Hair Removal Light Therapy Types
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As a busy working Mum of two, there are a few things in my self care routine that I literally hate doing. If they were household chores I’d compare them to ironing – something that I feel *should* be done, but something I wish I didn’t have to. Hair removal is one of those things. I am naturally quite blessed in the hair department, and the hair on my head is long and thick – something that I am, in the main, pretty happy about. I am less happy about the hair on my arms, and the speed at which my legs and arms grow. As I’ve got older, I’ve also started to notice some of the baby hairs on my face have become darker – and I find it a little embarrassing. I’ve been looking into ways to manage unwanted facial hair and in particular, laser hair removal. It turns out however that there are a few different types – and they vary quite considerably.
You may already have heard of laser hair removal. It is a form of light therapy used to get rid of unwanted hair. Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL, is also a form of light therapy and whilst it is used for the same purpose, the two treatment types are not identical. If you want to remove embarrassing or annoying hair from your body, you should first compare the two procedures to see which one you want to use.
Comparing IPL to Laser Hair Removal
Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy involves pulses of light pointed at your skin. However, the light is not as concentrated as laser light. Both types of treatment can produce some heat, but laser treatment is typically more heat-intensive. Additionally, laser treatment is stronger than IPL. Therefore, you may need more IPL treatments to get the same results you would get from fewer laser treatments.
The temptation may be to head straight to your local clinic and have laser treatment, since it is typically stronger and more efficient. However, you may have better luck with an IPL treatment, depending on your skin type. There are also at-home IPL devices that offer convenience, even though they can take a long time to actually have an affect on the treated hairs.
Treatment Times and Body Locations for Clinical IPL and Laser Procedures
You can, of course, have IPL treatment done in a clinic, not just laser treatment. IPL treatment performed at a clinic may be more accurate than what you can do yourself at home. Both IPL machines used in clinics and laser devices for hair-removal can treat any body parts you want to make hair-free, although lasers in particular are often used to treat large areas of unwanted hair, rather than treating smaller areas.
The other reason either treatment is popular is the appointments themselves are short. They vary in length by the size of the area you want to treat. However, they rarely exceed one hour each. That means you can literally get a laser or IPL treatment on your lunch break without missing work. That is certainly more appealing than having surgery, which involves hospital admittance, not to mention
recovery time.
IPL and Laser Hair Removal Accuracy
Accuracy is another reason to have IPL or laser treatment, especially laser treatment. A laser machine itself, when calibrated properly, can find and treat every hair you want to have treated. It can also do so quickly. If you select the right clinic, your laser hair removal or IPL technician should also be well-trained. That adds to the accuracy level of each procedure.
IPL and Laser Hair Removal Pain Management
Pointing a laser at your skin may sound hazardous. After all, the device produces a lot of heat. There is also some heat associated with IPL treatment. However, the pain and discomfort you will have will be minimal. That is because your clinician can use numbing salves or cool blasts of air to offset the heat caused by the treatments. If you are too uncomfortable at any point, all you have to do is mention your
discomfort and it will be addressed.
Long-Term Outlooks of IPL and Laser Hair Removal
It is important to note that neither IPL nor laser treatment works perfectly or permanently for everyone. Your results may vary from average results. However, in general the unwanted hair should disappear for much longer than it would after standard at-home methods like shaving. When it grows back, it may also be thinner or lighter in color. It is not uncommon for hair removed with lasers to take weeks or sometimes months to return. It is also possible for some hairs not to return at all.
