Alpha Pro IPL Care Instructions

3D IPL photofacial and Bright & Tight, on the Alpha Pro platform. Everything you need to know before and after your treatment.

Before your treatment

IPL works by targeting pigment and blood vessels in the skin. Anything that adds pigment on top — sun, a tan, self-tanner — competes for that light and makes the treatment both less precise and less safe. That is why the sun rules matter more here than for most of our treatments.

Two weeks before

  • No sun exposure, tanning beds or self-tanner on the treatment area.
  • Even a light tan changes how the light is absorbed and raises the risk of a burn.
  • No other resurfacing on the area — peels, microneedling or laser.

Five days before

  • Pause retinoids and strong exfoliants.

On the day

  • Arrive with clean skin — no makeup, lotion, sunscreen or deodorant on the area.
  • Allow a little extra time for your first session, as we take a melanin reading before we treat.

Before we treat

  • We take a MILO melanin reading and set the parameters to your skin rather than assuming them.
  • If you have caught the sun since booking, we may reschedule rather than treat. That is a safety call, not an inconvenience.

Please tell us before we begin

  • Recent sun exposure or a tan on the treatment area
  • Photosensitising medication — doxycycline and other tetracyclines, St John's Wort, some diuretics
  • Isotretinoin in the last six months
  • A history of cold sores, if we are treating around the mouth
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Active infection, rash or broken skin on the area
  • Tattoos or permanent makeup on the area
  • A history of keloid scarring, or of pigment changes after inflammation
  • Epilepsy or light sensitivity

Alpha Pro treats Fitzpatrick I to VI and the settings come from a melanin reading rather than an assumption — but that only works if we know what is going on with your skin and your medication. Tell us about anything you are taking, recent isotretinoin, a cold sore history or a possible pregnancy. If you are unsure about a health condition or medication, speak to your physician.

Plan your downtime. Expect redness and mild warmth, rather like a light sunburn, for a few hours up to a day. Integrated contact cooling keeps the treatment comfortable as we go. Most people return to normal activities immediately and can wear mineral makeup from the next day. A series of three to five sessions spaced three to four weeks apart is typical, depending on what we are treating.

After your treatment

For twenty-four to forty-eight hours

  • Cool compresses help. Skip hot showers, sauna, steam and heavy exercise.
  • No makeup on the treated area for the first day; mineral makeup after that.

For three to five days

  • Hold off on retinoids and exfoliants.
  • Let any darkened pigment flake away on its own.

For two weeks

  • Daily SPF 30 or higher on treated skin, especially the face, neck and chest.
  • Stay out of direct sun, and off sunbeds and self-tanner. Fresh sun on treated skin is the most common cause of patchy results.
  • No other resurfacing on the area.

Your spots will get darker before they clear. Over the next three to seven days the treated pigment rises, darkens and looks a little like fine coffee grounds, then flakes away on its own. That is the treatment working, not a reaction. Do not pick, scrub or exfoliate it — let it shed.

Call or text us right away if

  • you see blistering, or redness that is worsening rather than settling.
  • you develop crusting, weeping or a spreading rash.
  • a cold sore appears after treatment around the mouth.
  • treated pigment has not started to lift after two weeks.

These are general guidelines and your provider's specific instructions always take priority; we will give you written aftercare at your appointment. If you are unsure about a health condition or medication, speak to your physician. For any isolated adverse reaction, seek medical assistance.

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Aurora MD Aesthetics & Head Spa
21224 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(949) 998-5501 — call or text · hello@auroramdspa.com

Questions or concerns at any point in your recovery? Call or text us on (949) 998-5501 — we would always rather hear from you early.