IPL Laser Photofacial
IPL Laser Photofacial in North York, Toronto
Intense pulsed light for sun damage, age spots, redness and broken capillaries. One treatment that works on brown and red at the same time.
Broad Spectrum Light
Not a single wavelength laser. IPL treats brown pigment and redness together.
3 To 6 Sessions
Spaced three to four weeks apart, with pigment clearing between visits.
20 To 30 Minutes
Quick enough for a lunch break, with makeup back on the next day.
Not For Every Skin
IPL suits lighter, untanned skin. We assess first and tell you honestly.
How It Works
Light That Finds The Colour
IPL stands for intense pulsed light. Rather than one precise wavelength, it fires a broad band of filtered light into the skin. That light is absorbed by two things: melanin, the brown pigment in sun spots, and haemoglobin, the red in the small vessels behind flushing and thread veins.
Whatever absorbs the light converts it to heat. Pigment clusters break apart and are carried to the surface, where they darken briefly and then flake away. Small vessels collapse and are cleared by the body. The surrounding skin, which absorbs far less, is left alone. There is also a mild collagen response, which is the freshening effect the word photofacial refers to.
What It Treats
Best For Colour Rather Than Texture
IPL is the treatment we reach for when the problem is the colour of your skin rather than the surface of it. For scarring and texture, microneedling is the better answer.
Sun Damage And Age Spots
The brown patches and freckling that build up across cheeks, forehead, chest and the backs of hands after years of Toronto summers. IPL is at its best here.
Redness And Rosacea
Diffuse flushing across the cheeks and nose. The light is absorbed by haemoglobin in the vessels causing it, which calms the overall tone.
Broken Capillaries
The fine visible vessels that appear around the nose and cheeks. These collapse and clear rather than being covered up.
Uneven Skin Tone
Patchy, blotchy colour that makeup evens out but never fixes. A course brings the overall tone back together.
Dull, Tired Skin
The mild collagen response gives a general freshening effect, which is where the name photofacial comes from.
Mild Acne And Marks
Some IPL wavelengths reduce acne causing bacteria and settle the lingering redness left behind after a breakout.
Read This First
IPL Is Not Right For Everybody
Everywhere else on this site we tell you our treatments suit every skin type, and that is true of our diode laser and our skin treatments. IPL is the exception, and we would rather you heard it here than found out afterwards.
Because IPL light is drawn to pigment generally, it cannot always tell a sun spot from the skin around it. On deeper skin tones, or on skin that has been in the sun or a tanning bed recently, that carries a real risk of burns and of leaving areas lighter or darker than they started. It is also unsuitable during pregnancy, over active skin infections, and alongside certain medications that make skin light sensitive.
Every course starts with a skin assessment and a test patch. If IPL is not safe for your skin we will tell you plainly and recommend something that is, usually microneedling for texture and marks, or a more targeted approach for individual spots.
How A Course Runs
From Assessment To Result
Skin Assessment
We look at your skin type and tone, your pigmentation and your history. This is where we confirm IPL is right for you, or tell you it is not.
A Test Patch
A small area treated first at the settings we intend to use, so we can see how your skin responds before treating your whole face.
Your Course
Three to six sessions, three to four weeks apart. Pigment lifts to the surface and clears between visits, so the change is cumulative.
Keeping It
IPL treats the damage you have, not the sun you meet next summer. Daily SPF and a top up session once or twice a year holds the result.
Getting The Best Result
What To Do Before And After
IPL rewards preparation more than almost anything else we offer, and the sun rules are not optional. Following them is the difference between an even result and a patchy one.
Before Your Session
- No sun exposure or tanning for four weeks
- No self tanner for two weeks
- Stop retinoids and acids a few days before
- Tell us about any light sensitising medication
- Arrive with clean skin, no makeup or SPF
After Your Session
- Mild redness and warmth for a few hours
- Pigment darkens before it flakes away
- Broad spectrum SPF every day, without fail
- No sauna, hot showers or gym for 48 hours
- Keep skincare gentle for about a week
Good To Know
IPL Photofacial Questions
Is IPL suitable for my skin tone?
This is the question that matters most with IPL, and the honest answer is that it depends. IPL uses broad spectrum light that is absorbed by pigment, and it cannot always distinguish pigment in a spot from pigment in the surrounding skin. That makes it excellent on lighter skin with clear sun damage, and genuinely risky on deeper skin tones or skin that has been tanned recently, where it can cause burns or leave patches lighter or darker than they started. We assess your skin properly at consultation, and if IPL is not safe for you we will say so and point you at microneedling or another treatment that is. We would rather lose the booking than damage your skin.
What is the difference between IPL and a laser?
A laser emits one precise wavelength aimed at a single target. IPL emits a broad band of light across many wavelengths, filtered for the job in hand, which lets one device work on brown pigment and red vessels in the same pass. That breadth is the strength of IPL for overall tone, and its limitation for precision. It is why IPL is superb at general sun damage and why a targeted laser is sometimes the better answer for one stubborn mark.
Does it hurt?
Most people describe it as a warm elastic band snap, similar to laser hair removal and over quickly. Built in cooling and a chilled gel keep the surface comfortable, and you wear protective eyewear throughout. Areas over bone, such as the upper cheek and the nose, tend to feel sharper than soft tissue. Tell us during the session and we will adjust.
What does my skin look like afterwards?
Redness and mild warmth for a few hours, a bit like light sunburn. Then the part that surprises people: your pigment spots usually get darker before they get better, sometimes noticeably, and take on a speckled look. Over the following week or two they lift and flake away on their own. Do not pick at them. Most people are comfortable wearing makeup the next day.
How many sessions will I need, and when will I see a change?
Most people need three to six sessions spaced three to four weeks apart. You will usually notice something after the first, because that darkening and clearing cycle is visible, but the even result comes from the full course. Deeper or more widespread pigmentation takes longer. We give you a number at consultation rather than selling you an open ended package.
Can I have IPL in the summer?
You can, but it takes more discipline than it does in winter, and most clinics including ours prefer to run courses through the cooler months. IPL needs untanned skin going in and strict sun protection coming out, and a beach holiday in the middle of a course will undo the work and raise the risk of pigment problems. If you are booking in summer, we will talk through the realities before you commit.
The Other Half Of The Job
Microneedling
IPL evens out colour. It does very little for texture, scarring or enlarged pores, and it is not suitable for every skin tone. Microneedling handles all three, works on any skin, and the two are often run as a pair for a full reset.
Sun Damage Is Reversible
Find Out What Your Skin Would Get From IPL
Book a skin assessment and we will tell you whether IPL suits your skin tone, how many sessions your pigmentation needs and what it will cost. If it is not right for you, we will say so.