AILESBURY COSMETIC: Photopneumatic Therapy (PPx) explained by Dr. Patrick Treacy

PR Log (Press Release) – Jun 22, 2009 – The treatment device uses a combination of broadband IPL light and pneumatic energy (vacuum) delivered through a hand-piece. The treatment is unique in that a vacuum momentarily draws the skin into the treatment hand-piece, so targets such as hair follicles are drawn closer to the skin's surface. A light is gently pulsed onto the skin, destroying the unwanted hair, quickly and painlessly.


How is PPx different from other laser hair reduction treatments?

There are several key differences between PPx and other laser treatments. Firstly, it is the first painless treatment for light based hair reduction. Secondly, hair removal on large areas such as the back or whole legs can be completed in less than 20 minutes as opposed to up to 2 hours with other laser and light based hair reduction treatments. Thirdly, it does not require any topical anaesthesia or numbing gels.

How can PPx treat a patient for hair removal so quickly?

The treatment tip gently draws the area to be treated into the handpiece of the system. This "pulling up" motion gently brings all the unwanted hair closer to the surface of the skin and changes the optics of the skin. This means only a fraction of the energy required by lasers is used, resulting in a gentle, painless and safe treatment.


How long does a treatment take?

Treatment times depend on the area being treated. Upper lip hair reduction may take 1 minute; treating underarms might take up to 3 minutes, while treating larger areas such as the back or whole leg could take up to 20 minutes. The therapy does not require topical anaesthesia or numbing creams which saves an additional 35-45 minutes.

Is there downtime associated with the treatment?

PPx treatments are relaxing and do not include any side effects such as redness, crusting or other common post treatment discomforts. You can go right back to your normal activities immediately post-treatment.

How many treatments are needed?

Typically, 7 - 11 treatments are needed in some areas to get excellent long term results. This is a little more than some of our other lasers. However, the exact number of treatments varies from patient to patient and often varies between body parts being treated.

What about skin rejuvenation and how is PPx different from other laser and light-based skin rejuvenation treatments?

There are several key differences between PPx and other laser and light-based skin rejuvenation treatments. It is the first painless treatment of unwanted pigment, red and brown spots and unsightly veins. Secondly, as the treatment tip changes the optics of the skin, it means only a fraction of the energy required by lasers is used. This results in a gentle, painless and safe treatment.

Is there down-time associated with skin rejuvenation treatment?

PPx treatments are relaxing and do not include any side effects such as redness, crusting or other common post-treatment discomforts. A patient can go right back to your normal activities immediately post-treatment.

How does PPx Skin Rejuvenation feel?

The patient will only feel a gentle and warm sensation as your skin is drawn into the treatment tip. A very gentle light energy will be applied to the treatment area, immediately after which you will feel your skin being gently released back into normal position.

How long does a treatment take?

Generally, rejuvenation treatments on the face, neck and chest only take between 3 and 5 minutes. Full arm treatments could take 10 minutes. Treatment times depend on the area being treated.

How many treatments will I need?

Typically, 5 treatments are needed to get excellent results. However, the exact number of treatments varies from patient to patient and often varies between body parts being treated.

What Is Photo Cleansing?

One of the greatest ancillary benefits of the PPxT system in acne treatments is the result of vacuum activation, which helps deep clean pores for clean and clear looking skin. The pores are cleansed as vacuum activation helps to elevate the sebaceous gland, bringing it closer to the skin's surface. Gentle pressure on the gland helps eject the contents of the sebaceous gland (sebum, dead cells and other debris). Removing these blockages simultaneously helps clean the sebaceous gland and may also result in preventing the formation of new lesions. This means the PPx system can clean and clear oily skin to improve its texture.

Can you use it as an acne treatment?

Yes, you can use it alone or as an adjunct in acne treatment. The Ailesbury Clinics provide a wide armoury of acne treatments from AHA and TCA peels, antibiotics, lasers through to Roaccutane. There is a recent clinical study, where 64% of acne patients who were taken as non-responders to oral medications, topical and lasers demonstrated greater than 75% clearance of lesions with this system.

What are the main advantages to the patient behind this new system?

The PPx has three key advantages over conventional non-ablative technologies available today. The greatest benefit is that the PPx is totally painless. This is important as most patients feel pain during hair removal. The second is the speed of treatments. This system is five times faster than conventional IPL lasers. The third is the ability of the system to cause pore cleansing during treatment.