Icon Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

How Does IPL Treatment Work?

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy is a painless method that delivers pulses of light to liquefy and release oils that have hardened and clogged the meibomian glands in the eyelids. IPL also reduces eyelid redness and stimulates healthy gland function.

One of our eye doctors will begin your IPL treatment by placing shields over your eyes to protect them from the light pulses. Following that, a thin layer of cooling gel will be applied to the treatment area and a small device will administer the pulses of light to the region around the eyelids. The pulses of light heat the skin around the eye and dislodge the oil buildup.

After administering IPL, we will express oil from the glands, which will restore normal oil flow in the tear film. Though patients usually notice improvement in dry eye symptoms following their first or second treatment, it is generally recommended they undergo an initial series of four IPL treatments, performed monthly over a period of four months. This ensures long-term success in treating both chronic dry eye syndrome and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

Depending on the severity of their dry eye condition, certain patients may require occasional maintenance treatments following the initial series of IPL treatments. It is not unusual to combine IPL treatments with other dry eye therapies in order to optimize effectiveness and promote healing.