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Types of Light Therapy · Broad-spectrum flash, in clinic

Intense pulsed light: a flash with limits.

IPL uses a broad-spectrum flash rather than a single wavelength. The studies we read focus on redness and visible vessels, and are cautious.

A broad soft flash of warm white and pale peach light washing across cream silk (AI-generated illustration)

In short

  • A 2019 systematic review found low-to-moderate-certainty evidence for laser and IPL on rosacea erythema and mainly telangiectasia.1
  • A 2026 review found pulsed dye laser or IPL improved telangiectasias in all 10 studies it included.2

01

Redness and visible vessels

A GRADE-rated systematic review found low-to-moderate-certainty evidence for laser and IPL on rosacea erythema and mainly telangiectasia.1

In patients with systemic sclerosis or lupus, pulsed dye laser or IPL improved telangiectasias in all 10 included studies, although more sessions may be needed.2

02

Post-acne erythema

In 9 randomized trials with 301 participants, picosecond alexandrite laser and narrow-spectrum IPL showed favourable effects. Small samples and short follow-up prevented the authors naming a preferred treatment.3

One broad-spectrum IPL protocol caused pigmentation and blistering.3

What we could not confirm

The gaps, stated plainly.

  • Whether IPL is better than laser for any single goal. We found no head-to-head comparison.
  • Results of IPL for wrinkles or pigment in the sources we read.

Questions

Common questions.

Does IPL work for rosacea redness?

A systematic review rated the evidence for laser and IPL on rosacea erythema and telangiectasia as low to moderate certainty.1

Is IPL safe?

In one review of post-acne erythema, a broad-spectrum IPL protocol caused pigmentation and blistering, while narrow-spectrum IPL showed favourable effects.3

Keep reading

Back to the full guide: Types of Light Therapy.

More in this guide

Related research

Sources

Where every claim comes from.

Numbers in brackets link to these entries. Journal entries were read as their PubMed record, and study details come from PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine. See every source on the Research Desk, organised by page.

  1. [1] British Journal of Dermatology (van Zuuren and colleagues). Interventions for rosacea based on the phenotype approach: an updated systematic review including GRADE assessments.
  2. [2] Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (Shah and colleagues). Efficacy of lasers and light sources for telangiectasias in the setting of systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus: a review.
  3. [3] Cureus (Alhussain and colleagues). Post-acne erythema: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials on the comparative efficacy and safety of interventions across clinical, instrumental, and patient-reported outcomes.

This page is general information drawn from published reviews and studies. It is not medical advice and makes no light therapy claim about any Vanu Health product. The image is an AI-generated illustration, not a study image. Last updated October 30, 2026.