Am I getting my money’s worth on this??

Dr. Irwin
November 16, 2013
Hi Dr. I! I just paid for IPL Treatments (5 treatments for face, neck and chest for $2900) at my Dermatologist's office. They have a separate clinic associated with the MD next door to his office that is run by my Dr. Well, I'm feeling buyer's remorse because it's costing a lot and I want to make sure I'll be getting my money's worth, and long term results. I'm 43, look younger for my age, but I have wrinkles around my eyes, mouth, and sun damage/freckles/larger pores all over. I never want a face lift, and I want to avoid Botox. I read your piece on IPL. But is it the latest and greatest procedure that truly works? I want to invest in my appearance now for the future. Should I just spend my money on monthly facials and good products? Or is there another treatment you'd recommend? THANKS!!

Ok well, this is lot to answer! Remember though that, at the end of the day, only you can really answer this question for yourself. And hopefully, your doctor is honest and won’t let you do things that will waste your money and time. Also, you want something that works right? That isn’t always the “latest and greatest” marketing hype and sometimes is more the tried and true.

In general, you always want to start with good products, especially sunscreens, antioxidants, and probably a Vit A cream either retinol or a prescription.

Also in general, IPL laser treatments are better for lighter, flat lentigoes (freckles), dilated blood vessels or flushing and help a little with pore size and very early wrinkles. If you have more sun damage, darker or lots of brown spots or slightly deeper wrinkles and larger pores, 2-3 Fraxel Duals will give you better results in your 40s.

Dr. I

Read Dr. Irwin’s article Guide to IPL Photorejuvenation Laser.

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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