Objective To evaluate the effect intense pulsed light on the skin condition and satisfaction in patients with facial freckles. Methods A total of 70 patients with facial freckles admitted to the Department of Cosmetic Dermatology, Beijing New Times Yimei'er Xingfu Medical Cosmetology Specialized Hospital from June 2023 to June 2024 were selected as the research subjects, and they were divided into the control group and the observation group by the random number table method, with 35 patients in each group. The control group was treated with laser therapy, and the observation group was treated with intense pulsed light therapy. The skin condition, clinical efficacy, adverse reactions and satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results After treatment, the values of wrinkles, pigmented spots, texture, porphyrin precipitation and pores in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group (P <0.05). The total effective rate of treatment in the observation group (97.14%) was higher than that in the control group (80.00%) (P <0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group (11.43%) was lower than that in the control group (14.29%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). The satisfaction rate in the observation group (100.00%) was higher than that in the control group (85.71%) (P <0.05). Conclusion Intense pulsed light can not only effectively improve the skin condition of patients with facial freckles, but also enhance the overall clinical efficacy, without increasing the risk of adverse effects, and patient satisfaction is high.