comes in many forms. The devices can be split into two basic categories of at-home and clinical tools. The at-home laser devices can be purchased by individual people who want to treat their own skin. However, the lasers that are the most useful for treating skin problems are also far too powerful to be used at home. They are designed only to be used by professional technicians in a clinical setting.

Professional laser devices can also be subdivided into several categories. There are ablative, non-ablative, fraxel, and CO2 lasers, to name a few. Each type serves its own purpose. For example, fraxel laser treatment involves drilling tiny columns through multiple layers of skin, while ablative treatment involves resurfacing the top layer of skin. Different types of lasers can be used, depending on the skin condition or conditions that you are dealing with.

Types of IPL Treatment Devices

As with lasers, there are different types of IPL devices as well. Some are meant to be used at home, while others are meant for clinical use. However, even clinical IPL treatments are not as strong as lasers. They are more of a slow, steady treatment method involving many ongoing appointments. Laser treatments are also sometimes done across several appointments, but their results tend to present themselves faster and last longer. Nevertheless, they sometimes come with discomfort or mild side effects that IPL treatments don’t tend to have, which might factor into your final choice.

Would you consider a light or laser procedure to help you stay younger for longer?

*This is a collaborative post.