Light-assisted therapy in dermatology: The use of intense pulsed light (IPL)

Abstract

Light is electromagnetic radiation and human beings encounter it on a number of levels. The versatility of the cutaneous biological effects allows the medical utilization of light to be used as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic tool. In almost all cases the light used is restricted to certain wavelengths and defined photophysical parameters. In terms of diagnostic purposes photo testing, Wood's light diagnostics and fluorescence diagnostics are frequently used tools. The therapeutic use of incoherent light can be divided in four main groups: (1) UV phototherapy, (2) photodynamic therapy (PDT), (3) treatment with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and (4) treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL). Intense pulsed light (IPL) devices use flashlamps and bandpass filters to emit polychromatic, incoherent, high-intensity pulsed light of a determined wavelength spectrum, fluence, and pulse duration. Similar to lasers, the basic principle of IPL devices is the selective thermal damage of the target structure. This review summarizes the practical use of IPL devices and the current literature on IPL with regard to the treatment of unwanted hair growth, vascular lesions, pigmented lesions, acne vulgaris, and as a light source for PDT.