IPL Hair Removal: How is it Different from Laser Hair Removal?

If you’ve been looking at permanent treatment options for hair removal, chances are you’ve come across both IPL and laser hair removal and are wondering - what’s the difference. 

Both are long-term procedures for reducing hair growth and work in similar ways. In addition to preventing hairs from growing back, both treatment methods can significantly reduce the growth speed of remaining hairs, as well as hair thickness. 

Many people find success with both treatments, but to attain the best results, it is important to understand both methods to help decide which is most suitable for you. 

IPL Hair Removal

IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light, treatments are not lasers, and are actually considered a light-based treatment. IPL has evolved significantly over the years and has been used safely for the cosmetic treatment of undesirable hair, vascular lesions, and pigment lesions. These popular devices have often been placed in comparison with medical laser treatment, but despite contrary belief, they are non-laser high-intensity light sources. 

How Does IPL Work?

IPL uses a high-output flashlamp, which is essentially, a very bright flashbulb, to produce a broad wavelength output of noncoherent light that is directed towards the end of a handheld device, releasing energy pulses onto the skin’s surface. The light energy is then absorbed by the melanin pigment, which results in thermal injury to the follicles of actively growing hairs in the anagen phase. When hair is targeted and destroyed in this growth phase, the follicle itself is also destroyed and is no longer capable of producing future hair. 

However, for those hairs that are not in the active growing stage, the follicle may not be destroyed and hair will grow back. This is why hair removal treatments require many sessions at specific time intervals. 

What to Expect

Hair color and thickness are important factors in predicting the efficacy of hair removal through IPL. Dark, coarse hair has a higher tendency of absorbing more energy and tends to respond better than fine and light hair. IPL is widely used today with tons of at-home devices available on the market to effectively get rid of unwanted hair. If you are thinking about adding an at-home device to your beauty routine, be sure to purchase from an honest and reputable company like KENZZI. 

KENZZI offers the worlds #1 at home IPL handset that aims to remove unwanted hair, perfect the skin tone by treating blemishes, and slow the aging process by reducing wrinkles. In addition, multiple uses of the KENZZI IPL Hair Removal Handset will increase the production of collagen in the skin, leaving you glowing from the inside out. 

Laser Hair Removal

Believe it or not, the first laser ever developed for this popular procedure was in the late 1960s. Laser hair removal may seem like a new trend, however, it has been around for quite some time. Laser hair removal treatment is a safe cosmetic procedure to eliminate unwanted hair. 

How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?

Laser hair removal treatment has come a long way. Older generations of lasers were painful and only worked on individuals with very light skin and very dark hair. However, times have changed, and thanks to innovation, we now have sophisticated devices that can work on all skin colors, hair types, and on any area of the body - excluding the eyes. 

Medical grade lasers work by emitting one single wavelength of light, which results in maximized laser penetration to the targeted area. The light emitted is then absorbed by the pigment melanin in the hair, concentrating on the hair shaft. This causes the hair to be destroyed without causing harm to the surrounding skin.

In most cases, those who undergo laser hair removal treatment will notice a visible reduction of hair just after the very first session. In this aspect, these medical-grade lasers work similarly with IPL because the effectiveness also depends on the life cycle of the hair during treatment. Hair must always be in the active growing stage anagen for laser hair removal to work effectively. In that respect, effective hair reduction is typically achieved within four to six sessions. Everyone is different and others may need less, while others may need more.

What to Expect

What makes laser hair removal a unique and effective light-based treatment is that it is monochromatic, collimated, and coherent. This means that it has a more precise focus to control where the energy is being delivered so that the laser light absorbs into the hair without damaging the skin. As we mentioned, many people begin to notice results just after one treatment but expect at least six sessions for complete removal of unwanted hair. Laser hair removal is an effective way to precisely and accurately kick unwanted hair to the curb with long-lasting results.  

What Are The Differences Between Laser And IPL?

Although both laser and IPL treatments use light energy to keep follicles from forming new hairs, the key difference between the two is the light source. As we mentioned, IPL devices work by emitting several intense pulsed wavelengths that get absorbed by the pigment in the hair. However, these wavelengths don’t penetrate the skin as deeply as professional laser treatment does, which means that they work best on people with thicker or darker hair. For people with darker skin tones, medical-grade YAG lasers may be a more suitable option.

Which Method is More Cost-Effective?

Laser hair removal treatment is notorious for being expensive. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, just one session of laser hair removal at a beauty salon can cost $285 on average, and most people will need at least four to six sessions to notice a difference. 

Fortunately, at-home laser or IPL devices can give you the same silky-smooth, hair-free results for a fraction of the price. These handheld machines use similar technology as professional beauty salon units and produce unbelievable results. The only difference is that at-home hair removal devices are designed for home use and don’t have the same intensity as medical-grade lasers, so you’ll probably need a few more sessions. 

Recap

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and has gained quite a bit of attention over the years for the many benefits it affords the user. This modern technology is a form of light therapy and emits a series of different wavelengths that scatter within the skin, reaching various depths. 

Handheld IPL devices like the one offered at KENZZI can help to not only get rid of unwanted hair, but reduce the appearance of blemishes, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation, making it the ultimate beauty tool for those looking to achieve perfect skin.

IPL hair removal is just as effective as medical-grade lasers, but it will take more sessions to achieve the same hair-free result. If you're thinking about going this increasingly popular route to tackle all of your unwanted body hair needs, it’s important to consider the following:

• How many pulses that the device will last for
• The skin tones and hair colors it will work on best
• Battery life
• Its design for use on smaller or larger areas of the body

The KENZZI IPL Hair Removal Handset is safe for all skin types and has over ten years of flashes when used as recommended, so you will be able to stay hair-free for a very long time! In addition, it can be used on any area of the body, including the face, and is extremely gentle and easy to use. 

If you've been searching for an effective way to get rid of your annoying, unwanted body hair for good, look no further because KENZZI can help!

Sources: 

WebMD

Medical.net

Science Daily

Very Well Health

FDA