How Does an IPL Machine Treat Post-Acne Erythema and Inflammatory Pigmentation?

November 28, 2024

Acne is a common clinical skin disease that often occurs in adolescence. There are many treatments for acne at present, but after recovery, acne will show different degrees of erythema and acne pits, and some will also have pigment accumulation.

Why does this phenomenon occur?

How to treat it after it occurs?

How does the IPL machine treat post-acne erythema and inflammatory pigmentation?

What is post-acne erythema and inflammatory hyperpigmentation?

Post-acne erythema, commonly known as “red acne marks”, is pink to red in color and is more common in Fizpatrick skin types I-III. The mechanism of post-acne erythema has not been fully elucidated. It is generally believed that it is caused by the action of inflammatory cytokines; at the same time, the dilation of micro-capillaries in the dermal papilla and the aggregation of red blood cells in the capillaries caused by the healing process of skin lesions also play an important role in the occurrence of post-acne erythema. In addition, during the healing process of skin lesions, the epidermis will become thinner, making the erythema more obvious. Some evidence also shows that acne is related to impaired skin barrier function, and post-acne erythema may be related to damage to the stratum corneum and insufficient hydration.

The erythema that appears after acne, commonly known as “red acne marks”, is pink to red in color and is more common on the cheeks. At present, the mechanism of post-acne erythema is generally believed to be caused by inflammatory factors produced by acne, which cause dilation of dermal papilla capillaries and aggregation of red blood cells in capillaries during the healing process of skin lesions. In addition, impaired skin barrier function and thinning of the epidermis can also make erythema more obvious. Some evidence suggests that damage to the stratum corneum and insufficient hydration are also related to this.

Generally speaking, post-acne erythema will improve over time, which may last for 2 to 6 months, but some patients may have persistent post-acne erythema.

It is also possible that skin inflammation and infection are effectively controlled, but different degrees of post-inflammatory pigmentation appear in the original site. Clinically, it often manifests as light brown/dark brown or even black pigment spots. Generally, we treat acne and control the inflammatory response as early as possible to reduce the risk of inflammatory pigmentation and scarring.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a common sequela of skin diseases, especially in people with darker skin. PIH is usually caused by inflammatory skin diseases such as acne or skin trauma.

Although the exact pathogenesis of PIH is not yet fully understood, it is known to involve an increase in melanin in the epidermis and/or dermis. During the inflammatory response, the release of prostaglandin E2, leukotrienes C4, D4, cytokines (histamine and thromboxane B2), and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species stimulates melanocyte proliferation and increases melanin production.

PIH is divided into two types: epidermal and dermal. The former is characterized by increased epidermal melanin, while the latter is characterized by increased melanin deposition in the dermis and lymphocyte infiltration around dermal blood vessels.

Conventional treatments for post-acne erythema and inflammatory pigmentation.

For post-acne erythema:

Topical medication: anti-inflammatory drugs such as vitamin C, retinoic acid, and vasoconstrictor drugs such as oxymetazoline, brimonidine, timolol, etc.
Photoelectric therapy: pulse dye laser (PDL), Nd:YAG laser, intense pulsed light, 755nm picosecond laser, 1550nm, 1565nm non-ablative fractional laser, etc. have all been studied in the treatment of post-acne erythema. Now, fractional microneedle radiofrequency is also being studied to see if it can be used to treat post-acne erythema.

For post-acne inflammatory pigmentation:

Systemic medication: For patients with a tendency to post-acne pigmentation, such as moderate to severe acne or when they need to quickly improve existing pigmentation problems, oral antibiotics, oral isotretinoin, oral spironolactone, etc.
Topical drugs: The first-line topical drugs are retinoic acid drugs and benzoyl peroxide, followed by hydroquinone, azelaic acid, arbutin, L-ascorbic acid, etc.
Photoelectric therapy: such as Q switch, intense pulsed light, picosecond laser, etc.

IPL machine treats post-acne erythema and inflammatory pigmentation.

A study used intense pulsed light to treat 236 cases of post-acne facial erythema and inflammatory pigmentation. Treatment method: Use a photon skin rejuvenation device with a wavelength of 560-1200nm, a spot area of 8mm×34mm, a pulse mode of 2 pulses and 3 pulses, a sub-pulse width of 2.0-7.0ms, a pulse interval of 5-100ms, and an energy density of 10-36J/cm².

Set the wavelength, pulse width, energy density, pulse delay time, and pulse mode according to the skin type and the color of the lesion. The main parameters for treating erythema: wavelength 560-1200nm, treatment head 2 pulses, pulse width 2.6-3.6ms, delay time 15-30ms, and energy density 16-28J/cm².

The main parameters for the treatment of brown-black inflammatory pigmentation are: wavelength 560-1200nm, 2-pulse treatment head, pulse width 2.2-3.0ms, delay time 15-30ms, energy density 16-25J/cm².

