Martella Alessandro, Raichi Mauro
Former Senior Consultant in Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Tiggiano (LE).
Clinical Pharmacology and Biophysics Consultant, Milan, Italy.
Dermatol Reports. 2017 Jun 13;9(1):7116. doi: 10.4081/dr.2017.7116. eCollection 2017 Mar 13.
The effectiveness of intense pulsed light (IPL) and laser devices is widely accepted in aesthetic dermatology for unwanted hair removal and treatment of a variety of cutaneous conditions. Overall, most comparative trials have demonstrated similar effectiveness for IPL and laser devices. Literature studies alternatively favor the IPL and laser concepts, but the incidence of severe local pain and side effects were generally lower with IPL. IPL phototherapy, already established as a sound option in photoepilation and treatment of photoaging, hyperpigmentation and other skin conditions, is also considered first choice in the phototherapy of skin vascular malformations. When treating large areas, as often required in photoepilation and many aesthetic dermatology indications, IPL technologies show advantages over laser-based devices because of their high skin coverage rate. Compared to lasers, the wide range of selectable treatment settings, though a strong advantage of IPL, may also imply some more risk of local thermal side effects, but almost only in the hands of poorly trained operators. Overall, the strongest advantages of the IPL technologies are robust technology, versatility, lower purchase price, and the negligible risk of serious adverse effects in the hands of skilled and experienced operators.
强脉冲光（IPL）和激光设备在美容皮肤科用于去除多余毛发及治疗各种皮肤疾病方面的有效性已被广泛认可。总体而言，大多数对比试验表明IPL和激光设备的有效性相似。文献研究则倾向于IPL和激光的概念，但IPL导致的严重局部疼痛和副作用发生率通常较低。IPL光疗在脱毛以及治疗光老化、色素沉着过度和其他皮肤疾病方面已被确立为一种可靠的选择，在皮肤血管畸形的光疗中也被视为首选。在治疗大面积区域时，如脱毛和许多美容皮肤科适应症中经常需要的那样，由于IPL技术的高皮肤覆盖率，其相较于基于激光的设备具有优势。与激光相比，IPL可选择的治疗参数范围广泛，这虽是其一大优势，但也可能意味着局部热副作用的风险更高一些，不过几乎仅出现在训练不足的操作人员手中。总体而言，IPL技术最突出的优势在于技术稳健、多功能性、购买价格较低，以及在熟练且经验丰富的操作人员手中严重不良反应的风险可忽略不计。
