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Book

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy

Anita Gade  1 , Gabriella F. Vasile  2 , Marc H. Hohman  3 , Richard Rubenstein  4
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
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Book

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy

Anita Gade et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy was first developed in 1992 by Doctors Goldman, Fitzpatrick, and Eckhouse for the treatment of leg telangiectasias. Proof-of-concept studies were conducted on rabbit ear veins, demonstrating IPL's ability to thermocoagulate vessels while minimizing purpura and epidermal damage. Since the first United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved IPL device was brought to the market in 1995, this technology has undergone significant innovation and improvement in its clinical applications and affordability.

IPL devices are unique in that they employ flashlamps and bandpass filters to produce pulsed light of varying wavelengths, durations, and fluences. These characteristics provide IPL versatility in addressing numerous dermatological conditions. IPL is safe and effective in treating benign pigmented and vascular disorders as well as performing hair removal and reducing signs of photoaging. Currently, IPL is an invaluable tool in dermatology and is frequently used to address a broad range of functional and cosmetic concerns.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Anita Gade declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Gabriella Vasile declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Marc Hohman declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Richard Rubenstein declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Goldman MP, Martin DE, Fitzpatrick RE, Ruiz-Esparza J. Pulsed dye laser treatment of telangiectases with and without subtherapeutic sclerotherapy. Clinical and histologic examination in the rabbit ear vein model. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1990 Jul;23(1):23-30. - PubMed
    1. Raulin C, Greve B, Grema H. IPL technology: a review. Lasers Surg Med. 2003;32(2):78-87. - PubMed
    1. Raulin C, Weiss RA, Schönermark MP. Treatment of essential telangiectasias with an intense pulsed light source (PhotoDerm VL). Dermatol Surg. 1997 Oct;23(10):941-5; discussion 945-6. - PubMed
    1. Husain Z, Alster TS. The role of lasers and intense pulsed light technology in dermatology. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2016;9:29-40. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Li D, Lin SB, Cheng B. Intense Pulsed Light: From the Past to the Future. Photomed Laser Surg. 2016 Oct;34(10):435-447. - PubMed

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