What is IPL Hair Removal?
There are many different ways of removing unwanted body hair; waxing, shaving, epilating, sugaring and hair removal creams to name a few. However, IPL hair removal is different. Not only is IPL hair removal pain free, it also lasts a lot longer and after just a few treatments can permanently remove up to 80% of hair.
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and the procedure involves using a hand held device to gently target specific areas of the body where hair is to be removed. The pulses of light are aimed at the hair whereby the root and melanin absorb the pulses, which then makes the follicle relax. The hair will then come out of the follicle and the regrowth will be very slow. Treatments need to be repeated every two to four weeks to capture new hair growth, but as more treatments are had, less and less hair grows back.
IPL hair removal can be used on any part of the body, and is particularly useful for larger areas where the pain of waxing could be too much for some people. Men and women alike can benefit from IPL hair removal, as areas such as the back, chest, face, legs, underarms and bikini line can all be treated safely in this way.
Because not all hair follicles are active at the same time, you will find that you need more than one treatment for the hair removal to be completely successful. We recommend that follow up treatments every 2 weeks for up to 6 to 8 times to permanently reduce hair growth by up to 80%.
Are there any restrictions to IPL Hair Removal?
Yes there are restrictions. You should only consider having IPL treatment if your hair colour ranges from dark blonde to black. Those with lighter shades of hair such as light blonde, red, white and grey do not have the necessary amount of melanin in the hair for the treatment to work.
Also, your skin colour will determine whether this is the hair removal treatment for you. Unfortunately those who have skin that tans very darkly and never sunburn are unable to use IPL hair removal as they are at risk of developing skin reactions. Those with fair to mid brown skin colour shouldn’t experience any problems.
In addition, IPL hair removal shouldn’t be used by people who have some medical conditions such as epilepsy and any skin diseases.
The IPL hair removal technique should not be used for removing hair from moles. Nor should pregnant or breastfeeding women have the treatment as the efficiency of IPL is greatly reduced at this time because of increased hormone levels.
Because of the amount of melanin produced by the skin by suntans—natural or otherwise, it is recommended that people wait a week either side of any tanning process before undergoing IPL hair removal treatments.
IPL hair removal treatments should not be used on tattoos.
