The Fotofacial procedure is based on the identical philosophy as lasers in that light energy is absorbed into exacting target cells with color in the skin. The IPL or light energy is transformed to heat energy, which causes damage to the precise target area.

IPL Fotofacial procedure differs from lasers in that it uses an assortment of wavelengths or colors in each pulse of light instead of just one wavelength. Because this method uses filters, it is able to supply the precise quantity of energy output that is necessary for explicit treatment of the affected area. This assists the saturation cycle and avoids the use of unnecessary force reaching to the target tissue preventing any damage.

Fotofacial is a non-ablative resurfacing procedure that targets the lower layers of skin or dermis without affecting the top layers of skin or epidermis. The outcome isn't typically as impressive as ablative resurfacing where both the dermis and epidermis are injured to generate a much more obvious overall result.