Is Ipl Laser Hair Removal Permanent> It’s natural to have doubts about the long-term efficacy of IPL laser hair removal. The truth is that there are a number of variables at play here. The first consideration is hair color. The likelihood of hair growth after Ipl laser hair removal treatment increases with the darkness of the treated area’s hair. If your hair was naturally dark or medium-dark before you started getting treatments, it will likely return no matter how often you do them. There is a strong likelihood that light-colored or blonde hair that has had only one treatment will not return.
The second factor is the general condition of your skin and the locations where you have used the Ipl laser system. For the treatment to be successful and long-lasting, your skin needs to be in good condition. If it isn’t, some of the treated hairs may grow back since they weren’t completely blasted by the laser beam.
IPL hair removal is commonly used for removal of hair on the legs, arms and face. What most clients neglect to understand is that this treatment does not permanently remove hair from your body. I am here to give you a few more tips about how to excel at IPL treatments and then, onto permanent treatments. Read on to learn more about Does Ipl Cause Cancer and ipl vs laser hair removal.
Is Ipl Laser Hair Removal Permanent
Constantly shaving, plucking, and waxing is a tiring and painful way to get rid of unwanted hair. All three take a lot of work, and you’re usually still left with unimpressive results (and fast regrowth).
Two options you can turn to when you’ve exhausted all the tedious methods of hair removal are laser hair removal (LHR) and intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments.
But what’s the difference between laser and IPL and which one is better for hair removal?
Both laser hair removal (LHR) and intense pulsed light (IPL) use light to get rid of unwanted hair. This light helps prevent hair from growing back long-term making these options incredibly attractive to people.
Many people think these methods of hair removal are the same. They are similar, but they don’t use the same technology and they don’t produce the same results.
So if you’re thinking of opting for IPL or laser hair removal you should first figure out which one is right for you.
What is an IPL treatment for hair removal?
IPL or intense pulsed light treatment is a way of getting rid of unwanted body hair, as well as treating pigment or vascular lesions.
By using a broad spectrum of light, IPL can target dark hair. Similar to the way wearing black on a sunny day can cause you to heat up, the dark hairs absorb the light, heat up, and are destroyed all the way down to the root.
IPL treatments have one major advantage over hair removal techniques like waxing or plucking: they’re permanent. Any living hair follicle that’s treated is completely destroyed and won’t grow back.
IPL treatment for permanent hair reduction works best on darker hair and might not be as effective on lighter-coloured hair.
As soon as your IPL treatment is over, your unwanted body hair will be reduced for good.
What does an IPL treatment cost?
IPL treatments for hair reduction can cost anywhere between $85-$400 per treatment and can take approximately eight treatments for up to a 70% reduction of hair.
What is laser hair removal?
Laser hair removal is similar to IPL, but at the same time completely different! Medical grade lasers emit a single wavelength of light that focuses on a target area. This light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair only and doesn’t make contact with the surrounding skin or other types of tissue in the treatment area.
The laser causes the hair shaft and the hair follicle to heat up which interrupts the hair growth cycle and stops hair growth.
Laser hair removal can be used on most parts of the body, including the:
- Face
- Underarms
- Legs
- Chest
- Back
- Hands
- Feet
- Bikini line
Laser hair removal works best on darker hair and might not be as effective on lighter-coloured hair, the same as with IPL treatments.
What does laser hair removal cost?
Laser hair removal treatments can cost anywhere between $85-$400 per treatment and can take approximately eight treatments for up to a 94% reduction of hair.
What’s the difference between laser hair removal and IPL?
Both laser and IPL use light to heat the hair follicle. This prevents growth and gets rid of any unwanted hair.
The key difference between IPL and laser hair removal is that IPL is associated with higher amounts of discomfort, whereas laser hair removal is virtually pain-free. Despite this, both modalities are highly effective in the treatment of unwanted hair.
However, it’s the technology that delivers the light that is the key difference between the two. That and the kind of light that’s being used.
Lasers produce a specific type of light for the treatment that only has one wavelength (colour) of light going in one direction. This creates a beam similar to a laser pointer.
IPL devices produce a much wider range of wavelengths of light which appears as a single white flash. The type of light in an IPL is similar to natural light and can have a light orange glow when flashed against the skin.
When it comes to hair removal both laser light and IPL light work in exactly the same way. The light enters the skin, is absorbed by the pigment in the hair shaft and the hair follicle.
One of the main objectives of laser or IPL is to hit the right temperature in the hair follicle and avoid heating up the skin. If the skin was to be heated up then it would cause damage and could result in a blister, as well as undesired pigment changes.
Is laser hair removal or IPL better?
