Alma Intense Pulsed Light System

The Alma is a skin improvement machine. You may have heard of lasers or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments, or even treatments called PhotoFacials, or PhotoRejuvenation. Alma users often report that it is the most effective brand offered to perform anti-lesion, anti-acne, anti-aging rejuvenating treatments. Intense Pulsed Light has been used for over a decade on over 2 million people to treat facial redness, flushing and pigmented problems on the face, neck, hands and chest.

The Alma Intense Pulsed Light System is one of the latest and greatest innovations for "no downtime" cosmetic skin improvement. If you have any skin imperfection that bothers you, it is likely that the Alma can help you. You may have heard of Intense Pulsed Light treatments, or the generic treatment names -- PhotoFacial or PhotoRejuvenation. Alma is included in all of these categories, so it treats a wide variety of issues from unsightly vascular lesions.

Benefits

• Smoother skin and reduced pore size
• Reduce irregular skin pigmentation
• More even skin tone
• Diminish unwanted redness
• Anti-aging ("turn back the clock")
• Reduce acne breakouts
• Remove vascular lesions (red spots)
• Erase unwanted spider veins
• Reduce fine lines
• Improve nearly any skin imperfection
• Reduce dark hairs in light-skinned individuals
• Treat many different problems:
• Rosacea
• Vascular lesions
• Cherry angiomas
• Telangiectasia
• Lentigines
• Hyperpigmentation
• Sun damage

Alternatives

The only alternatives to intense pulsed light for the treatment of diffuse redness are other lasers such as the pulsed dye laser. The Krypton laser and the Sciton YAG laser can treat larger vessels. Brown spots can be treated by Blu-U plus Levulan as well as the Fraxel lasers and the Sciton Erbium MicrolaserPeel or resurfacing laser. Certain topical treatments, such as the Obagi System, can help with brown spots as well.

Before microdermabrasion and IPL

After microdermabrasion and IPL

How It Works

The Alma utilizes a patented form of Intense Pulsed Light technology. The cool tip of the hand piece delivers a warm flash of bright light energy to about one square inch of skin. The device "PhotoRejuvenates" skin by shining intense bursts of light on it for a split second and delivering one flash every two to four seconds. A series of light pulses is delivered to the skin.

This bright light is scientifically tailored to cause the destruction of: unsightly and unneeded spider veins; unhealthy skin infiltrates, like certain bacteria and microorganisms; and damaged cells that signal sun damage (brown spots). The destruction of these items is relatively easy to accomplish with the right type of light. At the same time, studies show that Intense Pulsed Light heats the dermis to above 65 degrees Celsius, which activates the skin to produce a wrinkle-filling material called collagen over the course of 5-12 weeks. Basically, this light from the Alma will reduce the unwanted effects of aging, but only a little bit each time the skin is treated. Various settings are available, and are chosen depending on your skin type and treatment goals. Most often, three to five treatments are needed, with treatments spaced 4-8 weeks apart.

One of the key components of the compact and attractive Alma IPL System is the unique Advanced Fluorescent Technology, which prevents the Alma's light energy from overheating the epidermis. The Alma's AFT reduces side effect risks.

Intense Pulsed Light has been used for 12 years on over two million people to treat facial redness, fine wrinkles, flushing and pigmented problems on the face, neck, hands and chest. The Alma utilizes a patented form of Intense Pulsed Light technology (about which magazines often write glowingly) called Fluorescent Pulsed Light (FPL). FPL technology is the Alma's second key component; it prevents the harmful shorter wavelengths of light from hitting the skin. Instead of trying to filter out or reflect the bad light, FPL technology converts all shorter wavelengths to longer, usable, and therapeutic wavelengths. This is why Alma treatments can restore a more youthful appearance to your skin with no down time, mild discomfort, and minimal risk.

Safety and side effects

The Alma intense pulsed light is designed to deliver energy safely. However, if the energy of the IPL is absorbed by the color in the skin, a burn, possibly followed by a scar can result. It is very important to have a highly trained individual administering the treatment.

Recovery time

When vessels are treated there is no recovery time. Pinkness from the treatment fades within a day. When brown spots are treated, they temporarily become darker and then, within a week, they peel off.

Questions and Answers

What are treatments like?

Each treatment takes 20-30 minutes (depending on how much skin needs to be treated), with each inch of skin receiving 1-3 pulses. The pulses feel like a warm rubber band snapping against your skin. Some patients experience mild discomfort, so we can desensitize skin prior to or during treatment (if necessary). Following each treatment, skin may appear red and flushed for up to 12 hours, and/or brown spots may become darker. However, redness usually disappears within an hour, and brown spots fade over the course of 1-5 weeks.

Who is a candidate?

Alma Intense Pulsed Light works best on fair skinned people and cannot be used on darker skin types.

What results can you expect from IPL?

After each session, you should experience improvement of skin tone, texture and/or color.

Though three to five treatments are normally performed, you will experience smoother skin, improvement in skin tone, reduced brown spots and diminished redness after each treatment. Improvements are gradual and accumulate with each successive session.

Does it hurt?

The IPL treatment is associated with mild discomfort which can be controlled by topical anesthetic or cooling of the face. Many people do not need any supplemental anesthesia.

Before-treatment instructions:

List all pills, herbs and drugs you are ingesting or rubbing onto your skin. Dr. Bock can tell you if any of these are photosensitizing. Do not ingest or rub in any photosensitizing substances 48 hours before or after treatment. The most popular substances are antioxidants, St. John's Wart and skin creams containing acids. Avoid melanocyte-activating levels of sun exposure for two weeks prior to treatment. Don't take a bubble bath or apply strange chemicals to your target skin for at least 48 hours prior to treatment. Don't take aspirin for 48 hours before or after.

After-treatment instructions:

Post-treatment, you should wear sunscreen and try to avoid unnecessary sun exposure for three weeks (because this treatment makes you a little photo-sensitive). You should avoid using soap on treated skin for 24 hours post-treatment. You should avoid using photo-sensitizing or pigment-changing products for 3 weeks (e.g., self-tanner, hydroquinone, retinoids, some antioxidants and herbs), unless Dr. Bock specifically advises you otherwise. To maintain the best long-term skin health, ALWAYS avoid tanning beds and smoking.

Who performs the treatments?

The treatments are performed by our highly trained and experienced RNs, who are supervised by Dr. Bock

If you are interested in Intense Pulsed Light treatment, what is the next step?

The next step is to call California Skin & Laser Center at 800-500-5842 and schedule a cosmetic consultation. At that time Dr. Bock will advise you whether you are a candidate for this procedure, and what other possibilities exist for improving your appearance.

Why should you choose to have your IPL treatments at California Skin & Laser Center?

At California Skin & Laser Center, we want you to have an excellent outcome and to feel that your needs and concerns have been promptly addressed in a caring and sensitive fashion. We strive diligently to ensure your satisfaction, your comfort, your privacy, and your safety. All treatments are supervised or performed by a board-certified dermatologist with many years of successful experience in a large variety of cosmetic procedures. Many treatment modalities are available, and we can recommend the one or two that are most likely to meet your needs; we're here to meet your needs and help you realize your aspirations. At our clinic in Stockton, CA, we serve communities throughout San Joaquin County and the Central Valley, including Lodi, Sacramento, Tracy, Manteca, Modesto, Galt, and Valley Springs; many of our patients also come from the San Francisco Bay Area.