The first IPL hair removal system was approved by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) in July 1997. Since then a number of light therapy devices have come on the market designed to eliminate unwanted body hair and stop it from growing back.
Here are two acronyms to remember -
IPL: Intense Pulsed Light
VPL: Variable Pulsed Light
VPL is an advanced version of IPL, and uses a range of specially chosen wavelengths which get maximum absorption by melanin, the pigment in hair, to facilitate the disabling of the hair follicle. The advantage of this system is that these micro pulses of light energy effectively stop the growth of all hair textures, from coarse to fine, with minimal effect on the skin.
This all sounds wonderful if you are battling unwanted body hair. Are there any disadvantages? Well, for one thing, there is the cost. IPL hair removal certainly isn’t the cheapest form of hair removal, but it certainly is not as expensive as electrolysis. This is because IPL hair removal covers a wide area at a time whereas electrolysis has to treat each hair follicle individually.
For accurate costings you need to have a consultation at the clinic you choose. They will no doubt do a test first to see how your skin receives the treatment. They will be able to give you an estimate on how many sessions you are likely to need and the approximate cost.
What’s The Risk?
Uppermost in the mind of many people is the risk factor. Is IPL hair removal risky? You sometimes hear scary stories of persons who have ended up with scarring or permanent skin damage from undergoing some forms of hair removal. As with any cosmetic procedure, you need to do your research and go with a professional therapist.
Find out how many such procedures the clinic has performed and which therapist has the greatest experience. Some clinics provide a free consultation and a satisfaction guarantee which obligates the clinic to get the result you want as far as possible.
What About Pain?
From reports, it appears IPL hair removal treatment is generally not unpleasant. Some hardly feel any discomfort at all. You will no doubt be provided with eye protection in view of the high intensity of the light used. A gel may be used on the skin to ensure maximum absorption as the light is transmitted.
The applicator head will be pressed against the skin and a short pulse of intense light will be triggered. The applicator will be moved to another area of skin and the process repeated until the whole area is covered. As for any sensation, some compare it to being pricked with a pin while others describe it as a slight sting similiar to what you feel when someone flicks an elastic band on your skin.
Due to the way hair grows, repeated sessions will be necessary. IPL hair removal can only disable hair in the growth stage so you have to return to the clinic for more sessions as the hair moves through the various resting and growth cycles. In many cases there is a period of up to 6 weeks between treatments.
Is IPL Hair Removal For You?
Is IPL hair removal for you? Perhaps. However, if your hair is red, white or grey, sorry, it won’t work. If you have fine blond hair the results may not be so impressive. Generally speaking though, there appears to be a reasonable customer satisfaction rating.
In some cases the hair is permanently stopped from growing, in other cases, treatment may be needed every six months or so. It can depend on what you want, your individual characteristics, the intensity of the light used by the therapist, and other such variables. That’s why a thorough consultation is needed first so you understand what to expect and the therapist fully understands what you want.
So if you have been tempted to get IPL hair removal for a part of the body you want hairless, why not check out your local clinics and get some ideas on prices and the level of professionalism. Many prefer IPL hair removal over laser hair removal as it seems there is less danger of skin reaction, and due to the variable wavelengths used, it can be quicker and take fewer sessions. It most certainly comes as a relief after years of inconvenient, frequent hair removal using other methods.
