Body hair is a touchy subject. Some people like to go all-natural and leave their hair growing where it does. Others would like to remove growths in certain areas for comfort or aesthetics. Several methods can be applied including shaving with blades to cut visible hair, waxing to pull multiple strands from the roots, plucking to do the same one by one, and so on. While these do the trick, the results are temporary and hair grows back quickly. If you would like a long-term solution to the hair problem, then consider treatments such as IPL laser.

What is IPL?

The acronym stands for intense pulsed light. A xenon bulb or other appropriate sources are used to deliver short flashes of high-powered visible light with a broad spectrum. The flashgun is held close to the skin to maximize the effect. The internal structures that cause hair to grow get weakened such that they appear less and less. IPL is actually different from laser since the latter has a single wavelength. This makes IPL more versatile when it comes to applications in the medical field. However, they do have similar effects on hair growth.

How effective is it?

IPL studies show that this treatment is effective in reducing hair growth. It has better results when used for dark and coarse hair rather than light and fine strands. This procedure has been in use since 1997 and several studies have been performed since then. According to research, hair count is reduced by 60% after 12 weeks of treatment. This goes up to 75% when continued for a full year. The protocols, devices, skin areas, and hair types varied in these studies so your personal results could be different. No treatment can completely eliminate hair growth but IPL comes close.

What are its other uses?

When IPL was first used in the medical field, it can be designed to treat vascular conditions. It was chosen because it could penetrate deeper into the skin with a lower risk of developing purpura and hyperpigmentation compared to lasers. These days, IPL is also used to relieve dry eyes caused by gland dysfunction. In some spas and aesthetic clinics, IPL is used for facial rejuvenation as it can improve collagen production. It can also treat acne vulgaris, rosacea, broken capillaries, freckles, birthmarks, melasma, basal cell carcinoma, and many more.

IPL laser is an incredibly useful medical aid that also doubles as a hair removal solution.