IPL is Intense Pulsed Light. Unlike a laser it is ordinary white light (though it does have filters to remove unsafe wavelengths such as UVA and UVB). The light is released in short pulses and heats the skin and/or hair to perform a wide variety of benefits.
The light is selectively absorbs into the darkest part of the skin, which will be melanin in hair, age spots or freckles or, on the other setting, into the red parts of the skin such as thread veins or port wine stains. The effect is to heat the target very locally, damaging it beyond repair, while leaving the surrounding skin unaffected. For more details click on the relevant treatment
Most side effects are temporary and to be expected. For more details see the individual treatments to see what to expect in the short and long-term.
