What to expect?
First things first, you’ll have a quick test session to assess your suitability. Providing you’ve got the green light, your experienced practitioner will take you to a private treatment room and ask you to put on some protective goggles. How you’re positioned all depends on the area you’re having treated, but your practitioner will ensure you’re as comfortable as can be. It’s showtime! Your practitioner will use a small handpiece to apply flashes of hair-banishing light. This can be as quick as ten minutes or as long as two hours. It all depends on where you’re having treated. It’s worth noting that you may experience some mild discomfort and tingling during your treatment, but it’s nothing more than the pain of sunburn. If you ask us, a little discomfort for hair-free skin is more than a fair trade!
The darker your hair, the more effective IPL will be. If you’re particularly fair, it’s worth checking with your chosen clinic before booking.
Know before you go
- Planning on having IPL in a particularly sensitive area? You may want to consult your practitioner about using an anaesthetic cream beforehand.
- IPL works best when your hair is in its growth period. It’s recommended that you don’t shave for a minimum of five days prior to treatment.
- For long-lasting results, it’s worth booking a few sessions as the first will only damage some of your hair follicles. Six to eight sessions is usually advised.
- IPL can be used on your eyebrows, forehead, ears, nose, chin, upper lip, upper cheeks, jaw line, full face, chest, underarms, arms, shoulders, nipples, stomach, back, buttocks, legs, bikini line, hands or feet.
- The darker your hair, the more effective IPL will be. If you’re particularly fair, it’s worth checking with your chosen clinic before booking.
- Just got back from two weeks in Ibiza? You may want to wait before having IPL. Experts advise you to be as pale as possible before treatment.
- Both men and women can have IPL. However, IPL is unsuitable for anyone pregnant or under the age of 18.
The sciencey stuff
Without getting too technical, IPL has a lot in common with laser hair removal. The difference is that IPL emits greater energies at optimum wavelengths, while laser hair removal emit a single wavelength. The burst of light is absorbed by the pigment in your hair, causing damage to the follicle and leaving you smooth and hairless in no time. Hurray!