To figure out whether IPL or laser is better for hair removal we’re going to take a look at 5 different factors and compare them.
- Light source
IPL uses a broad spectrum of light. This targets the hair’s melanin pigment and heats the hair up, causing damage to the follicles.
Laser hair removal heats up the hair and damages the hair follicles with light energy. The laser focuses on a smaller area and often travels further into the pore. The light used with lasers is concentrated more finely on an area where the hair is being removed, increasing its effectiveness and decreasing the potential for side effects.
- Follow-up treatment
Laser hair removal is definitely a more aggressive treatment. It penetrates deeper into the pores giving you better results. This means you may require fewer treatments to get your desired outcome.
IPL on the other hand doesn’t solely focus on hair so you may require more treatments to stop your hairs from growing back.
- Treatment time
IPL can be a very slow and tedious treatment because it’s performed in pulses, whereas laser is very quick because it’s performed in motion.
Average treatment times of IPL vs Laser:
| Treatment Area | IPL treatment time | Laser treatment time |
| Legs | 60 minutes | 20 minutes |
| Under Arms | 15 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Back | 45 minutes | 15 minutes |
| Brazilian | 30 minutes | 10 minutes |
- Time Savings
The average woman spends 72 entire days of her life or 1,728 hours, just shaving her legs alone!
The time savings and improved quality of life are substantial with the treatment of permanent hair reduction with either IPL treatments or Laser treatments.
- Pain rating
IPL typically has higher amounts of discomfort, whereas laser hair removal is virtually pain-free.
We’ve pulled out the most common treatment areas and the average treatment pain rating on a scale of 0 (no pain) – 10 (worst pain you’ve ever had) below with lighter skin colour and dark hair.
| Treatment Area | IPL treatment pain rating | Laser treatment pain rating |
| Legs | 6 | 2 |
| Under Arms | 5 | 1 |
| Back | 7 | 2 |
| Brazilian | 7 | 2 |
Are you still unsure which treatment is best for you?
We always offer free consultations to help you determine which is the best and most appropriate treatment, to help you become your best self, at any age.
If you’d like to find out more about IPL or laser hair removal then feel free to get in touch with one of our team members.
Ipl Vs Laser Hair Removal
One of the most popular skin treatments for men and woman are laser skin treatments, but with the many technological advancements made in the skin care industry over the years, you’re probably finding yourself wondering which options are best for you, and which treatments can cause skin diseases like cancer.
There are many questions regarding laser skin treatments and the various ways they may negatively affect your body. The facts are though, that the risks associated with laser treatments are quite minimal, and those risks only apply to certain special circumstances.
Can laser skin treatments cause cancer?
You’ll find a lot of myths floating around when it comes to laser skin treatments. One of the popular myths is that laser treatments can cause cancer. The fact is that there hasn’t been any medical evidence of a link between laser treatments and cancer.
An example of a laser treatment that has zero risks associated with Cancer is IPL photo-rejuvenation which treats a vast array of different skin issues. With IPL, light therapy is used to help your skin look and feel better, and after just a few sessions you’ll notice a difference that will last quite a long time – but, there’s no risk of cancer.
Most people are unaware that during the treatments, no bodily organs in the body are directly or indirectly affected. The treatment laser is used to only treat the topmost layer of your skin, but organs are not affected.
The light used for laser therapy doesn’t reach underneath where any parts of the body mass is present, thus removing any chances of enabling the formation of cancer.
The short answer? No, laser skin treatments do not cause cancer and there are no risks of having any negative side-effect on the skin or anywhere else on the body after one, or several treatment sessions.
What is the laser treatment procedure?
While there are different laser treatments for skin and hair, you will find one thing common in all of them. The top-most layer of the skin is worked on by the lasers and the laser doesn’t go beneath the first layer of your skin. This is the primary reason it’s so safe.
For skin-care, light therapy is used to make products work better on your skin, whereas, when it comes to hair removal, laser therapy is used to burn the hair follicles at the root in order to stop the hair from growing further.
Laser skin treatments are vastly different from micro-needling procedures which requires painless pricks of small needles on the top-most layer of your skin during the treatment procedure.
Women with PCOS have to deal with a range of distressing symptoms including excessive facial and body hair (hirsutism) throughout their lives. Hirsutism is usually treated with anti-androgen medications and oral contraceptives. Long-lasting hair removal methods, such as electrolysis and laser therapy, have shown promising results when combined with hormonal treatments. But, do they work for everyone?
Permanent Hair Removal for Hirsutism
Hirsutism is a common clinical condition affecting women of all ages.1 It is characterized by excessive hair growth appearing in a male-type pattern.2 Affected women, especially young women, may experience a large psychological burden and an impact on their social life.3 Most women seek treatment mainly for cosmetic reasons, because excess facial hair outside of cultural norms can be very embarrassing.
