Objective To explore the clinical effect of intense pulsed light in skin medical aesthetic treatment and its influence on skin condition and skin elasticity. Methods A total of 102 patients with skin medical aesthetic treatment admitted to Zhangjiagang Yuanren Medical Beauty Clinic from May 2022 to May 2024 were selected and divided into reference group and experimental group by different treatment schemes, with 51 patients in each group. The reference group was treated with laser therapy, and the experimental group was treated with intense pulsed light. The clinical efficacy, skin condition, skin elasticity, skin gloss and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results The total effective rate of clinical treatment in the experimental group was 96.08%, which was higher than 82.35% in the reference group (P <0.05). After treatment, the scores of wrinkles, texture, spots, red areas and pores in the experimental group were all better than those in the reference group (P <0.05). After treatment, the skin elasticity and skin gloss in the experimental group were better than those in the reference group (P <0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P >0.05). Conclusion The application of intense pulsed light in skin medical aesthetic treatment can improve skin condition, skin elasticity and skin gloss, with certain safety, which is worthy of clinical application.