Did you know there is a difference between IPL and Laser hair removal for hair reduction treatments?
Unfortunately, only those working in the beauty/aesthetic field fully understand the difference between IPL and Laser hair removal. With beauty salons competing with hair reduction prices, we thought we should explain the differences.
IPL (Intense Pulse Light) has been used for hair removal and hair reduction purposes for over 10 years. In recent years, hair reduction treatments have advanced and now Laser hair reduction is considered the best hair reduction method.
IPL Treatments
For IPL treatments, energy is produced by a lamp, a little like a light bulb, and produces a variety of light waves, meaning that it is more diffused and less powerful. It is usually limited to use on fairer skin types. In essence it is less effective than laser and often clients need many more treatments to see effective results. Prices per session are lower than laser but the client would need more treatments to see a positive result.
Laser Treatments
A laser is a concentrated beam of light. The energy is focused, instead of diffused (unlike the IPL) so it is very precise, offering more powerful, accurate results. During an initial consultation we carefully tune the laser to your individual skin and hair type, ensuring the best possible results on all skin shades and type
At the Laser and Aesthetic Clinic we have the Gentlemax Pro laser by Candela
The machine has a laser suitable to treat skin types 1-3 (Alexandrite Laser) The Alexandrite uses a wavelength of 755nm
And a laser which is suitable to treat skin types 4-6 (Nd Yag Laser)The Nd Yag uses a wavelength of 1064nm
Advantages of Laser Hair Reduction
- Lasers use the exact wavelength needed to effectively treat the hair in each pulse.
- IPL uses hundreds of wavelength in each pulse which only serve to heat up the skin and not have any effect on reducing the growth of the hair.
- Laser pulses are very short and are combined with cooling to minimise build up of heat on the skin.
- Laser treatments can be done quickly on larger areas, like the legs and back
- Contrary to belief, laser hair removal is not as painful as treatments like electrolysis or waxing
- Lasers allow therapists to customise treatments to patients specific skin tone and hair color
Therefore, before booking an appointment, check the name of the hair removal machine. Often salons and clinics umbrella both IPL machines and Lasers under the heading ‘Laser’ If treatments are by IPL it is expected that pricing is cheaper than by laser but treatments are expected to be less effective.
Click HERE to read more about the Laser treatments we provide.