Why does PCOS cause Hirsutism?
Hirsutism is not a disorder, but a symptom of an underlying medical condition. The majority of women with hirsutism may have PCOS.4 If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, your ovaries are producing excessive amounts of androgens, such as testosterone (which is also called hyperandrogenism). However, testosterone per se is not directly responsible for the formation of unwanted hair growth but rather its more powerful byproduct called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).5
Can Hirsutism Be Cured Permanently?
Hirsutism can be treated by addressing the root cause of the condition. However, not all causes of hirsutism are reversible. Some women with unwanted facial or body hair have no identifiable cause (idiopathic): their androgen levels are normal; their menstrual cycles are normal; their ovaries appear normal on ultrasound.6 Fortunately, most women with unexplained hirsutism have mild symptoms, which can be treated with a variety of hair removal techniques.
With regards to PCOS, one type of treatment may not be enough. Medications, on their own, may not make the hair go away completely, but will stop it from getting worse. Mechanical hair removal methods like waxing, laser epilation, and electrolysis will further enhance the effects of hormone therapy.
How does Electrolysis work?
Electrolysis is a common hair removal technique that uses electrical pulses to target the root of the hair in order to permanently destroy each hair follicle and prevent regrowth. This method works best when treating small areas, although larger areas such as the legs or back may be treated with multiple sessions over time.7
There are two types of electrolysis based on the electrical current used: high-frequency (thermolysis), direct (galvanic), or a combination of the two (blend). Galvanic is the oldest and most widely used method of the two because of its high success rate and safety profile.
Effectiveness
Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal method approved by the FDA8, but its success depends on the skill of the operator. Regulation of the process varies from state to state.9 In contrast with laser techniques, electrolysis is expensive and more time consuming because it treats each individual hair.
Electrolysis can be performed in all types of hair, but studies show that it is most effective on hair in the active or growing phase (anagen)10,11, as this stage is where the newly formed hair starts to grow. Hairs treated in the resting phase (telogen) tend to regrow. You may be advised to shave 1-3 days prior to treatment.
Side Effects
Post-treatment side effects, which include redness around the treated area, pain, and swelling, are generally temporary. Scarring, depigmentation of skin, burns, and keloid formation in susceptible patients are possible. Make sure to check in with a healthcare professional about side effects you’re concerned about.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Laser-assisted hair removal is a generally safe and effective technique for women who desire a long-term reduction of hair growth. It works by focusing a beam of light to induce selective damage to hair follicles. This technique produces a gradual but permanent reduction of hair regrowth and can be used in larger areas of the body.
It works best on light skin and black coarse hair.12 This is because light hair with very little to no dark pigments do not absorb sufficient light photons emitted by the laser, so it’s impossible to completely destroy them.
Effectiveness
While electrolysis has been approved as a “permanent hair removal” method, laser epilation is classified as a “permanent hair reduction” technique. Providers should inform their patients that it will require 8-12 sessions plus maintenance treatment every 6-12 months to provide satisfactory hair removal.
With laser treatment, finer and lighter hair often remain after treatment. In many patients, the treatment may be ongoing. Still, laser treatment has surpassed electrolysis because it’s effective, fast, and relatively less painful.
Side Effects
The most common side effects of laser epilation are swelling and redness, which typically resolve within 24 hours. The procedure itself can be slightly painful but an anesthetic cream can be applied in advance. Hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation may also occur depending on your skin color. If you’re concerned about any side effects of the laser treatment, make sure to check in with a healthcare professional.
Specialized hair removal techniques have high success rates but they must be combined with treatment of excess androgens. Both electrolysis and laser hair removal work for women with PCOS, but it’s important to manage your expectations. While some patients reported a growth delay of 2-6 months after just one treatment, most will need multiple sessions to achieve permanent hair reduction.
Note that hair can still grow even when many old hair follicles have been destroyed. Because hair grows in three different stages and your hair is not all in the same stage at the same time, destroying all follicles in a few sessions is unlikely. But when used in combination with other treatment options and tailored to the person, many will achieve satisfactory results.
Does Ipl Cause Cancer
Can IPL cause other side effects? Even though IPL will not cause cancer, it is important to consider the following: Issues may arise if the technician is over or under-treating the skin. Be sure to choose a reputable clinic.
The key difference between laser and IPL is the type of light used. IPL is a broadband pulsed light source, whereas laser is a monochromatic coherent light source. Both methods target the melanin in the hair follicle and deliver permanent results.
This light source heats and destroys hair follicles in the skin, which disrupts hair growth.
