IPL Hair Removal 101

If you want to deal with unsightly hair growing on your body then you might have already heard about the method called IPL hair removal. IPL or Intense Pulsed Light hair removal has been reported to be effective in removing hair permanently. But how does it work?

IPL uses light to weaken the roots of the hair follicles. This results in permanent hair removal. This is not a temporary solution where hair will grow back after a treatment. Because it is permanent, many people are opting for IPL as a hair removal method.

Now, it’s already a given that no matter the type of conventional treatment you go through, side effects will always be an issue. So in this case, it’s very natural that you are curious if there are indeed any side effects with using Intense Pulsed Light. Well, just to give you an idea of the possible side effects that you may experience, here are some of them:

Taken from the varying personal accounts of patients as well as clinicians, some complained that immediately after the procedure has finished, swelling and discoloration was seen. Now, the reason for why this happens is still unknown as of the moment, but it seems like this is the skin’s reaction to high levels of light. When this happens, patients usually report a feeling of soreness in the affected area similar to mild sunburn. This side effect is not much of a concern though as it tends to disappear within a day or so.

Another issue involving the use of IPL is the darkening of the skin due to bright light. The effects may appear very similar to a light tan but the problem is that since only the skin exposed to light darkens, it can leave your skin looking uneven. While this side effect is somewhat rare, it can take months before gradually fading.

For most part, the side effects of IPL hair removal are uneven pigmentation of the skin. This is the reason why most clinicians or dermatologists do not really suggest it to individuals with darker skin as the result might be catastrophic. Other factors that might affect the success of IPL hair removal include ginger, or blond hair, which tends to respond poorly to light treatment.

During the operation, the practitioner uses small hand equipment and touches your skin with flashes of light. Depending on where you’re having the operation done, the clinician may either apply anesthetic cream or spray cooling agent on your skin to minimize or alleviate any discomfort. You may also feel a tingling sensation and discomfort. This feeling will vary from one person to another and depend on where the procedure is being carried out.

Take note that you might also be required to return a couple of times in order to fully complete the IPL hair removal process. Treatment can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the area which is being treated. Also note that after the suggested number of sessions has been reached, you might still experience hair growth in the treated areas and will require further treatment for complete hair removal.