This year the freckles across your nose and cheeks stayed dark past October, and you’d like the even tone back before the holiday photos, which is how you landed on an IPL photofacial near Fairfax, VA. So, what happens at your first visit with Waseem Garbia, PA-C, at Dontage?
Will an IPL Photofacial Near Fairfax, VA Make My Freckles Darker Before They Fade?
Yes, and that part is normal. At the beginning of your complimentary consultation at our office on Williams Drive, you and Waseem will look at the spots under a bright light and sort the freckles from the sun spots, since the two respond a little differently to light. Then you’ll put on a pair of goggles, and he’ll spread a cool gel across your face. Next, he’ll pass the light over it in a series of bright flashes, which feel like a rubber band snap with some warmth, and you’ll be done in about 20 to 30 minutes.
Over the next few days you’ll watch the freckles turn darker, like a sprinkle of coffee grounds, and then flake off on their own within one to two weeks. You’ll be pink for a few hours that afternoon and back at work the same day. Your treatment happens on our BBL HERO, and if the summer reached your neck and chest, Waseem will treat those the same afternoon.
How Many Photofacial Sessions Will I Need, and Will the Spots Come Back?
You’ll come back about once a month, and most patients see the biggest change after the first two sessions and finish with three to six. If you still have a tan at your first visit, Waseem will typically run a test pass at a lower setting on one cheek and bring you back a week later for the full face.
Between sessions you’ll wear a broad-spectrum SPF every morning, and you’ll pick one from our SkinBetter Science or iS Clinical shelf before you leave. In the event the freckles come back after next summer, a single touch-up session usually clears them, and a Moxi session can follow if the texture bothers you too. Your skincare consultation covers whether your current products can stay.
Elevate Your Look at Dontage
You’ll leave your visit with Waseem Garbia, PA-C, knowing whether your spots are freckles or sun spots, how many sessions to plan, and when to book the first one. Call Dontage at 703-962-4772 or text 571-581-1020 to book your photofacial.

