Intense Pulsed Light
IPL
Dr. Jonathan Zelken, MD · Board-Certified · Newport Beach, CA
As both artist and scientist, Dr. Zelken uses precisely tunable intense pulsed light to correct brown and red pigment — softening sun damage and dyschromia while keeping your complexion natural and refreshed.
Approach
Dr. Zelken's Philosophy
Clear, even-toned skin should still look like skin — never overworked or artificial. At the Zelken Institute for Aesthetic Medicine in Newport Beach, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Zelken treats pigment with restraint and precision, tuning each IPL session to your individual coloring and concerns.
IPL is a powerful tool, but it isn't right for every complexion or every spot. Dr. Zelken evaluates each patient individually, sets conservative parameters, and always begins with a test area — because a natural, healthy result matters more than rushing the process.
As both an artist and a scientist, he pairs technical rigor with an aesthetic eye, so brown and red irregularities fade while the character of your skin stays entirely your own.
The Treatment
What is IPL?
Intense pulsed light (IPL) is often categorized as a laser, but it is not. It is exactly what its name describes: an intense, broad-spectrum light that pulses in controlled bursts.
The most common purpose of IPL is to correct facial dyschromia — a clinical term for pigmentary change. It works best on distinct brown and red discoloration set against a lighter skin background. The light is tunable, so it can be adjusted for different pigment concerns and skin types, and it can even be used to reduce unwanted hair.
Rather than resurfacing the skin, IPL targets color: the browns of excess melanin and the reds of small vascular lesions. As that pigment absorbs the light energy, it breaks down and gradually clears, leaving a more even, refreshed complexion over a series of sessions.
What It Corrects
What IPL Can Treat
Tunable for a range of pigment concerns.
- Brown Pigment & Sun Spots Excess melanin from sun damage, age spots, and dyschromia is targeted and gradually cleared for a more even tone.
- Red & Vascular Discoloration Small vascular lesions and diffuse redness absorb the light and fade over a series of treatments.
- Melasma We've seen beautiful results treating melasma with IPL, though it isn't right for everyone — candidacy is assessed individually.
- Unwanted Hair The same tunable light can be used to reduce unwanted hair in appropriate areas and skin types.
Benefits of IPL
Fades brown sun spots, age spots, and uneven pigment.
Softens redness and small vascular discoloration.
Little to no downtime for most patients.
Tunable to different pigment concerns and skin types.
Non-ablative — treats color without resurfacing the skin.
Restores a clearer, more even, refreshed complexion.
Is It Right For You
Who is a Good IPL Candidate?
IPL performs best when there is distinct brown or red pigment sitting against a lighter skin background — sun spots, age spots, freckling, redness, and similar surface discoloration respond especially well.
Because the technology targets color contrast, it isn't equally suited to every complexion or every type of pigment. Deeper skin tones and conditions like melasma require careful, individualized evaluation; melasma in particular can respond beautifully in some patients and unpredictably in others.
The best candidates are in good general health, are not currently tanned, and have realistic expectations about a treatment that works gradually over a series of sessions. During your consultation, Dr. Zelken will assess your skin, review your goals, and confirm whether IPL — or another approach — is the safest, most effective option for you.
What to Expect
The IPL Treatment Process
Treatment is usually planned as a series of three sessions, though four or more may be needed, and pigment can sometimes return over time.
Every session begins with a patch test: after selecting the correct settings, we treat a small peripheral area and wait to assess how your skin responds. This helps prevent injury, though delayed reactions remain possible. Once the settings are confirmed, we apply a water-based cooling gel to transmit the light safely and evenly, then treat the affected areas.
Most patients don't need numbing cream — the sensation is often compared to the light snap of a rubber band — but it's always available. A cooling device is applied throughout to protect the skin and minimize residual heat.
What Happens Next
What to Expect Afterward
Pigment gets darker before it clears.
After the First Session
- As the light targets brown and red pigment, treated spots often darken and rise toward the surface before they begin to clear.
By the Second Session
- The contrast between light and dark increases, so IPL works even more effectively; some dark lesions flake away like coffee grounds.
Third & Fourth Sessions
- Remaining pigment irregularities continue to fade, and your overall tone looks progressively clearer and more even.
Everyday Aftercare
- Protect treated skin with diligent sun avoidance and daily SPF; gentle skincare helps preserve and prolong your results.
The Outcome
Results & Longevity
Over a full series, IPL can dramatically reduce brown and red discoloration, leaving skin looking clearer, brighter, and more even in tone. The dramatic early darkening resolves into a genuinely refreshed complexion.
Results are meaningful but not necessarily permanent. Because sun exposure, hormones, and time can all prompt pigment to return, many patients choose periodic maintenance sessions to keep their results looking their best. Diligent sun protection is the single most important thing you can do to preserve them.
As with every treatment at the practice, the goal is a natural result — clearer skin that still looks like your own, never artificial.
Transparency
Is IPL Safe?
IPL is safe in experienced hands, but blistering or minor skin slough can occur. We reduce that risk by cooling the skin during treatment to limit residual heat and by carefully screening for factors that raise a patient's risk. Dr. Zelken believes in full transparency and will review every consideration, along with detailed pre- and post-treatment instructions, during your consultation.
Explore More
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Begin Your Journey
Ready for Clearer Skin?
If you're considering IPL, contact us today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jonathan Zelken and find out whether it's right for your skin.
Common Questions
IPL FAQ
Answers to the questions we hear most about IPL treatment.
No. IPL uses broad-spectrum pulsed light rather than a single laser wavelength — it's an intense light that pulses, tuned to target color in the skin.
Most patients don't need numbing cream; the sensation is often compared to the light snap of a rubber band. Topical numbing is always available.
IPL is usually planned as a series of three, though four or more may be needed. Pigment can also return over time, so maintenance sessions are common.
That's expected. As IPL targets the pigment, spots rise toward the surface and darken before flaking away and clearing over your next sessions.
Avoid all sun and self-tanner for two weeks, and stop retinoids, waxing, hair removal, and peels at least seven days before treatment.
Sometimes, with beautiful results — but melasma is unpredictable and not right for everyone. It requires careful, individual evaluation before treatment.
Most patients resume normal activity right away. Treated spots darken briefly and then flake off, so plan sessions around your calendar.
IPL can produce lasting improvement, but sun exposure, hormones, and time may bring pigment back. Sun protection and maintenance help preserve results.