Many women and men fight real battles when it comes to hair removal. Shaving is the fastest and least painful option, but the main problem with it is that new hair grows faster and thicker with each time you shave. Wax or sugar paste depilation, or any other kind for that matter, helps with weakening the hair, so it grows back slower and thinner than before. Many people opt for this method because they get a few weeks of being hair-free, which is, compared to the razor, a much better option.
But neither of these methods offers a long-term solution. This way or another the hair comes back, thinner or thicker. This is why people more and more often choose the laser or IPL treatment. No, not even these are the permanent solutions, but they might leave you hairless even for a few years, which is a big difference compared to other methods.
Even though not so many women nor men know the differences between the two, they are definitely not the same thing. They work on the same principle – high pigmented areas (hair) absorb the light energy emitted from the Laser or IPL device and so the hair follicle gets heated and damaged, causing it to grow slower or even stop growing at all. The main difference is the usage of a different light source.
Laser hair removal is a process that works on a principle of using a specific wavelength of laser that damages hair follicles and prevents new hair growth. The word laser is actually an acronym that indicates Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, i.e. reinforcement of light by stimulating radiation emission. The laser emits a unique concentration of light. To terminate the hair, the laser will emit specific wavelengths targeting the melanin in the hair, warming the root of the hair and selectively damaging the hair follicle. When the follicle is damaged, the hair hardly grows again.
IPL epilation represents a relatively new way of removing hair for that achieves that the treated surfaces remain long-lasting smooth. IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a light therapy that, apart from hair removal, is also used for dermatological purposes. Compared to laser hair removal, IPL disperses different wavelengths in the skin, which means that the action is weaker and less precise. IPL epilation also uses lamps that operate on the principle of light, and disperse wavelengths of 500 to 1200 nanometers. Unlike with the laser, the results are much weaker and the treatments last longer.
To conclude,
- IPL method is cheaper, but less effective
- Lasers are safe for any skin pigmentation, IPL may produce burns on a darker skin
- Lasers are more precise and leave the skin undamaged
- Unlike the IPL, Laser can be adjusted to an individual skin color, it can treat bigger body areas and each laser pulse lasts only a fraction of a second
Still, we recommend contacting an expert and discussing the best option for you depending on your skin tone and hair type.
Nessie L.B.