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Airlie Beach

IPL Skin Treatments

Rejuvenate your skin with broad-spectrum light treatment, targeting sun damage, wrinkles, and visible blood vessels for a more even complexion.
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50% Off All IPL Treatments

Get holiday-ready with 50% off all IPL hair removal and skin treatments.

Only available until 31 December 2025.

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Technology

How Does IPL Work?

Intense pulsed light (IPL) is a form of phototherapy that delivers broad-spectrum light through a specialised applicator.

By adjusting parameters such as wavelength, fluence, and pulse duration, the treatment can selectively target pigment-containing cells in the skin (chromophores), including melanin and haemoglobin.

When these cells absorb light, it’s converted into heat, leading to controlled thermocoagulation and the breakdown of the targeted structures.

This selective precision makes IPL highly effective for addressing a wide range of concerns, from sun damage and pigmentation to facial redness and rosacea.

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What to Expect

Our IPL Skin Rejuvenation Process

Step 1

Consultation

Before your first session, we’ll talk through your current skin concerns and treatment goals.

That includes discussing the number of sessions you’ll need, expected timeframes, and likely outcomes.

One of our skin therapists will also perform a thorough assessment of the target area to make sure IPL is a suitable treatment modality.

It’s important that you tell us if you’re taking photosensitising medications (such as doxycycline and isotretinoin), are pregnant, or have a history of keloid scarring or pigment issues.

Step 2

Preparation

Start avoiding direct sun exposure 4 weeks before your treatment. Don’t use tanning beds or get laser resurfacing, and apply SPF50+ sunscreen daily.

Two weeks before, stop using spray tans, self-tanning lotions, and bronzing drops. (They can interfere with your cells’ absorption of IPL.) Avoid skin treatments like chemical peels, microneedling, and microdermabrasion too.

One week before, stop using retinoids, AHAs and BHAs, benzoyl peroxide, exfoliating scrubs, hydroquinone and other lightening agents, and topical vitamin C.

In the 48 hours before your treatment, don’t get any Botox treatments or dermal fillers. It’s also important to avoid hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, intense workouts, alcohol, and aspirin (unless aspirin is medically necessary).

Hydrate thoroughly on the day before and day of your appointment. Good hydration responds better to treatment and heals faster.

Please make sure you let us know as soon as possible if you have an active infection, injury, or cold sore.

Step 3

Treatment

Most IPL skin treatments take 20 to 30 minutes.

During your session, we’ll move the applicator head gently across your skin.

You may experience a light ‘snapping’ sensation as the head emits a pulse of light, but it shouldn’t feel painful. The applicator’s built-in cooling technology means we won’t need to apply a cooling gel.

Step 4

Immediate Aftercare

After your treatment, mild redness, warmth, or pinkness is normal. Apply a soothing gel or cool compress as needed.

Avoid applying makeup to the treatment area for the next 12 to 24 hours.

Step 5

General Aftercare

To improve your recovery and results, avoid saunas, hot showers, and intense exercise for 48 hours after treatment.

Avoid sun exposure for at least 72 hours, and don’t use retinoids, acids or exfoliants on the treatment area for the next 5 days.

Pigmented spots targeted by your IPL treatment may darken before flaking off.

Questions

IPL Skin Treatment FAQs

Most IPL skin rejuvenation sessions take around 30 minutes. The treatment of isolated pigment spots, though, can take as little as 15 minutes.

There are many different IPL devices used in skin clinics around Australia. Our model of choice is the Alma Harmony XL Pro, a medical-grade device that’s approved by the FDA to treat over 65 different conditions.  

The machine can be equipped with different applicator heads, which modulate its energy output to match different clinical requirements. The Dye-VL applicator, for example, delivers narrow-spectrum pulses of light that are optimally absorbed by melanin and haemoglobin (the chromophores that cause visible pigment spots). That makes it exceptionally effective at removing superficial vascular lesions – the kind that accumulate after years in the Airlie Beach sun.

IPL skin treatments work by destroying the target cells through heat, which means they’ll permanently remove sun spots, broken veins, and other skin damage. That doesn’t mean you’ll only need one treatment, though. If hyperpigmentation is particularly stubborn, it might need multiple treatments to be fully eliminated. IPL also won’t stop the emergence of new skin damage – especially if you live with a condition like rosacea.

It depends on your skin type and goals. Treating a stubborn sun spot, for example, might require 3 or 4 sessions 2 to 4 weeks apart. General skin rejuvenation, though, might be better performed at semi-annual intervals.

One of our skin therapists will talk through your skin concerns with you before you begin treatment. They will be able to advise you about specifics like the number and frequency of sessions.

Different people have different experiences. Most of our clients find that IPL is quite similar to laser. You might experience a light ‘snapping’ feeling as the pulses strike your skin (not dissimilar to a rubber band gently hitting you), but the sensation isn’t generally ‘painful’.

When a high-quality IPL device like the Alma Harmony XL Pro is used by a properly trained technician, there typically aren’t any. If an inexperienced clinician applies IPL, though, they risk delivering too much energy, which can lead to hypopigmentation, keloids and even burns. Always check the device model used by your clinic – it’s a good idea to avoid non-branded or generic applicators, which may not be properly regulated.

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