Got a Groupon for 3 IPL treatments here. It wasn't cheap, but it was less costly than Thermage, which I'd had several years ago. I'd had a very positive experience with Thermage, and thought of this as a maintenance step.
When I arrived for my first appointment, I was completely ignored even though one of the women was seated at a desk in an adjoining room and directly in line-of-sight to where I was sitting. No greeting, no "appointment in progress and we'll be right with you" no nothing. My presence wasn't acknowledged at all until it was my turn for service.
I was ushered into the treatment room immediately after the previous client left. The treatment table was covered with sheets - which were not changed before I was placed onto the table. (I know this because the door was opened as the client was getting up from the table. I could clearly see into the room the entire time between the previous client leaving and my entrance.) Although I remained fully clothed, not changing the sheets just seemed cheap and tacky, if not unhygienic.
Unlike Thermage in which a very specific grid of treatment spots is followed, this seemed totally random. Afterward, I was coated in a thick layer of aloe vera. I was told that I might experience a sensation akin to mild sunburn. I was instructed to religiously apply aloe vera for the following week, and to do so often in the interval between treatments. I looked great! The wrinkles and fine lines were much diminished! Wow! I was told that some very small areas of light discoloration of my skin would improve and that a tiny spider vein next to my nose would also diminish. I left on a cloud.
In the following weeks, I kept up the aloe vera, but never experienced any "sunburn" reaction. So, since I had apparently not had much damage, I grew less diligent with the aloe. Interestingly, the fine lines seemed to return and the wrinkles deepened. Well, I had been told it takes several treatments for results to become apparent.
Went for the 2nd treatment, got much the same reception, sheets were not changed between clients again, and I mentioned that I'd had no "sunburn" sensation at all. They said they'd raise the power of the treatment. Left the office with the same results and the same instructions. No sunburn sensation again - and the same experience in the weeks before the 3rd (and final) treatment of the 3-treatment package.
Went for the 3rd (supposedly last) treatment and was finally greeted upon arrival. Again, I mentioned that there had been no sunburn sensation, and again I was assured that the power would be increased. I was also told that it really takes more than 3 treatments for most women to really see results. It had been mentioned that I'd be able to purchase additional treatments at the reduced Groupon rate during this series of treatments. At the end of the 3rd treatment, I was offered the opportunity to purchase additional treatments. I agreed to do so - but then was offered the Groupon rate for ONE treatment, not the per-treatment rate that I had been paying, which was less. Since I was becoming skeptical, I only opted for one more appointment.
Following the 3rd treatment, I finally experienced a very mild sunburn-ish sensation. I faithfully used the aloe again. I was somewhat hopeful, but annoyed that apparently I got almost no results until it was necessary to pay for more treatment. It seemed that I was being led to those additional treatments rather than receiving the full benefit that I could have attained after 3 treatments.
The 4th appointment went much the same. The spider vein remained unaffected, as did the small discolorations. The fine lines and deeper wrinkles seemed to improve after each treatment - but then return. I left the 4th appointment with a hunch.
In the weeks that followed, I noticed that every time I applied a fairly thick layer of aloe to my skin, there was a tightening effect. Fine lines diminished and deeper wrinkles were astonishingly less! Of course, the spider vein and discolorations were unchanged. Hmmm - It seems I got the exact same results from simply applying that aloe vera that I had been so adamantly mandated to wear post-treatment. It seemed that the results I was seeing were from the aloe rather than the IPL! Needless to say, I cancelled the 5th appointment and never went back.
If you want to try IPL, go to your dermatologist. Maybe it works. All I know is this is the ONLY place that runs Groupon after Groupon for this service, and they are expanding their business (this per info on their Facebook). It seems to me that this is all about getting money from people who don't figure out that it's the aloe that's giving the results they're seeing. It's true that I did receive actual IPL treatments (there's no mistaking that rubber-band-snap of pain) but I believe that the treatments I received were deliberately diluted in order to get me to return for a longer series of sessions. read more
