IPL
Also written as: IPL — Intense Pulsed Light
Abbreviation for Intense Pulsed Light, a broadband light-based device used in cosmetic dermatology to treat pigmentation, vascular lesions, and hair removal.
Full Definition
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) devices emit polychromatic light across a broad spectrum (typically 500–1,200 nm), using filters to target specific chromophores such as melanin or oxyhaemoglobin. Unlike lasers, which emit a single coherent wavelength, IPL delivers non-coherent light, making it a more versatile but less precisely targeted modality. IPL is used to treat rosacea-associated erythema, solar lentigines, poikiloderma, and unwanted hair. Editors must note that IPL is not a laser and should query any copy that describes it as such. The abbreviation should be expanded on first use in formal documents. In informal clinical shorthand, 'photorejuvenation' is sometimes used to describe IPL treatment of photodamage but should be defined when it appears in clinical or regulatory texts.
Usage
Usage note: Always expand on first use. Do not describe IPL as a laser; it is a broadband, non-coherent light source. Query copy that conflates it with laser devices.
In Context
- "The brochure described IPL as a 'laser treatment', which the editor corrected to 'light-based treatment' to reflect the device's non-coherent emission." — Clinic marketing brochure
- "On first mention in the clinical protocol, IPL was expanded to 'Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)' per journal style." — Clinical protocol document