IPL vs Sclerotherapy

IPL: A broad-spectrum flashlamp, not a laser, used mainly for brown sun spots and facial redness. It is effective for those two problems on lighter skin, and it is not safe on deeper skin tones.

Sclerotherapy: A solution injected with a fine needle into spider veins on the legs, which irritates the vein lining so the vein closes and is absorbed. It takes several sessions, and a brown line often marks the treated vein for months afterward.

Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, Board-Certified Dermatologist
Last updated: 10/22/2026

Editorial illustration for IPL, based on the entry’s treatment or equipment reference.

Editorial illustration for Sclerotherapy, based on the entry’s treatment or equipment reference.

Choose if Key differences What is it?What it treats Treatment areas Skin tones How it works Before your treatment Day of treatment After your treatment Risks Cost Questions Related

Choose IPL if…

Choose for sun spots and facial redness on lighter skin — it is not safe on deeper skin tones.

Lighter skin with brown sun spots
Rosacea redness or small vessels
You'll avoid tanning before and after

Choose Sclerotherapy if…

Choose for spider veins on the legs — several sessions, and brown marks along treated veins can last months.

Spider veins on the legs
You can wear compression stockings
You'll avoid sun on the legs afterward

Alternatives, not combined

Can you have both?

They suit different vessels. Sclerotherapy treats leg veins; IPL treats facial redness and fine facial vessels.

Key differences

● IPL

● Sclerotherapy

DowntimeNone → 2+ weeks

1–2 days

PainMinimal → Needs anesthesia or sedation

Mild

Results showImmediately → 3+ months

1–4 weeks

1–3 months

How long it lastsWeeks → Years or permanent

6–12 months

Years or permanent

Visits neededOne → Every few months

A longer series (4–6+)

A short series (2–3)

Cost per visit$ → $$$$$

ReversibleYes, can be undone → No, permanent

No, fades slowly

No, permanent

What is it?

IPL

Sclerotherapy

What is it?

It is broad-spectrum light.

IPL uses filtered pulses across a range of wavelengths, not a laser.

It has several uses.

It treats redness, benign pigmentation and unwanted hair.

Spots need a diagnosis first.

A brown spot should be assessed before fading.

Skin type affects risk.

Tanning, darker skin and medicines raise the risk of burns or pigment change.

It closes veins.

A sclerosant injected into a vein damages its lining.

The vein fades over time.

It is gradually replaced by fibrous tissue.

Assessment guides treatment.

Small visible veins and underlying reflux are treated differently.

History matters.

Previous clots, circulation problems and pregnancy should be discussed.

What it treats

Evidence level

IPL

Sclerotherapy

Strong evidenceMost established uses

Redness and fine superficial vessels across a light-skinned cheek and nose.

Rosacea

Reduces redness and vessels.

Sun Spots

Darkens spots that then flake off.

Spider Veins

Clears leg veins.

Moderate evidenceSome supportive research

Spider Veins

Clears small facial vessels.

Post-Inflammatory Redness

Fades red marks.

Varicose Veins

Treats small varicose veins.

Not effective

Acne Scarring

Doesn't change texture.

Rosacea

Not used on the face.

Port-Wine Stains

Lasers are used instead.

Can make it worse

Flat tan patches with soft irregular edges across the forehead and upper cheek of an adult with light skin, the surface completely smooth.

Melasma

Patches often rebound darker.

—

Treatment areas

Face, neck, chest and hands.

Leg veins.

Skin tones

Skin tone

● IPL

● Sclerotherapy

Lighter skin

Low risk

Spots darken then flake.

Some risk

Brown lines along veins for months.

Medium skin

Some risk

Burns and dark marks possible; conservative settings.

Some risk

Brown staining more visible.

Deeper skin

Higher risk

Not safe — high risk of burns and pigment change.

Some risk

Staining can last longer; usually fades.

How it works

IPL

Sclerotherapy

How it works

IPL mechanism diagram. Filtered light enters skin: A range of wavelengths is selected for the treatment target. Pigment or blood absorbs energy: Melanin or hemoglobin converts absorbed light into heat. Selected targets fade: Healing can reduce the treated brown spots or visible vessels.

Sclerotherapy mechanism diagram. Solution enters a selected vein: A clinician injects a sclerosant into the target vessel. The vein lining is injured: The treated vessel closes through a controlled local response. The vein gradually fades: Scar tissue replaces the treated vein as blood uses other pathways.

Diagram explanation

Filtered light enters skin: A range of wavelengths is selected for the treatment target. Pigment or blood absorbs energy: Melanin or hemoglobin converts absorbed light into heat. Selected targets fade: Healing can reduce the treated brown spots or visible vessels.

Schematic illustration. Technique and response vary. This explains a mechanism and does not specify treatment settings.

Solution enters a selected vein: A clinician injects a sclerosant into the target vessel. The vein lining is injured: The treated vessel closes through a controlled local response. The vein gradually fades: Scar tissue replaces the treated vein as blood uses other pathways.

Schematic illustration. Technique and response vary. This explains a mechanism and does not specify treatment settings.

Before your treatment

IPL

Sclerotherapy

2–4 weeks before

4 weeks before: Sun and tanning: No sun, sunbeds or self-tanner.

2 weeks before: Hair removal: No waxing, threading or hair removal cream.

2 weeks before: Sun: Avoid sun and sunbeds on your legs for a couple of weeks before and after.

