IPL hair removal – or intense pulsed light – is one of the most effective of the hair removal methods, and is considered to be one of the most versatile of the laser hair removal methods as well.  What happens is that a light is pulsed onto the skin, with the intention of burning the pigment from the hair. When the pigment is heated, the hair itself will burn, and thus the hair will be removed.

Let’s take a look at the Pros and Cons of IPL hair removal:

Pros

  • The hair is not always completely eliminated by the IPL treatment, but there is no damage to the skin – which is much more common with lasers. The skin is left smooth and undamaged thanks to the pulsed light, and the effects are much more easily visible on the first treatment.
  • The IPL laser doesn’t need the hair on the person’s body to be very thick or long, while regular laser hair removal needs the hair to be more than ¼ inch in length. This means that many of the tiny hairs that you can’t see can also be removed, and even those that have just shaved will find that the hairs are burned – no matter how short they are.
  • The process is a whole lot faster than many of the other laser treatments. With IPL hair removal, the hair can be burned away in a much shorter time, meaning your sessions are shorter and less frequent. The IPL doesn’t burn the skin, so large patches of skin can be treated at the same time.
  • It is a whole lot cheaper when compared with laser hair removal cost.

Cons

  • There is the occasional blister or burn on the skin, though this is very uncommon.
  • It is more expensive than waxing or shaving.
  • The hair removal system won’t work on those with very dark skin, as the light targets pigment – even pigment in skin. Those with very light hair will also find that it may not work as effectively as desired.
  • It doesn’t get rid of all the hair, just between 50 and 80 percent. Which can require more treatments.


IPL hair removal can be an effective, if not better option for many than standard laser hair removal.