Editing Intense pulsed light (section)

{{Short description|Skin treatment with flashlamps}}
{{other uses|IPL (disambiguation)}}
{{more medical citations needed|date=July 2012}}

'''Intense pulsed light''' ('''IPL''') is a technology used by cosmetic and medical practitioners to perform various skin treatments for aesthetic and therapeutic purposes, including [[hair removal]], [[photorejuvenation]] (e.g. the treatment of [[skin pigmentation]], sun damage, and thread veins) as well as to alleviate [[Dermatological|dermatologic]] diseases such as acne.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kumaresan|first1=M|last2=Srinivas|first2=C R|title=Efficacy of IPL in treatment of acne vulgaris : Comparison of single- and burst-pulse mode in IPL|date=2010-01-01|journal=Indian Journal of Dermatology|volume=55|issue=4|pages=370–372|doi=10.4103/0019-5154.74550|issn=0019-5154|pmc=3051300|pmid=21430893|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wat|first1=Heidi|last2=Wu|first2=Douglas C.|last3=Rao|first3=Jaggi|last4=Goldman|first4=Mitchel P.|date=2014-04-01|title=Application of intense pulsed light in the treatment of dermatologic disease: a systematic review|journal=Dermatologic Surgery |volume=40|issue=4|pages=359–377|doi=10.1111/dsu.12424|issn=1524-4725|pmid=24495252|s2cid=205081994}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Piccolo|first1=D.|last2=Di Marcantonio|first2=D.|last3=Crisman|first3=G.|last4=Cannarozzo|first4=G.|last5=Sannino|first5=M.|last6=Chiricozzi|first6=A.|last7=Chimenti|first7=S.|date=2014-01-01|title=Unconventional use of intense pulsed light|journal=BioMed Research International|volume=2014|pages=618206|doi=10.1155/2014/618206|issn=2314-6141|pmc=4167959|pmid=25276803|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Belenky|first1=Inna|last2=Tagger|first2=Cruzy|last3=Bingham|first3=Andrea|date=2015-11-01|title=Intense Pulsed Light Pulse Configuration Manipulation Can Resolve the Classic Conflict Between Safety and Efficacy|journal=Journal of Drugs in Dermatology|volume=14|issue=11|pages=1255–1260|issn=1545-9616|pmid=26580874}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} IPL is increasingly used in optometry and ophthalmology as well, to treat evaporative dry eye disease due to [[meibomian gland]] dysfunction.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Toyos|first1=Rolando|last2=McGill|first2=William|last3=Briscoe|first3=Dustin|date=2015-01-01|title=Intense pulsed light treatment for dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction; a 3-year retrospective study|journal=Photomedicine and Laser Surgery|volume=33|issue=1|pages=41–46|doi=10.1089/pho.2014.3819|issn=1557-8550|pmc=4298157|pmid=25594770}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Vegunta|first1=Sravanthi|last2=Patel|first2=Dharmendra|last3=Shen|first3=Joanne F.|date=2016-03-01|title=Combination Therapy of Intense Pulsed Light Therapy and Meibomian Gland Expression (IPL/MGX) Can Improve Dry Eye Symptoms and Meibomian Gland Function in Patients With Refractory Dry Eye: A Retrospective Analysis|journal=Cornea|volume=35|issue=3|pages=318–322|doi=10.1097/ICO.0000000000000735|issn=1536-4798|pmid=26785301|s2cid=24896902}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Vora|first1=Gargi K.|last2=Gupta|first2=Preeya K.|date=2015-07-01|title=Intense pulsed light therapy for the treatment of evaporative dry eye disease|journal=Current Opinion in Ophthalmology|volume=26|issue=4|pages=314–318|doi=10.1097/ICU.0000000000000166|issn=1531-7021|pmid=26058031|s2cid=39053597}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Craig|first1=Jennifer P.|last2=Chen|first2=Yen-Heng|last3=Turnbull|first3=Philip R. K.|date=2015-03-01|title=Prospective trial of intense pulsed light for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction|journal=Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science|volume=56|issue=3|pages=1965–1970|doi=10.1167/iovs.14-15764|issn=1552-5783|pmid=25678687|doi-access=}}</ref> IPL is also used for home based hair removal.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Home IPL Hair Removal Devices Market Size, Demand, Competitive Insights 2032 |url=https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/home-ipl-hair-removal-devices-market/?utm_source=chatgpt.com/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Verified Market Reports |language=en-US}}</ref> 

The technology uses a high-powered, hand-held, computer-controlled linear flashlamp to deliver an intense, visible and near infra-red, broad-spectrum pulse of light, generally in the range of 400 to 1200&nbsp;nm. Various cut-on filters are commonly used to selectively filter out shorter wavelengths, especially potentially damaging [[ultraviolet]] and longer wavelength infra-red light. The resulting light has a spectral range that targets specific structures and [[chromophores]] (e.g. melanin in hair, or oxyhemoglobin in blood vessels) that are heated to destruction and reabsorbed by the body.  IPL shares some similarities with laser treatments, in that they both use light to heat and induce a biologic effect in their targets. But unlike lasers that use a single wavelength (color) of light which typically matches only one chromophore and hence only treats one condition, IPL uses a broad spectrum that when used with interchangeable filters, allowing it to be used against several conditions.  This can be achieved when the IPL technician selects the appropriate filter that matches a specific chromophore.<ref name="CID">{{cite journal |last=Gold |first=Michael H. |title=Lasers and light sources for the removal of unwanted hair |journal=Clinics in Dermatology |date=September–October 2007 |volume=25 |issue=5 |pages=443–453 |doi=10.1016/j.clindermatol.2007.05.017 |pmid=17870522}}</ref>