What is IPL Hair Removal Treatment? Procedure, Benefits, and Risks

Listen from a top cosmotogist near you what is IPL hair removal treatment?

Removing unwanted hair from the face, limbs, underarms, and private areas is quite a hassle. Most of us have tried everything from waxing, shaving, threading, and using hair removal creams. All these hair removing methods have their own drawbacks and neither can be sustained for a long time.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is one of the most advanced forms of hair removal treatment. It uses laser light to remove unwanted body hair. IPL offers a long-term, pain-free hair removal solution. Let us take a more detailed look at its working, benefits, and risks.

What is IPL and How Does it Work?

• IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). It is a new technology that uses laser light to treat different conditions such as skin pigmentation, acne scars, spider veins, and photodamage, etc. IPL is now also used by aestheticians for removing unwanted body hair.

IPL uses intense pulses of light to target specific areas of the body which require the treatment. The intense laser light heats specific structures such as hair follicles and hyperpigmentation spots. The heat damages the unwanted structures and they are absorbed by the body. Regulated application of laser destroys the structure gradually and over time, they disappear.

• The laser light is administered through a high-powered, handheld flashgun which is placed over the targeted area. It emits intense pulses of light that usually lie in the visible range of the light spectrum. The laser light has a wavelength of 400 to 1200 nm.

The working of is IPL is somewhat similar to the conventional laser. However, it is a more advanced technique that delivers better results with minimal skin damage. Unlike laser, it does not emit a single wavelength of light, rather it can release varying wavelengths of lights depending upon the requirement.

• The light emitted by an IPL device is less concentrated and is expanded over a greater area. This makes it less damaging than laser. IPL has far more penetration power. It goes deep down to the second layer of the dermis where the hair follicles lie. In doing so, it does not damage the top layer.

The hair follicles absorb high-intensity laser light. This causes permanent damage to the follicle and overtime it burns out. When the follicle is destroyed, hair growth stops. Hence, over time hair growth weakens and eventually stops.

How is The IPL Process Carried Out?

A trained esthetician performs IPL procedures at a medical clinic or a spa. The following steps are involved in IPL hair removal treatment:

•  The area under treatment is freed from all external hair. Your skin will be shaved or waxed prior to the treatment. IPL works on the internal layers of skin and the presence of external hair can slow down its effectiveness.
• After that, a cool gel is applied to the area under treatment.
• The esthetician then holds the IPL device close to your skin and applies light pulses of laser to the target area.
• Each skin tone requires a specific wavelength of light for optimum results. The esthetician will decide the intensity and wavelength of the laser beam.
• You will be required to wear goggles to protect your eyes from high-intensity laser light.

IPL is a pain-free treatment. People with sensitive skin might feel a stinging and slight burning sensation, but these sensations are usually bearable and under the normal threshold of pain. The treatment usually takes 20 to 30 minutes and you can move around freely after the procedure. However, take the following precautions, post the IPL procedure:

• Avoid sun exposure.
• Keep the treated area covered with clothes
• Do not use hot water at the site of treatment

This information has been brought to you by Missoula Wellness and Medispa.