Common areas to treat are the face, chest, legs, arms, underarms and bikini line.
It can be helpful for women with excessive hair growth (hirsutism).
What to think about before you have laser hair removal
Laser hair removal may have side effects, it has limitations, and it can be expensive.
Safety
Laser hair removal is safe, but it can occasionally cause side effects, such as pain and discomfort, and red skin that may last for some time.
It may also not be suitable for everyone, including pregnant women and people with certain skin types.
There’s no evidence to suggest that laser hair removal causes skin cancer.
It’s important to make sure the person doing your laser hair removal is experienced and suitably qualified.
Check they’re on a register to show they meet set standards in training, skill and insurance.
Avoid practitioners who have only completed a short training course.
It’s not permanent
You’ll need regular sessions to keep hair from regrowing.
How often sessions are needed varies for each person. For example, you may need a session to remove facial hair every 4 weeks, and for body hair every 6 to 8 weeks.
There’s no guarantee laser hair removal will get rid of all the hair.
It does not work well on dark skin
Laser hair removal works better on people with pale skin and dark hair.
It’s not as effective on tanned skin or hair that’s been bleached by the sun. If you’ve got a tan you’ll need to let it fade before having treatment.
Cost
The cost of laser hair removal depends on the area of the body being treated and the number of treatments needed.
For example, for single treatments it may cost around:
- £85 for the upper lip
- £110 for under the arms
- £130 for the bikini line
- £270 for the arms
What laser hair removal involves
You’ll need to shave the area of skin the day before your appointment.
On the day, you’ll wear specially designed goggles to protect your eyes.
The practitioner usually applies a cool gel or cooling air spray to the area of skin.
They then press a handheld device to your skin and trigger the laser. This may feel like an elastic band snapping at your skin.
Each session may take between 15 minutes to over an hour.
The number of sessions needed depends on the area to be lasered and the system used.
Afterwards
The affected area may be red with a raised rash for a few hours to a few days.
Regularly holding an ice pack to the skin may help (try a pack of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel).
Your skin will be more sensitive to the sun after laser hair removal. It’s best to avoid exposing the treated area of skin to sunlight until after the treatment course has finished.
Regardless of the weather, use sunscreen (minimum SPF30) for at least 4 weeks on exposed areas that have been treated.
Rarely, laser hair removal can result in:
- pain, discomfort or tenderness
- red skin that may last for some time
- crusting, blistering, bruising or swelling of your skin
- lightening or darkening of your skin
- scarring
- burns from the laser’s heat
- bacterial infections.
Electrolysis is a method of removing individual hairs from the face or body. Today’s medical electrolysis devices destroy the growth center of the hair with chemical or heat energy. After a very fine probe is inserted into the hair follicle, the hair is removed with tweezers.
Most areas of the body can be treated with electrolysis, including the eyebrows, face, abdomen, thighs, breasts, and legs. There are generally no permanent side effects, but sometimes a temporary, slight reddening of the skin may occur.
What Causes Unwanted Hair Growth?
Hair growth is the result of heredity and hormone levels. Also, some drugs, temporary methods of hair removal, and illnesses can stimulate hair growth. Electrolysis may be an option when hair growth is in an area of the body where it may not be desired such as on a woman’s upper lip, chin, or bikini line.
How Many Electrolysis Treatments Will I Need?
Many factors influence hair growth, so you will need to return for several electrolysis visits. The total number of sessions needed to remove hair permanently from a particular area will vary from person to person. Most clients return once a week or every other week as needed. But the unwanted hair will be gone forever once the series of treatments is complete. Each treatment lasts between 15 minutes and one hour.
Myths About Electrolysis
Myth: Electrolysis is very painful. For most people, today’s methods don’t cause a lot of pain, but it can hurt. If you find it too uncomfortable, your doctor may be able to give you an anesthetic cream.
Myth: The electric tweezer method is permanent. The FDA and the American Medical Association recognize only electrolysis as a permanent method of removing hair. Some states prohibit those using or selling the electric tweezer from claiming it provides permanent hair removal.
Myth: Temporary methods of hair removal can be better. Chemical depilatories (liquids or creams) are often used to remove body hair. These products contain irritating chemicals and can be time-consuming and messy. Likewise, bleaches contain harsh chemicals and do little to disguise dark hair. They may also discolor skin. Waxing is another temporary method of hair removal and is usually done in salons. A hot wax is applied to the skin and removed once it has dried over the hair. The hair is stripped off when the wax is removed. Waxing can be painful and costly. Home waxing kits are available, but they can be messy and difficult to use. There are electrolysis devices available for home use, but they are often unsafe for use by anyone who is not trained in electrolysis.