Good news for those with dark body hair
So there’s good news if your body hair is dark. If you have dark hair on your legs etc, then razor scrapes, waxing and hair removal creams could soon be a thing of the past, because with an IPL hair remover you can remove unwanted hair growth with long-lasting results.
It may sound too good to be true – and it is if your body hair is grey,light or reddish, the light treatment only works on dark hair.
But if you have dark hair, the innovative light technology can destroy hair right down to the hair follicle, ensuring long-lasting results.
You will not be hair-free after a single treatment, but in a short time you will see a marked difference and in the long term you can get rid of the unwanted hair completely.
What is IPL hair removal and is it permanent?
IPL is an abbreviation for Intense Pulsed Light and is also called a home laser. An IPL hair removal device works by the IPL hair remover sending energetic light into the hair follicle itself.
The energy-laden light is so powerful that it burns the hair in the hair follicle. The hair will then fall off over a few days.
Because the light treatment not only hits the hair shaft, but also the hair follicle itself, the energy-laden light causes damage to the hair follicle, which over repeated treatments can become permanent, as the hair follicle will take so much damage that it cannot produce hair.
Over time some people can achieve permanent hair removal with an IPL hair remover, but the immediate advantage you get from using an IPL hair remover over a waxing or shaving treatment is that firstly it is painless but secondly the effect is also longer lasting than a waxing treatment.
Where on the body can you use an IPL hair remover
When you buy an IPL hair remover, make sure it is recommended for use in the areas of your body where you want to remove hair. For example, some IPL devices are not recommended for use on the face.
- Arms
- Ben
- Mave
- Back
- Bikini line
- Armholes
- Upper lip
- Chin
- Bakkenbarter
Difference between IPL hair remover for home use and a professional laser treatment
It is important to check your expectations before buying an IPL hair remover for home use, because there is a difference between a laser hair removal treatment for home use and the laser hair removal treatment that you can get if you visit a professional clinic.
The difference between the two laser hair removal methods is the price – and how patient you have to be.
If you need to have your legs, armpits or bikini line lasered professionally, then you’ll need to find many thousands of dollars for each treatment. A good IPL hair remover can be bought for a few thousand dollars as a one-off investment.
When you buy an IPL hair remover, then you can get the same good results on dark hair as you can if you get laser hair removed professionally, you just have to have more patience.
An IPL hair remover is not as powerful as a professional laser treatment, so you should expect to need 3 to 5 treatments before you see a significant effect.
There are differences in the power of the different IPL home hair removers and this has a big impact on the results.
So my advice to you is to buy an IPL hair remover that is powerful and of good quality – or not buy one at all. The IPL hair removers that I have presented to you here are all among the absolute best – both in terms of results and ease of use.
How to spot the best IPL hair remover
We live in an age where the ideal of beauty calls for as little body hair as possible and therefore the beauty industry also focuses a lot on different hair removal methods.
The reason why the IPL hair remover has become so popular in comparison with other hair removal methods such as wax, wax beads, razor, ladyshaver and epilator is that an IPL hair remover is first of all a completely painless treatment if you buy a good device.
But secondly and most importantly, you don’t get long lasting results with an IPL hair remover. Some even find that the hair disappears completely, never to grow back again.
I’ll now take a closer look at what you should be aware of when choosing the best IPL hair remover for your needs.
Number of light pulses
When buying an IPL hair remover, the first thing to look at is the number of light pulses. The number of light pulses indicates how powerful the laser is and therefore how quickly you get results from the treatment.
When you look at the market for IPL hair removers, the number of light pulses is generally between 250,000 and 1æ000,000.
You can also find hair removers where the number of light pulses can be as low as 100,000. These devices are also usually significantly cheaper, but unfortunately not worth the trouble, as the effect is absent.
The more effective and fast-acting a treatment you want, the higher the number of light pulses you should choose.
Light pulse levels
The better IPL hair removal devices have several light pulse levels, so you have the option to adjust the intensity depending on where on the body you are doing the treatment.
Many people find that the skin under their arms, in the bikini line and on their face is more sensitive, so it can be beneficial to use the IPL hair remover at a lower intensity to keep the treatment pain-free.
I would recommend you to choose a hair remover that has 5 light pulse levels, if it has more it is only an advantage.
Skin tone sensor
If you want to completely avoid having to decide which light pulse level you should set the IPL hair remover to, you can opt for one of the more advanced IPL hair removers that have a skin tone sensor.
A skin tone sensor is an advanced technology that goes in and takes measurements of the melanin in both skin and hair and adjusts the light intensity exactly to the skin. You therefore get the absolute gentlest treatment and don’t risk applying too high a light level.
Light surface / light pulse window
When you read about the different IPL hair removers, it will also state how large a light area or light pulse window the hair remover covers.
It’s always listed in square centimeters. Usually the light area/light pulse window of the better devices will be between 3 and 4 cm2.
I would not recommend you to choose an IPL hair remover with a smaller light area/light pulse window, as it will prolong the treatment time.
Treatment areas
When buying an IPL hair remover, be aware that not all models can be used anywhere on the body.
Some models cater exclusively for body hair and should not be used on the face. It is therefore important that before you buy, you decide what your needs and expectations of the hair remover are. That is, where you expect to use it.
The most common places to use an IPL hair remover are;
- Ben
- Armhuler
- Bikini line
- Back
- Stomach
- Upper lip
- Chin
Corded or battery operated
You can choose between an IPL hair remover that is battery powered and therefore cordless or you can choose a corded model that needs to be connected to a power supply.
There are pros and cons to both models and it is entirely up to you to decide which type of IPL hair remover is best for you.
Battery powered IPL hair remover
Benefits
- Cordless
- Not dependent on power supply
Disadvantages
- Requires a charged battery
IPL hair remover with cord
Benefits
- Does not run out of power as long as there is a power source nearby
Disadvantages
Good tips for using IPL hair remover
- IPL hair removers are not suitable for blond hair, as the hair does not contain enough pigment for the light beam to intercept it and aim correctly.
- IPL hair remover is not suitable on dark/black skin as the IPL device cannot distinguish between the hair pigment and the skin pigment.
- Avoid looking at the light flashes, wear safety glasses if necessary.
- Avoid using perfume or body scrub, retinol products the first 48 hours after treatment.
- Do not take hot baths the first 24 hours after treatment.
- Be aware that your skin becomes more photosensitive from the treatments and you should therefore use a high factor sunscreen such as SPF 30 or SPF 50 for up to 6 weeks after the end of the treatment.
Is IPL home treatment safe?
Don’t be afraid to get started removing hair with an IPL hair remover. If you have dark hair growth and if you otherwise follow the guidelines for using the device, it is a completely safe and painless treatment.
Is IPL dangerous for the eyes?
One of the questions most often asked when using IPL hair removers is whether the ultra-powerful light is dangerous to the eyes and the answer is NO – and it is even though the light itself can be harmful to the eyes.
But IPL devices have a safety system which makes it impossible for the device to emit the light beams unless that device has full contact with the skin.
How often can you use an IPL hair remover?
When you buy an IPL hair remover, the instructions will usually say that you can expect to start seeing results after 3 – 5 treatments.
It will also say that you shouldn’t use your IPL laser more often than once a week – and don’t be tempted to use it more often to boost results, as you risk damaging your skin.
By using your IPL hair remover only once a week, you give your skin time to get used to the treatment so that you avoid a skin reaction.