IPL Photofacial
Broad-spectrum light that clears sun spots, brown discoloration, and facial redness in one treatment, evening out years of Pacific Northwest sun damage that creams cannot reach.
Provider-performed under physician oversight.
One platform for sun spots and redness
IPL Photofacial uses broad-spectrum intense pulsed light to clear sun spots, brown discoloration, broken capillaries, and rosacea-style redness, leaving a clearer, more even complexion. It treats both pigment and vascular concerns in a single platform, which is why it is the workhorse treatment for sun-damaged skin. Most patients complete a series of three sessions for full correction, with results that build visibly across the course. At Evidence MD it is performed by a trained laser provider under physician oversight, after a skin-type screening.
IPL works best and most safely on lighter skin tones, and it does not stop new sun damage from forming.
We screen your skin type carefully and will recommend a safer option if IPL is not the right fit for you. To hold your result, plan on daily SPF and a maintenance session or two each year.
The treatment, in plain terms
IPL delivers a broad spectrum of light in rapid pulses rather than a single focused laser beam. That light is absorbed by targets in the skin: melanin in brown spots and hemoglobin in dilated vessels. When pigment absorbs the light it heats and fragments, the discoloration rises to the surface, darkens, then flakes away over about a week.
When the light is absorbed by broken capillaries and rosacea-related vessels, those vessels close and are gradually cleared by the body, reducing visible redness. Because the energy is taken up selectively by pigment and vessels, surrounding skin is largely spared. A mild dermal warming also prompts a modest collagen response that improves tone and texture across the series.
What IPL clears
Brown discoloration from cumulative sun exposure.
Rosacea-style flushing and diffuse redness.
Small visible vessels and vascular lesions.
Blotchy, dull, sun-weathered complexion.
Cumulative sun freckling across the face.
A brighter, more uniform skin tone.
What it costs
| PLAN | AMOUNT | FROM |
|---|---|---|
| Single session | 1 session, face | $350 |
| Series of 3 | 3 sessions, face | $900 |
Your visit, start to finish
Consultation & screening
A provider confirms your skin type is a safe candidate and that the area is free of recent sun exposure, then maps your series and quotes it up front.
Prep
Skin is cleansed, protective eyewear is placed, and a cooling gel may be applied.
The treatment
The handpiece delivers bright pulses of light, felt as a quick rubber-band snap. Most visits run 30 to 45 minutes.
Clear & build
Treated spots darken to a coffee-ground look, then flake away over about a week. You return in about 3 to 4 weeks to continue building results.
A good fit, and when it isn't
Likely a good fit
- +You have lighter skin and want to clear sun spots, redness, or broken capillaries.
- +You can commit to strict sun avoidance before and after treatment.
- +You are willing to complete a series of three sessions for full correction.
We'd point you elsewhere
- ·You have a darker skin tone (IPL carries a risk of hyperpigmentation for darker skin; we will recommend a safer alternative).
- ·You have recent sun exposure, a tan, or a sunburn.
- ·Your main concern is melasma (heat from IPL can worsen melasma).
- ·You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
IPL Photofacial, answered
Book a consultation, not a treatment.
If it doesn't work, we don't recommend it.