IPL vs Laser Hair Removal: What’s The Difference? | CurrentBody (2024)

FAQs

IPL vs Laser Hair Removal: What’s The Difference? | CurrentBody? ›

While both technologies have their advantages, laser hair removal is faster, more precise and can cater to darker skin tones while delivering permanent hair reduction. IPL and laser technology are also both available for safe, self-administered home use on the face, arms, legs, bikini line, chest and hands.

In short, laser hair removal is safer, more effective, and the only way hair removal should ever be performed. Both treatments have been available commercially since the mid 1990s, but are distinctly different.

“The key difference between IPL and Laser is the type of light. Laser light is monochromatic, non-divergent and targets very specific concerns. IPL produces a broadband spectrum of white light, producing a mixture of many different colours. These colours can be controlled using filters.

Hair removal from a destroyed hair follicle is permanent. However, people who undergo hair removal can expect that some hair in the targeted area will grow back. Over time, it is possible to treat the area again to reduce the number of hairs that regrow. In some cases, it may even be possible to eliminate all hair.

IPL may help if you have red, brown, or splotchy skin because of a health condition. Both IPL and laser treatments can be used to improve a variety of skin issues. The main difference is that IPL therapy is gentler on the skin and usually requires more sessions than laser therapy for comparable results.

Laser is collimated, meaning it's slow to diverge or spread out. This makes laser light very powerful as nearly 100 per cent of the light can be effective in treatments. IPL is not collimated, so it is quick to spread out making it less effective in treatments.

The hair will grow back over a long period of time – so it's not 100% permanent, but the expensive, long-lasting hair removal treatment offers almost-permanent hair removal after a series of repeat visits.

Both IPL and lasers are effective in hair removal. IPL often requires more treatments and may not achieve the same final hair reduction as a laser can. Due to this, hair removal using a laser usually produces faster results. IPL is effective in not only hair removal, but also treating rosacea and facial flushing.

No, IPL hair removal is typically less painful than professional laser treatments in-clinic because it uses lower-intensity light. However, both technologies feel the same when used in a portable, home use device engineered with advanced cooling air systems and UV sensors to minimize discomfort.

Unlike lasers, IPL devices “flash” when they treat the skin due to the various wavelengths of light (seen individually as different colors) forming a single, white-ish color. The energy used in IPL devices is also weaker and less focused than a laser, which makes it a versatile technology for treating the skin.

Can IPL remove all pubic hair? ›

That might have left you asking yourself, “Can I use IPL for pubic hair?” You sure can, but there are a few important steps to take to ensure you get the best results. Trim existing hair: First, shave, epilate, or wax your intimate area.

BBL is a more precise treatment than IPL, allowing for improved targeting of specific skin issues with greater accuracy. It also can reduce wrinkles and stimulate collagen production, resulting in smoother, younger-looking skin.

Regret usually stems from choosing the wrong provider. While laser hair removal itself is rarely regrettable, what can lead to regret is choosing the wrong provider. A cheap, inexperienced clinic may use outdated equipment or incorrect techniques, leading to less effective treatment or even unwanted side-effects.

Although side effects of IPL are typically rare and minimal in severity, the most common adverse events include pain and erythema.

Laser treatments are often more expensive than IPL, though IPL may require more treatments in some cases. Overall, though, a course of IPL treatments is often less costly than laser.

Lasers produce a light consisting of one wavelength or colour of light all going in one direction, this creates a single beam, whereas IPL devices produce a wide range of wavelengths of light to produce a single white flash.

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a broadband pulsed light source, whereas laser is a monochromatic coherent light source. Both methods target the melanin in the hair follicle and permanent results can be expected from both.

Laser hair removal is generally more effective and requires fewer treatments than IPL. However, it is also more expensive and has a higher risk of side effects, such as skin burns and hyperpigmentation. IPL is less expensive and has a lower risk of side effects than laser hair removal.

Electrolysis can permanently remove unwanted hair. Once your hair is gone, you won't need maintenance treatments. It works on all hair types, including light-colored hairs, which lasers cannot remove.