The week before

3 to 5 days before: Actives and clean skin: Stop retinoids and exfoliating acids.

1 to 2 days before: Shaving: Shave your legs a day or two before, if you shave.

Day of treatment

IPL

Sclerotherapy

Before you arrive

Not specified

Clean, dry skin: Tape and dressings need clean, dry skin.

What to bring: Stockings and clothes: Buy the compression stockings your provider recommends beforehand.

Arrival & prep

Skin tone: A good provider will ask, and will decline if IPL is wrong for your skin.

Skin tone: Be direct about your skin tone and how easily you tan.

Skin is cleaned and examined, and the provider checks your skin tone and recent sun.

Your legs are examined standing up, when veins fill, and photographs are usually taken.

Treatment

Opaque goggles go over your eyes and stay on; that is not optional.

The handpiece is pressed on the skin and fired in overlapping shots. You see a bright flash through closed eyelids. Each pulse feels like a hot rubber band snap, hottest over brown spots and hair, and stops as it ends. A full face takes about 20 minutes.

You lie down, the skin is cleaned, and the provider works along the leg injecting small amounts into each vein, often using magnifying glasses or a vein light.

A session runs about 15 to 45 minutes. Each injection stings for a second or two, sometimes with brief cramping along the vein.

Before you leave

Skin looks pink and feels warm, like mild sunburn.

Stockings or wraps go on before you stand, and you walk for fifteen or twenty minutes.

After your treatment

IPL

Sclerotherapy

First 24 hours

Days 1 to 2: Redness fades.

Days 1 to 14: Small red welts, itching and mild aching along the treated veins.

Days 2–7

Days 3 to 14: Treated spots darken into fine brown flecks like coffee grounds, then flake away, leaving more even skin.

Not specified

Weeks 2–4

Weeks 2 to 6: Vessels and background redness clear gradually, and keep improving over later sessions.

Weeks 3 to 8: The veins fade and most bruising resolves.

Beyond 1 month

Not specified

Months 2 to 12: Brown staining fades slowly, and most clears within six to twelve months.

Time to results

1–2 weeks per session

1–3 months

How long results last

Months to years; new spots with sun

Treated veins are gone; new ones can appear

Risks

Dark patches
Blistering or a burn
Loss of skin color
Melasma getting worse
A cold sore outbreak
Hair loss where you did not want it

Most of what happens is expected
Brown staining along the vein
Matting
A firm, tender lump along a vein
A vein that has not responded
Itching or a rash over the treated area

Cost

Per session

In the US a full-face session usually runs about $300 to $600.

In the US a session usually runs about $300 to $600, priced per leg or per block of time rather than per vein.

Insurance

Insurance does not cover cosmetic pigment or redness treatment.

Ask what a session includes, whether the price covers both legs, and whether a follow-up visit to release trapped blood costs extra.

Questions

IPL

Sclerotherapy

Individual Questions

Is IPL safe for deeper skin tones?

No. Broadband light is absorbed by all the pigment in its path, including the pigment that gives skin its color. On deeper skin tones that means burns and light or dark patches, and pale patches can be permanent. For pigment, ask about prescription creams and superficial peels. For hair, a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser.

Can I use a home IPL hair removal device on deeper skin tones?

No. The skin tone chart supplied with home devices exists because the technology injures skin with more pigment, and most are labeled unsuitable for deeper skin tones and tanned skin. Many refuse to fire. The risk is the same as a clinic device, with nobody present to spot a problem early.

Does IPL help melasma?

Usually not, and it commonly makes melasma worse: better for a few weeks, then darker and wider. If you have brown patches on the cheeks, forehead or upper lip, get a diagnosis before any light-based treatment.

Why do my spots look darker afterward?

That is what is meant to happen. Treated sun spots darken into fine brown flecks over the first few days, then flake off over one to two weeks. Do not scrub or pick.

How many sessions will I need?

Usually three to five for the face, three to four weeks apart, then maintenance once or twice a year. Brown spots improve faster than redness. Hair reduction takes six to ten or more.

Does IPL work on wrinkles or acne scars?

No. IPL works on color: brown pigment and red vessels. Wrinkles, texture, pores and indented scars need a fractional laser or microneedling.

How many sessions will I need?

Usually two to four per leg, four to six weeks apart, and stubborn veins sometimes need injecting more than once. Extensive veins need more. Expect a course, plus touch-ups every year or two as new veins appear.

Why is there a brown line where my vein was?

Blood trapped in the closed vein breaks down and leaves iron in the skin. Most fades over six to twelve months, and sun makes it darker and slower to clear. It is more visible and slower to fade on deeper skin tones. If a firm tender lump forms, having it released in the office speeds the fading.

What is matting?

A patch of very fine new red vessels where a vein was treated, usually within a few months. It happens to a minority, often fades on its own over months, and occasionally needs further injections or laser.

Will it work on my bulging varicose veins?

No. Ropey bulging veins need a vein specialist, an ultrasound to find the source, and usually a procedure that closes the larger vein with heat, glue or ultrasound-guided foam. Treating the spider veins on top is why some people see them return quickly.

Does it hurt?

Each injection stings for a second or two, sometimes with brief cramping along the vein. Dozens in a session make it repetitive rather than severe. Afterward, aching and itching for a few days.

Will my legs look worse before they look better?

Usually yes, for the first week or two. Bruising, raised red lines and brownish streaks are the normal middle stage. Judge the result months after the course finishes.

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