Do you wake up in the morning feeling the need to apply a thick layer of foundation to hide red capillaries around your nose or brown spots on your forehead? Sunspots and diffuse redness are among the most challenging aesthetic concerns. However, instead of masking them with cosmetics, it is worth considering a treatment that works with what underlies them in the skin: excess melanin and dilated vessels. Broad-spectrum IPL/IPDL phototherapy makes it possible to address both targets in one session, although evening out the tone usually takes a series rather than a single visit.
At Studio AP this direction is covered by two separate protocols: pigmentation and melasma reduction with skin brightening and redness and vascular lesion reduction. When spots and redness occur together, the choice is combining both goals in one session.
How does light target discolouration?
Discolouration occurs when melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells, produce excess melanin under the influence of factors such as sunlight or hormones. During broad-spectrum phototherapy, selected light pulses target melanin. Dark spots absorb the energy and convert it into heat, helping to break down accumulated pigment. Immediately after treatment, the spots may darken; this is an expected response. Over the following days, the epidermis may flake gently as the tone gradually becomes more even.
How does light calm redness and close capillaries?
When redness or broken capillaries (so-called spider veins) appear on your face, the target for the light becomes haemoglobin (the red pigment in red blood cells). The heat absorbed by the blood causes the vessel walls to contract and the vessel to close. Over time the body absorbs the inactive capillary, so it is no longer visible on the skin’s surface. The treatment is used both for individual vessels and for diffuse redness accompanying, for example, rosacea. It is worth remembering that the tendency towards vascular changes remains, so new capillaries may appear over time and maintenance sessions are usually planned.
Tone and cellular rejuvenation in one protocol
Working on spots and redness is only part of the effect. In parallel, the dosed light energy reaches fibroblasts, the cells that produce collagen. Research on broad-spectrum light, including work by a team at Stanford University, describes a change in the gene-expression profile of skin cells after a series of treatments - hence the term “cellular rejuvenation”. In practice this means gradual support for firmness and skin quality alongside a more even tone. The degree of improvement depends on the starting condition of the skin, the number of sessions and consistent sun protection.
Safety tailored to you
Advanced filters allow us to match the wavelength precisely to your skin phototype, and the built-in cooling system limits overheating of the epidermis. This does not mean the treatment is free of risk: with a fresh tan, photosensitising medication or incorrectly chosen parameters, burns and pigment changes are possible. That is why every session is preceded by a consultation and skin assessment, and parameters are chosen more cautiously for darker phototypes.
Frequently asked questions
Is the treatment painful?
Most clients describe the treatment as completely comfortable. The sensations resemble quick, warm touches or light snaps (like a rubber band). Thanks to the constant, integrated cooling of the treatment crystal, the skin is cooled continuously, so numbing creams are usually not needed.
Do I need to take time off work after the treatment?
Usually not. This is a treatment without the typical break from daily activities. Right after leaving the clinic you can normally apply light makeup and return to your plans. Slight redness usually settles within a few hours, although when working on pigmentation you may see fine flaking for a few days.
