IPL and fractional resurfacing are procedures intended to give you more precise and smoother skin. Both have strengths and weaknesses. Which one will you need?

IPL is light-based and uses short bursts of high energy to penetrate the skin. IPL addresses various issues, such as unwanted hair, blood vessels like spider veins, and brown spots. In addition, IPL can help rejuvenate the skin and remove several types of hyperpigmentation. IPL is used to treat wrinkles, though lasers are better for this, and it does take several sessions to see your desired results. IPL is non-invasive but does have side effects of peeling, dryness, swelling, redness, and hyperpigmentation in darker skin.

Fractional resurfacing is a fractional laser treatment. The laser uses a CO2 laser to stimulate collagen production, smooth wrinkles, and reduce the appearance of some types of scars. Fractional resurfacing also breaks up skin pigment to remove brown spots and other types of hyperpigmentation. It is also great for hair removal. It can take three to six sessions to achieve results with fractional resurfacing, and sessions are expensive. After a session, you will need about one to two days of recovery, but you can return to daily activities in about 48 hours.

IPL and fractional resurfacing are great treatments, but fractional resurfacing is better if you have darker skin. It is less likely to cause skin discoloration, and the laser will work better to remove hair from dark skin tones.

If you have light skin, IPL is the best option. You may need more sessions with IPL, but it removes skin discoloration and pigmentation on lighter skin. If you want to reduce wrinkles and minimize scars, fractional resurfacing is the best choice for all skin types. Lasers have always proven to be excellent in reducing wrinkles and minimizing scars.

Discuss both treatments with your skin care professional to determine the best treatment for your needs.