Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

What is IPL?

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a noninvasive procedure for removing hair from the body. It uses pulse of visible light with high intensity to make hair follicles stop growing.  It can become permanent for some people. It is also referred to as Flashlamp therapy.

Intense Pulsed Light is often advertised as laser hair removal but the technology actually is, by definition, not a laser. It uses high intensity light that is not in the same spectrum of light that a true laser lies within.

How does IPL work?

The light pulse gets absorbed into the targeted cells in the skin with chromophores. The light is changed into the heat that causes the follicle to stop producing hair. The pulse light is different from laser hair removal equipment because it has a several bands of color in it while the lasers only use one band of color.

What are the benefits of IPL?

The IPL has many benefits not just hair removal. It can also be used for liver spots (age spots), flushing of the face, varicose veins, fine wrinkles, redness, tattoos, spider veins, hypo-pigmentation and flat birth marks.

In terms of hair removal, it is a quick and simple procedure. It doesn’t need a lot of time as some have had it done during lunch time. If you are a person with light skin and dark hair, then this procedure has proven most effective with you. You should have a skin test to see if IPL can be useful for you. It does work well on bikini lines, underarm hair, back and chest hair.

What are the drawbacks from IPL?

IPL has not been real effective on dark skinned or dark tanned individuals. It can also cause hypo-pigmentation or hyper-pigmentation especially if you are from the African, Greek or Italian ethnic groups. You will need to avoid the sun in the treatment area once your session ends for at least ten days.

IPL is often not very effective for hair removal and usually requires a very large amount of treatments in order for a patient to see substantial results: 15 – 20 treatments is sometimes typical.

It can also be a little painful like the snap of a rubber band. There are also the unusual side effects of blistering, scabbing and light bleeding. It is not recommended that you have IPL done during pregnancy.

What are some IPL treatment methods and techniques?

The use of IPL is pretty straightforward. A session will last about twenty minutes on average. You will need a follow up session once every four weeks. All treatments should be conducted by certified technicians. Some people may want a topical anesthetic to lessen the snapping feeling from the procedure. All clients must wear protective glasses when having an IPL procedure.

What are the dangers or side effects from IPL treatments?

IPL does have some possible side effects that include pink and sore skin immediately after the treatment. A small percentage of people do have bruising, while others will have the feeling of sunburn in the treatment area for a couple of days the session. There is a little pain that will vary according to your threshold of pain, but many say it feels like a snap from a rubber band. In very rare circumstances there is skin discoloring either making it lighter or darker than it originally. In even more rare cases these pigments are permanent but in most occurrences they will last a few months at most.

What is the Cost of IPL?

The cost of IPL treatments will start around $100 for but has been known to range from $300-$500 per treatment. A lesser per treatment cost may be had with a contract for several treatments. It is important to be clear on what you will be paying before you begin any of the treatments. It is recommended that you have a skin test to see if the treatment is effective for you.

You should talk to other people who have experienced the procedure before that way you can gather a lot of first hand information. Do research on line and call or stop in a salon to ask any questions you may about the procedure. The best decisions are made when all of the facts have been considered.