How Does IPL Work?
In a nutshell IPL (intense pulsed light) works by targeting the dark pigment around the hair follicle in order to damage it sufficiently to cause the hair to fall out and inhibit its ability to re-grow.
The dark pigment which is found in both your hair and skin and which determines its colour is known as melanin.
Melanin is particularly dense at the base of the hair root to provide a good target for the powerful pulses of light emitted by the IPL device.
As the light is absorbed by the melanin it produces heat energy and it is this which causes the damage. The growing hair will fall out between one and two weeks following treatment.
Quick and easy - IPL devices have a relatively large treatment window and are able to cover large areas quickly (in comparison to laser or electrolysis). Typically, it is likely to take around 10 - 15 minutes for a whole leg.
No unsightly regrowth - you can shave between treatments and, unlike waxing, epilating or using depilatories, you do not need to allow the hair to grow at all for IPL to be effective.
No Ingrown hair - IPL avoids the risk of ingrown hairs experienced with other methods such as waxing and shaving.
Permanent results - over time, you should see permanently reduce hair re-growth, if you continue with treatments. The number of treatments required will reduce and the time between treatments increase.
Lighter re-growth - hair that does re-grow will become lighter and finer and less easy to see.
APPOINTMENT
How to prepare
We ask that you are freshly showered or bathed with completely clean skin, without lotions, oils, creams or fragrances of any kind before coming in.
The treatment area should be shaved completely prior to treatment.
Avoid sun exposure to the treatment area, and do not use UV tanning beds at all for two weeks before treatment.
Use a broad-spectrum sunblock with an SPF of 30 or above on a daily basic.
Do not use any topical products that cause photosensitivity (e.g. hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, retinols, and benzoyl peroxide) in the treatment areas for three days before treatment. Use a gentle cleanser and lotion on treated areas.
When IPL is Not Suitable For You
IPL hair removal has historically been most suited to those with light skin and dark hair and whilst there have been many technological advances to widen the scope of IPL, this is still broadly the case.
This is because there is a strong contrast between the melanin in the skin and the target hair follicle. If the skin is of a darker tone, there is a danger of the light being absorbed by melanin in the skin as well as the follicle, which can lead to burns, blistering and permanent scars in severe cases.
You can check your skin tone against the chart as a rough guide
There is a universally recognised numerical table known as the Fitzpatrick scale which rates skin tones by their response to UV light (from 1 - 6). If you fall in the 1 - 4 range then IPL should be good for you.
In addition to skin tone, you need to take into account the colour of your hair. IPL is not effective for anyone with light blond, white, grey or red hair.
Some conditions preclude the use of IPL for safe hair removal:
Skin conditions - such as psoriasis or if your skin is photosensitive, if you are being treated for any chronic skin disorder check with your dermatologist first
Tanned skin - never use IPL on tanned or sunburnt skin - you will need to wait several weeks until the tanning has faded completely. This also applies to fake tan.
Pregnancy - IPL is not advised during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding
Tattoos - you should not treat tattooed skin with IPL
Moles - IPL is not suitable for removing hair from moles
Bear in mind, also, that you will not be able to use any hair removal method that requires the hair to be pulled out at the root i.e. waxing, tweezing, epilating, threading between IPL treatments.
You can, however, keep unsightly growth under control with shaving.