Even out your skin with IPL treatment
Celtic skin is light in tone and usually accompanied by light-coloured blue or green eyes. Prone to redness, flushing, and pigmentation, it’s not without its challenges to keep it looking clear and evenly toned. Dr Katherine Mulrooney of the Dr Mulrooney clinic in Dublin has spoken with Magazine about these skin issues, why they affect Celtic skin, and the role they play in ageing.
She says: ‘Studies were done back in the day when people wouldn’t have practised sun-smart behaviour, using light-skinned people comparing their tummies to their face, neck, and back of their hands. It was literally like two different people, it was so dramatic. Even using sunscreen from April to October can halve the unwanted signs of skin ageing in a 70-year life span.’
Dr Mulrooney explains the link between UV damage and ageing skin. She says: ‘It goes back to the whole concept of skin ageing and what’s causing the bulk of it. We now know that, particularly for Celtic skin, skin ageing as a result of UV radiation can account for up to 80% of the negative signs of skin ageing. It is really so relevant and so dramatic, particularly in Ireland where the majority of people are of Celtic origin and have that pink undertone.’
Once the UV damage is done and redness and/or pigmentation has been established, Dr Mulrooney says IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatment is a great option.
Dr Mulrooney says: ‘The number one presentation from patients is usually redness, brown spots or age spots, or mottled pigmentation on the skin. One of the benefits of Celtic skin is that we can laser indefinitely, as we don’t have much pigment in our skin, so we’re not running the risk of disrupting pigment.
‘With darker skin, you can do more harm than good, but with Celtic skin (blue eyes and paler skin) you can laser a lot and it will be very effective,’ she says.
In IPL treatment, light is used to disperse redness and pigmentation across the face. A cool gel is applied before treatment before the clinician moves across the skin with the laser head. The treatment is not entirely pain-free, but for most, it just feels a little like the flick of an elastic band. A few treatments are enough to clear away redness and pigmentation. The average cost per session is around €250.
As for when you should seek out treatment, Dr Mulrooney says: ‘The only thing with cleaning up the skin using IPL, I would say to clients, is be as sun smart as you can, just try and limit the damage. Allow four to six weeks for any pigmentation (after summer) to settle down, then coming into October you are ready to start a course of lasers.’