27 Aug 2014

IPL is NOT a Laser - The Important Differences



We are often asked by people what the difference is between IPL and diode laser hair removal. It is a common misconception that they are essentially the same thing, but this is simply not the case. This is not helped by some practitioners telling their clients that they use a laser, when it is in fact IPL!

Although IPL has been used for years and is great for treatments such as facial rejuvenation, its use in permanent hair reduction has become somewhat outdated given the advances in laser hair removal technology.

The technical differences are simplified as follows:

  1. During the hair removal process, the melanin of the hair absorbs the energy from light that is transmitted by the hair removal device (laser or IPL) and transforms it into heat in order to eliminate the cells responsible for hair growth.
  2. Diode laser only emits one pure red light that is absorbed by the melanin of the hair. This pure red colour results in the optimum energy absorption by the melanin in order to transform it into heat to eliminate the hair growth cells efficiently and safely.
  3. IPL, which is not a laser, emits a spectrum of lights combining different colours. Only the red light in this spectrum is absorbed by the melanin, meaning all the other energy is wasted and unnecessarily absorbed by the skin.
Essentially, the “scatter gun” approach of IPL is more inefficient and results in the need for significantly more sessions (usually over double). In addition, many hair growth cells fail to be completely destroyed, meaning a lot of hair will eventually grow back. There can also be more risks and pain associated with IPL treatments as the skin unnecessarily absorbs energy.

So protect your skin and save yourself money in the long run by choosing a clinic that offers high quality laser hair removal technology.