A recent study published by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery found that both laser treatment and IPL can safely and effectively improve skin tone and reduce signs of photoaging in patients with Asian skin.
However, the study also revealed that the number of treatments needed and level of correction possible may differ between the two treatments.
Twelve female patients with Asian skin tones participated in the study, which involved a split-face comparison wherein one half of each participant’s face was treated with a non-ablative 1064 nm q-switched laser, and the other half with IPL treatment.
According to study results, both the IPL and laser treatments produced significant skin rejuvenation and equally improved skin texture, reduced pore size and decreased oil production after five treatments performed in two-week intervals.
Both facial rejuvenation treatments also improved skin tone, reduced sun spots and achieved skin lightening effects in patients, although IPL treatment produced more significant results after only three treatments than did the laser treatment.
Ultimately, laser skin rejuvenation proved to be more effective than IPL in improving skin tone and reducing uneven pigmentation in Asian patients, as laser treatments continued to produce noticeable improvements after treatments four and five, while IPL treatments failed to continue noticeably improving skin tone after the third treatment.
So, although IPL worked more quickly to improve skin tone, non-ablative laser resurfacing produced better results overall with a five-treatment series.
Depending on your skin type and unique cosmetic goals, either IPL or laser skin resurfacing may be the right facial rejuvenation procedure for you. Consult top Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Bob Basu to learn more about your options for anti-aging skin treatments.