Comparison of the effectiveness of IPL treatment for acne erythema after 1 to 4 times

Number of treatments	Get well	Significantly effective	Effective	Ineffective	Effective ratio (%)
After 1st treatment	0	7	26	6	17.95
After 2nd treatment	0	16	20	3	41.03
After 3rd treatment	1	12	8	1	59.09
After 4th treatment	2	6	3	0	72.73

There is also a study that used 540nm and 570nm IPL machines to treat 43 cases of post-acne facial erythema and 31 cases of pigmentation. Six IPL treatments constituted one course of treatment. First, 540nm IPL was used for 3 times, with a 2-week interval between each treatment; then 570nm IPL was used for 3 times, with a 4-week interval between each treatment. After 6 treatments, the effective rate of erythema treatment was 86.0%; the effective rate of pigmentation treatment was 64.5%. There was still a good satisfactory effect 3 months after treatment, and no other adverse reactions were found during the treatment.

Efficacy of intense pulsed light in the treatment of post-acne erythema and pigmentation

Skin lesions	Number of people treated	Heal	Significantly effective	Improved	Ineffective	Efficiency (%)
Erythema	43	20	17	6	0	86.0
Pigmentation	31	4	16	10	1	64.5

Principles of IPL in the treatment of post-acne erythema and inflammatory pigmentation

Previous studies have found that Propionibacterium acnes is closely related to the onset of acne. IPL can selectively act on multiple color bases at different depths. When irradiated with visible light of a specific wavelength, single oxygen free radicals are produced, which selectively bind to receptors on the cell membrane and cause bacterial death. In addition, intense pulsed light may reduce inflammatory responses by downregulating tumor necrosis factor α and upregulating transfer growth factor β/Smad3 signals.

Treatment summary.

1. When using IPL to treat post-acne erythema, type II to III skin with lighter epidermal color can choose the 560nm band; type V to VI skin with darker color can choose the 590/640nm band. For sensitive skin, it is recommended to choose the 590nm band handpiece.

2. The 540nm band IPL is the best matching band for the oxygenated hemoglobin absorption peak (542nm), which can be selectively absorbed by the oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood. Through the principle of photocoagulation, it destroys the dilated and proliferated blood vessels in the coagulated acne erythema and promotes the disappearance of erythema. 570nm IPL destroys melanocytes, inhibits the synthesis of melanin, and reduces pigmentation. The combined use of these two bands can enhance the absorption of erythema and the dilution of pigmentation, and has a synergistic effect. It is suitable for the treatment of post-acne erythema and pigmentation.

3. During the treatment process, we first distinguish the skin type and different skin lesions to set parameters. When the skin color is dark, the erythema and pigmentation are numerous and dense, it is necessary to extend the pulse width, delay the pulse interval time, and reduce the energy density; when the disease course is long and the skin condition is more complicated, reduce the energy density to avoid burning the skin.

FAQ about IPL machine treatment of acne sequelae.

Q: What is post inflammatory pigmentation?
A: Post-inflammatory pigmentation is caused by the accumulation of pigments due to skin inflammation, which leads to the appearance of melanin in the skin. It usually requires heating to decompose the pigment or blast the pigment blocks.

Q: What will post inflammatory pigment alteration cause?
A: Post inflammatory pigment alteration will cause the pigment progenitor cells in the basal layer of the skin to produce a large amount of melanin. The accumulation of a large amount of melanin will form pigmentation on the skin surface and black pigment blocks will appear.

Q: Can the IPL machine treat inflammatory pigmentation?
A: The IPL machine can heat and decompose the melanin on the surface of the skin through the photothermal effect, thus solving the pigmentation problem.

Q: Can the IPL machine treat post-acne erythema?
A: The IPL machine has a 560nm to 1200nm waveband handle, which can effectively treat skin erythema caused by vascular problems. By heating and shrinking the overflowing blood vessels, the erythema problem on the skin surface can be solved.

How to pick an IPL machine that effectively treats acne?

If you need to effectively and safely treat acne problems and some sequelae after acne, in addition to paying attention to the details in operation and setting parameters reasonably, the most important thing is to ensure the quality of the machine.

The most important thing about IPL machines is whether the light source is clean and whether the continuous output of energy is stable.

Litonlaser is a beauty machine manufacturer with 20 years of experience. IPL equipment is one of our main products. It has been produced and sold as early as 2007. The light source of our IPL beauty machine is fully guaranteed. Since the output of IPL requires the light source to start from the laser, pass through the water flow, and then irradiate the light, the quality of the machine water flow is very important. We usually recommend customers that the water flow of the IPL machine should use pure water or distilled water, and ordinary tap water cannot be used.

In terms of energy stability, our intense pulsed light machine is almost close to OPT perfect pulsed light. The light output energy of each band is almost the same, and the life of the machine is usually 6 years. Our warranty period is also 2 years, because we are very confident in the machine.

If you need a high-quality beauty equipment distributor or the person in charge of an aesthetic beauty salon, you can contact us at any time. We will give you the best machine guidance and preferential prices.