Lumecca IPL — Intense Pulsed Light for Pigmentation & Vessels

Lumecca IPL at FaceExpert is the InMode Lumecca intense pulsed light system — one of the most powerful IPL platforms available — deployed by MUDr. Kateřina Besperát for the treatment of pigmentation irregularities, vascular lesions, rosacea, couperosis, sun damage, telangiectasia, and acne. Unlike lasers that emit a single wavelength, Lumecca delivers a broad-spectrum light pulse filtered to the wavelength range that selectively targets melanin (brown pigmentation) and oxyhaemoglobin (red vessels) through photothermolysis. The treated pigment rises to the surface and sheds over 7–14 days; vascular lesions fade as disrupted vessels are cleared by the body. FaceExpert treats the face, neck, décolletage, and hands, with a small-area option for localised spots. Sessions take approximately 20 minutes with no anaesthesia required for most areas. Lumecca is effective from age 25 as a preventive pigmentation treatment and is considered the standard of care for photodamage, rosacea, and diffuse hyperpigmentation.

Lumecca, manufactured by InMode, is an intense pulsed light (IPL) device engineered to deliver significantly higher peak fluence than conventional IPL systems while maintaining safety through integrated skin cooling. Its photon output at the 500–600 nm range — the spectrum most efficiently absorbed by melanin and oxyhaemoglobin — makes it particularly effective for pigmented and vascular skin conditions in Fitzpatrick types I–III. **How IPL works (selective photothermolysis):** Unlike a laser, which emits monochromatic coherent light at a single precise wavelength, an IPL device emits a broad-spectrum flash of light across a range of wavelengths (typically 500–1,200 nm) through optical filters that cut off the lower wavelengths. The filtered spectrum is absorbed preferentially by the target chromophore — melanin (brown pigment) or oxyhaemoglobin (red blood pigment in vessels) — and converts to heat in that structure. Because the surrounding tissue contains less of these chromophores, it absorbs less energy and remains relatively cool. This selective heating is the basis of treatment efficacy and safety. **Conditions treated at FaceExpert with Lumecca:** *Sun spots / solar lentigines:* Flat brown spots from cumulative UV exposure on the face, hands, and décolletage. Melanin absorbs the pulsed light and is disrupted — the spot appears darker and more defined for 7–10 days as the disrupted pigment concentrates in the superficial keratinocyte layer, then sheds naturally as those cells turn over. This temporary 'frosting' or darkening is normal and expected. *Diffuse hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone:* Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), melasma (with caution — lower fluence settings needed to avoid rebound), age spots, and generalised sun damage all respond to controlled IPL treatment. *Rosacea and couperosis:* The characteristic diffuse facial redness of rosacea is driven by superficial dermal vascular proliferation and dilation. IPL's oxyhaemoglobin-targeting wavelengths heat and coagulate these vessels — flushing decreases and the background redness fades over 2–4 weeks post-treatment. *Telangiectasia (thread veins):* Visible red thread-like vessels on the face or décolletage are directly heated and coagulated by IPL — they turn grey or purple immediately after treatment as the blood column coagulates, then fade over 2–6 weeks as the vessel wall collapses and is reabsorbed. *Acne:* Lumecca's antibacterial photodynamic effect on P. acnes (which produces porphyrins that are photosensitive) reduces active acne lesions; anti-inflammatory effects also reduce erythema from existing lesions. **At FaceExpert — the session:** A thin layer of ultrasound gel is applied as a coupling and cooling medium. The physician moves the Lumecca handpiece systematically across the treatment area in a grid pattern, delivering one or two pulses per site. Patients feel warmth and a brief rubber-band snap at each pulse. The face takes approximately 20 minutes. No topical anaesthesia is required for most patients. Session duration varies — a small-area spot treatment takes 5–10 minutes; a full face, neck, and décolletage protocol takes 45–60 minutes across zones. **Post-treatment skin response:** Pigmented areas appear temporarily darker over days 1–7 as disrupted melanin consolidates in the superficial epidermis. By day 7–14, these micro-crusts or darkened spots shed naturally via normal skin cell turnover. Vascular lesions appear bruised or grey immediately post-treatment and clear progressively over 2–6 weeks. Redness and mild swelling resolve within a few hours. **Photosensitivity:** The treated skin is highly photosensitive for 4–6 weeks. SPF 50+ is mandatory during this period — failure to protect causes rebound hyperpigmentation that can be more persistent than the original lesion. **Number of sessions:** For pigmentation, 2–4 sessions 3–4 weeks apart achieve 70–90% clearance in most patients. For vascular lesions, 2–3 sessions. For general skin rejuvenation, 1–2 sessions per year. **Contraindications:** Active tan or self-tan within 4 weeks (high burn risk), Fitzpatrick skin types IV–VI (higher PIH risk — different settings or alternative modality needed), photosensitising medications (isotretinoin, doxycycline), active herpes simplex, pregnancy.