What is the difference between IPL and Laser?
Not all Laser Hair Removal treatments are true lasers. A large number of practises promote and market IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments as Laser Hair Removal.
These are commonly found on daily deal web pages, where it can be very tempting to shop around for the best deal. However, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
There is infact a significant difference between a laser and an IPL machine, when it comes to permanent hair reduction…
| IPL | Laser |
|---|---|
| More sessions required | Fewer sessions required |
| Can cause burns on darker skin tones | Can be used on all skin types |
| IPLs are not lasers, they are broad spectrums of dispersed wavelengths which cannot be focused to a concentrated area | Lasers use a single precise Wavelength of light with a concentrated beam and specific target |
| Shallow penetration | Deep penetration, targeting the root of the hair, for effective removal of deeper thicker hairs |
| Results are less effective | Results are extremely effective |
Laser Hair Removal Results
Hair Growth Cycle
There are three stages of hair growth, however treatment is only successful when the hair is in the ‘Growing Anagen Stage’. This is why it is important to book a course of treatments for optimum results.
For the treatment to work successfully the hair has to be in its growing stage. You will recognise this as hairs in their growing ‘anagen’ stage have a ‘big juicy bulb’ at the end of them, which means that they are one of the 20 to 40% of living ‘anagen’ hairs on the body.
When you pull a hair out and it has a withered end, it’s a dead hair and can stay on the skin for up to three weeks. This is why we recommend having a course of six treatments, to ensure we target all hairs in their living ‘anagen’ cycle.
Laser hair removal can only treat hairs in their growing ‘anagen’ stage.