IPL For Facial Rejuvination

COME FOR CLEARER EYES, LEAVE WITH CLEARER SKIN

Why People Are Getting Intense Pulsed Light Treatments on Their Eyelids

March 8, 2023

If you experience constant redness and irritation around your lids, you may be one of the 30 million Americans with chronic dry eye. And IPL, a device most often found in dermatologists' offices, may be your best bet for a brighter, less-itchy outlook. The bags under your eyes may have more tales to tell than the details of your latest sleepless night. New York City optometrist Jennifer Tsai, OD, has seen countless patients who blame their constantly puffy, heavy-feeling lower lids on tiredness. However, dry eye is usually the culprit, she tells Allure.

For years, warm compresses, eye drops, and even a thermal pulsation device called LipiFlow were recommended for resolving this extremely common chronic eye condition, which affects more than 30 million people in America, says Ashley Brissette, a board-certified ophthalmologist in New York City. However, these treatments tend to be temporary fixes for dry eye. For something more substantial, optometrists and ophthalmologists have been bringing in a device traditionally used by dermatologists. Does IPL sound familiar?

Also known as Intense Pulsed Light, you may have spotted eye doctors on TikTok wielding the popular in-office skin-care device. But rest assured, they're actually qualified to do so. In fact, IPL was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for managing dry eye due to infected eyelid glands. Recent studies have found IPL to be more effective than traditional eyelid gland massages combined with hot compresses for treating dry eye.

But that's not the only reason why IPL is rising in popularity as a dry eye remedy. The fact that IPL rejuvenates the skin around the eyes in the process is the kicker. After just a few sessions of IPL, not only does the puffiness and swelling around the eyes go down, but some dry-eye patients also experience overall more radiant, smoother complexions and whiter, brighter eyes, Dr. Tsai explains. "Having a device that treats dry eye while providing [complexion-enhancing] effects is amazing," she adds. "People will ask my patients if they've gotten Botox or fillers, but it's just from doing the IPL treatments for their dry eye."

ABELMAN, DEVON “Why People Are Getting Intense Pulsed Light Treatments on Their Eyelids.” Allure Magazine. Allure. March 8, 2023. Why People Are Getting Intense Pulsed Light Treatments on Their Eyelids | Allure