IPL for sun spots, redness and thread veins
IPL on the Lumenis M22 Stellar, after a skin check and a test patch, with a clear no where it is not right for your skin.
IPL (intense pulsed light) is a medical light treatment for brown sun spots and the red of small blood vessels; we use the Lumenis M22 Stellar. Sun spots darken and flake off over about a week, and small vessels close and fade, while the skin around them is left alone.
It suits sun spots and freckling on the face, neck, chest and hands, diffuse redness and the flushing side of rosacea, and facial thread veins. It is not for everyone. Darker skin types and tanned skin carry a higher risk of burns and pigment change, and we may decline or suggest another route. Every course starts with a free consultation, a skin type check and, where there is any doubt, a test patch.
What happens at your appointment
What results to expect and how long they last
Who it suits and who it does not
First we check the diagnosis. Any mark that has changed, has an uneven edge or more than one colour, or is 7 mm or wider goes to your GP first, never under the IPL. We record your skin type, go through your health, medicines and sun habits, and take photographs for your record. Some acne and antibiotic tablets make skin react to light, so tell us everything you take. We never ask you to stop a prescribed medicine; we wait or do a test patch instead. If you are new to us, the consultation and the first treatment are on separate days.
On the day, make-up and sunscreen come off, you wear opaque eye shields, and a layer of cool gel goes on. Each flash feels like a hot snap of an elastic band against cooled skin. Most people do not need numbing cream, and we ask you to tell us how hot each flash feels, because that guides us. A small area takes about 30 minutes, a full face about 45, face and neck about an hour.
Sun spots go darker and form fine crusts within 24 to 48 hours, then flake away by about day 7. Do not pick them. Redness and small vessels can look darker for a day or two before fading. Most people notice the change at 3 to 4 weeks.
Pigment and redness are booked as a course of three, 4 weeks apart, with a review after the third. Thread veins often need 1 to 3 sessions, 4 to 6 weeks apart. How long it lasts depends on sun. New spots and new redness come back with sun exposure, so SPF 30 or higher every day is part of the treatment, and many people have a top-up once or twice a year. Results vary and cannot be guaranteed.
Read what IPL can fix and what it cannot before you book.
IPL suits lighter and medium skin tones (skin types I to IV) with sun spots, freckling, redness or facial thread veins, who can keep the area out of the sun for 4 weeks either side of each session. We do not use IPL on the darkest skin types, because the pigment in the skin itself absorbs the light and the risk of burns and dark or pale patches is higher. We do not treat anyone with a tan or self-tan on the area, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone under 18, anyone with an active infection or cold sore in the area, or anyone who has taken prescription acne tablets in the last 6 months.
Melasma is not something we treat with IPL as standard: it can get worse, so it needs its own plan, which we set out on our pigmentation page. For thread veins we treat facial vessels only, and leg veins are referred on; our thread vein page explains that treatment in full. Where a prescription treatment is the right answer, for rosacea bumps for example, we say so at the consultation.
This has its own page, with how we assess each type of mark, what we will not treat and what it costs.
This has its own page too, with session counts and course pricing.
The honest limit
IPL does not change your skin's habit of making pigment or redness. Sun spots come back where the sun hits, and rosacea redness returns with its triggers, so expect maintenance and daily sunscreen for as long as you want the result. It is not for melasma, and it is higher risk on darker or tanned skin, where we may say no. A changing or irregular dark spot is a job for your GP, not for light.
The clinic is at 260 East End Road in East Finchley, three minutes on foot from East Finchley station on the Northern line. Many of the people we see for IPL come from Hampstead, Hampstead Garden Suburb and Highgate, with others from Muswell Hill, Golders Green, Finchley, Whetstone, Crouch End and Barnet. See every area we serve.
Ready to book IPL? See the prices and book, or WhatsApp 077 21 400 600.
Prices per session
Risks
Pinkness, swelling for 1 to 3 days and crusting of the spots are expected. Bruising affects up to 1 in 10 people (DermNet, 2024) and fades over 1 to 2 weeks. Less common are blisters where pigment has taken up too much light, and patches that go darker or paler than the skin around them, which usually fade over months. Rare are burns, scarring and pale patches that last. Your eyes are shielded throughout and we never treat inside the bony rim of the eye. A cold sore can flare if you are prone and the treatment is near the mouth. We go through all of this before you sign.
Common questions
Does IPL hurt?
Each flash feels like a hot elastic band snapped against the skin, with a cooled handpiece pressed on at the same time. It is quick, and most people do not need numbing cream. The skin feels warm and looks pink afterwards, like mild sunburn, for a few hours to 2 days.
How many IPL sessions will I need?
Usually 3 to 6 for pigment and redness. We book a course of three, 4 weeks apart, and review after the third. Single thread veins often need 1 to 3 sessions, 4 to 6 weeks apart. Results vary and cannot be guaranteed.
Why do my sun spots look worse after IPL?
Because that is how it works. The spot darkens within 24 to 48 hours, forms a fine crust and flakes away by about day 7. Do not pick or scrub it. If a patch stays much darker or paler after the crusts have gone, message us.
Can I have IPL with a tan?
No. A tan, sunbed colour or self-tan on the area means the skin itself will absorb the light, which raises the risk of burns and dark patches. We need 4 weeks with no sun, sunbed or self-tan on the area before each session and 4 weeks after.
Is IPL suitable for darker skin?
We treat skin types I to IV. On the darkest skin types the risk of burns and pigment change is higher, so we do not use IPL and will talk about other options. If you are on the border, we test patch first and review it at 48 hours.
Does IPL treat melasma?
Not as standard. Melasma is driven by hormones, heat and sun, and IPL can make it darker, sometimes months later. It needs a careful plan built on sunscreen, skincare and, where it fits, a prescription option discussed face to face. Our pigmentation page explains the difference.
Is IPL the same as laser hair removal?
No. IPL can treat hair, but at Nova we use it for pigment, redness and vessels only. Hair in the treatment area is shaved first so it does not take up the light meant for the skin.
Do I need a test patch?
If your skin type is III or IV, if you take a medicine that can make skin react to light, or if your response is uncertain, yes. We treat a small hidden patch and check it at 48 hours before we treat a whole area.
This page is general information, not medical advice. What suits you depends on your own skin, health and history, which we go through at a free consultation before anything is booked.
Know what you want? Book IPL now. Not sure? Book a free consultation.