Laser Hair Removal Vs. IPL Hair Removal
The world of permanent hair reduction is a complex one, so trying to decide which type of hair removal will work best for you can be tricky. In this blog, we look at the difference between the two technologies to help you on your way to a more effective method of hair removal.
What is IPL treatment?
IPL produces a wide spectrum of light that shallowly penetrates the skin. This wide spectrum is diffused and does not target any specific aspect of the hair. The hair absorbs some wavelengths of the light, resulting in heating and disruption of the follicle, while the rest are reflected away. Only some of the energy generated during IPL affects the hairs, making it a less efficient method of hair removal than laser treatment.
It is worth noting that, occasionally, IPL is referred to as IPL Laser treatment. This can be misleading, as the beam produced by IPL is wide-spectrum light and does not involve lasers.
What about laser treatment?
A laser produces a single, concentrated wavelength of light that penetrates deeper into the skin to reach the base of the hair follicle.
The wavelength used in laser treatment has been specifically selected to target the melanin in the hair follicle, unlike IPL, which uses a more scattered approach so only some of the light is absorbed. The narrow beam used in laser treatment is targeted, precise, and effective – all the energy used in the treatment is being utilised for the intended purpose of hair growth reduction/elimination.
| IPL Pro’s | Laser Pro’s |
| Although not painless, IPL is less painful than other methods such as epilation. | Most laser hair removal machines have a variety of settings so that they shouldn’t be painful – the treatments are more effective at higher settings, so it’s important to find balance. |
| By destroying the root of the hair, IPL stops the hair regrowing, so you need less treatment as time passes. | Laser hair removal stops the hair regrowing, with permanent reductions, so you should reach a point where only top-up treatments are required. |
| You don’t need regrowth for IPL to work (unlike methods that pull the hair out by the root) so you don’t have to worry about timing your treatments to work with your scheduled nights out. | You can shave between treatments until the hair is completely disabled, so you don’t have to worry about regrowth. |
| It works on thick, dark, and coarse hairs, and can be used even on sensitive areas like the face, underarms, and bikini line. |
| IPL Con’s | Laser Con’s |
| It isn’t suitable for people with white, grey, light, or red hair due to the lack of melanin in the hair follicle. It’s also not always suitable for people with darker skin. | It isn’t suitable for people with white, grey, light, or red hair due to the lack of melanin in the hair follicle. It’s also not always suitable for people with darker skin. |
| It can take a lot of treatments before you see any sort of results as the broad-spectrum light is scattered and only a small portion of it reaches the hair follicle. | Salon treatments can be expensive (however, at-home devices are an effective and popular alternatives). |
| IPL isn’t effective on particularly thick or coarse hairs, making it less suitable for certain areas of the body and hair types. |
If you’re still not sure which technology may be for you visit our website and download our full e-book here
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