You may have noticed the initial “IPL” on a lot of products, services, and content related to laser hair removal. Maybe you know that there is a difference between IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light, and more traditional laser technology. But what is IPL, and how is it different from laser hair removal? And how is it used?

Let’s take a look at Intense Pulsed Light, and how it can be used for hair removal & skin rejuvenation. 

What Is Intense Pulsed Light?

IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light, is a hair removal treatment that involves the use of intense broad-spectrum light to target melanin in your hair follicles. This light is emitted in bursts at different wavelengths, which are converted into heat energy and used to “vaporize” your hair and hair follicles. It can also be for skin rejuvenation, making it a successful and versatile cosmetic treatment worth having in any clinic and in the home.

This is different from laser removal, which involves the use of a single-wavelength light that closely targets one specific area. Instead, IPL is much more generalized in its application, which is why it’s often considered a superior treatment for large areas of skin.

IPL is safe to use on the skin, as FDA-approved devices have built-in filters that cut off potential damaging wavelengths of light, significantly lowering any risks and side-effects involved with treatment. It is also a non-ablative resurfacing technique, meaning that the light technology it uses only affects the dermis, leaving the top layer of skin relatively untouched.

How Can IPL be Used for Hair Removal & Skin Rejuvenation?

The light that is emitted from IPL devices is designed to chromophores (color in molecules), specifically melanin in hair, and oxyhemoglobin in blood vessels. As such, IPL therapy has become a popular and effective technology that aids hair removal and skin rejuvenation. 

When it comes to hair removal, these light pulses are used to target the melanin in hair follicles, which effectively damages the follicle and makes it difficult for future hair to regrow. By doing this repetitively over time IPL slows regrowth, even making hairs grow back finer and softer over time. 

As for skin rejuvenation, IPL works to stimulate the production of collagen in the skin, which helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and shallow scarring. It helps skin to become firmer, tighter, and younger-looking. 

Vascular and pigmented lesions can also be treated with IPL, as it will target both melanin and hemoglobin. In this way it can destroy pigment in the skin, reabsorbing it back into the body and removing discoloration.

Conclusion

Intense Pulsed Light therapy is on the market for good reason - its technology can help to treat excess hair and skin problems for the long-term, saving you both time and money that you would otherwise spend on inferior treatments. 

Not only that, but you don’t have to go to your nearest beauty clinic for treatment either - these days there are many at-home IPL devices on the market for both hair and skin. One of the best IPL hair removal handsets is the EvenSkyn® Pulsar, which incorporates the latest hair removal technology to give you one of the most powerful laser handsets on the market.  

References:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/ipl-treatment
2. https://www.arpansa.gov.au/understanding-radiation/radiation-sources/more-radiation-sources/intense-pulsed-light-sources-used-for-cosmetic-purposes
3. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/lsm.20877
4. https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/intense-pulsed-light-therapy/