IPL vs. Laser Hair Removal

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a different type of laser than those normally used for male laser hair removal. It is widely used in skin rejuvenation treatments and is becoming increasing popular for hair removal. It’s hard for the laymen to tell a skin rejuvenation laser from a hair removal laser so it’s useful to understand the differences before you walk into a clinic.

IPL lasers use the full spectrum of light vs. regular Alexandrite lasers that concentrate the light into a single wavelength. This allows an IPL laser to alter the intensity of the of it’s pulsed light beams with the use of filters to filter out specific wavelengths. The flexibility of this process enables it to be effective for multiple skin rejuvenation treatments such as skin discoloration, rosacea, age spots and skin damage from the sun.

Hair removal with IPL lasers is becoming more common. It works in the same way as the original hair removal lasers by targeting the hair follicle with a specific light beam causing permanent damage to the follicle so the hair cannot grow back.

IPL can be more effective for a wider range of skin and hair types because the light is less concentrated. It also does less damage to the surrounding skin making it acceptable for hair removal in more delicate areas.

IPL lasers are also particularly useful for larger areas of skin such as backs and chests. These areas can be treated in much less time with than with a traditional laser.

Traditional lasers are still more effective on most light skinned, dark haired individuals. They’re also more effective than IPL on finer type hair. They have a better track record for low re-growth of removed hair but that is mostly due to more data. IPL is relatively new for hair removal so longer term re-growth rates are still undetermined.

This is a tough one! While IPL lasers started out primarily for skin rejuvenation, they’re increasingly being used for hair removal. Their wider coverage, less susceptibility to surrounding skin damage and flexibility with multiple skin types makes then well suited for the task.

It’s best to have a discussion with your laser practitioner or dermatologist before deciding on any specific method of treatment.