(
) explains
the difference: “IPL works on a variety
of skin and hair colours, whereas laser
is designed to work predominantly
on white skin and dark hairs. The
pulses of light with IPL allow the skin
milliseconds of cooling-down time
between delivery of heat to the root
of the hair (and is therefore safer for
the skin), whereas laser delivers one
fixed beam of light for a fixed period
of time. IPL also covers a depth range,
whereas laser penetrates to one target
depth only.”
IPL technology utilises specific
wavelengths of light (from 500 to
1,200 nanometres) to target various
chromophores in the skin or hair.
A chromophore is the part of a
molecule responsible for its colour.
Intense pulses of non-coherent
light travel harmlessly through the
skin until they strike a hair shaft
or papilla (root). This is where the
highest concentration of melanin
(pigment) is usually located. Attracted
to melanin, the light is converted to
heat energy, and the root and most
of the hair shaft are vaporised. The
IPL photorejuvenation application
uses different wavelengths of light to
target concentrations of melanin in
the epidermis (the outmost layer of the
skin), including freckles and sun spots.
According to Justine, “IPL for
hair reduction purposes works best on
medium-to-coarse, brown-to-black
hair. The thicker and darker the hair,
the more optimal the results will
be.” This is why IPL is so effective at
removing underarm, lower leg and
bikini hair for most people. However,
neither IPL nor laser works on blonde,
grey, white or red hairs, because
the machine is blind to hair lacking
pigment. In a similar vein, those with
naturally darker skins due to their
ethnicity cannot use IPL or laser,
as the machines cannot detect the
target in the hair/pigmentation when
compared to the skin. For a similar
reason, IPL should not be
used on recently tanned skin –
whether darkened by natural or
chemical means.
De-beasting the maiden
OK, I’m definitely not a maiden, but
as a fair, dark-haired individual, I am
a good candidate for IPL. At my first
session, I was horrified to see a razor
approaching my prickly chin. My
fears of thicker, darker regrowth were
soon alleviated however, as Justine
put this persistent old wives’ tale to
rest. “The area to be treated is shaved
simply because the light pulses from
the machine need to follow the hairs
below the skin to kill off the dermal
papillae. If hair is left above the skin,
the light’s energy is wasted on this
hair. You want it concentrated below
the skin’s surface.” Justine adds that
she will give anyone a free treatment
if they can find evidence to suggest
that the “shaving leads to thicker
regrowth” myth is true!
After donning special glasses
to protect my eyes, my chin was
covered in cool gel and zapped with
what felt like short-lived stings from a
rubber band. Afterwards, there was
mild redness, which quickly faded. I
was surprised to learn that I needed
multiple sessions to retard the hair
growth successfully, as I had refrained
from tweezing for a couple of weeks
prior to my appointment and felt like
every hair available had sprouted. The
reason multiple sessions are required
November 2013
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