IPL stands for Intense Pulse Light. The IPL is penetrated through a Safire crystal to target pigment in the hair follicles during the active stage of growth. For example, if you were to pluck out a hair and see a bulb on the end, that is a hair that is currently in the active stage of growth. The rest of the hairs are in the resting phase or they are getting ready to shed.

The IPL can target all types of hair except for blond, grey and red hair. It cannot target blond or grey because there is no pigment. Red hair is the same color as the light and therefore not able to be targeted.

Why do I need more than one treatment?

During an average growth cycle approximately 10% – 20% of the hairs are in the active stage of growth. These are the hair follicles that are cauterized by the light during a treatment.
For approximately 2 weeks after your treatment the hairs will push their way out of the skin and fall out. During the course of the average 6 week growth cycle, all the hairs will grow back minus 10% – 20%. The hairs that do grow back are finer and lighter. When you return for your second treatment we repeat the process to target another 10% – 20% and so on etc… until all the hair is gone. The average person needs between 5-8 treatments to be hair free.

Will it work for me?
It is important to note that no machine can guarantee 100% permanent hair removal because there are so many things that affect hair growth such as hormones, pregnancy, certain medications, different stages in life etc… However with IPL we can offer a drastic hair reduction and in many cases all of the hair is completely removed. The hairs that are destroyed cannot come back, however we cannot control new hair growth that happens as a result of the aforementioned reasons like hormones, medication etc…

What should I know before coming in for a treatment?
1.)Since the light needs pigment in the hair follicles to target, it is important not to remove the hair from the skin before a treatment. No waxing, tweezing, depilatory creams etc… If you were to wax the area then come in for a treatment there would be no pigment for the light to see and essentially nothing would happen. However you can shave as much as you like, never having to go through the awkward hairy stage that is always needed for waxing.

2.)Be sure to shave before your first treatment to ensure that no hair is singed to your skin.

3.)It is important to check with your doctor if you are taking any kind of photosensitive medication like Accutane, retinol creams or photosensitive birth controls. If you are taking anything photosensitive you run the risk of hyper-pigmentation, which can be very uncomfortable and unsightly. For your safety we would need to wait until the photosensitive medication is out of your system before beginning treatments.

4.)The most important instruction I can give, and I can’t stress this enough is, absolutely no tanning for 4 weeks before your treatment! If you have ever heard any horror stories about laser hair removal 9 times out of 10 it is because there was tanning.
When you are in the sun your body begins to produce melanocytes to create the tan. When the melanocytes are in the active stage (which can last for up to 4 weeks) the machine may not be able to tell the difference between the pigment in your follicles and the pigment in your skin, which could result in hyper or hypo-pigmentation. This can be very painful and unsightly, and could take up to a year to go away, if it even goes away at all. I cannot stress enough how important this piece of information is. If for some reason you have been tanning, like a vacation or a beautiful day in the park etc… simply wait four weeks before your next treatment. It will not ruin your treatments if you need to wait a little bit. Better to wait than risk a burn.

Will it hurt?
Most people say it feels like an elastic band snap. The pain is very similar to waxing only a different kind of pain. Waxing is more stingy whereas laser is more achey. However once the zap has happened the pain has stopped. It does not continue to ache for hours and hour, only a split second. If you can handle waxing you can definitely handle IPL.
If you are someone who happens to have a low tolerance for pain there are many things you can do to ease the discomfort.
1.) Take an Advil or some kind of pain killer an hour before your treatment.

2.) If you are female, you will be more sensitive to pain a week before and during your period. So we recommend you wait until you are done before coming in. (However if you still want to come in during that time you are more than welcome to, you may just be a little bit more sensitive to pain.)

3.) Emla numbing cream. Only recommended for those who have a very low tolerance to pain as Emla can be quite awkward to use. But if you need it I highly recommend it. Simply go to the drug store and purchase it from the pharmacist. No prescription is needed. Apply a thick layer 1hr before your treatment and cover the area in plastic wrap. You need to wear it until we begin the treatment. You then take it off and we begin the treatment.

Is it worth it?
In the long run IPL hair removal is worth the time and effort. You never need to go through the hairy stage in between treatments. The hair removal in majority of cases permanent and only needs to be done 5-8 times, then your done. As opposed to waxing that needs to be done every six weeks for the rest of your life to be hair free. This will not only save you time, but money in the long run. The pain is no worse than waxing and most of the treatments are 10 times faster than waxing. If you are someone who has had to deal with the frustration of hair removal, never having that smooth feeling, ingrown hairs, or the endless hours of time consuming shaving, permanent hair removal can be that simple procedure that gives you one less thing to think about in the morning.

At SKN we always do a complimentary consultation and test patch for anyone interested in giving IPL hair removal a try. In the consultation we go into as much detail as possible so you are fully informed about the procedure, and you get a test patch to see if you are a good candidate for the machine. The test patch will also give you a good idea as to how it feels. There is absolutely no pressure to have a treatment if you decide not too. If you do decide to go through with a treatment, be assured that the treatments are very discreet and in no way rushed. We take our time to make sure the treatments are accurate and effective and so that each person gets the attention they need.

I hope this has answered any questions you may have. For further information I hope you will take advantage of our free consult. Hope to see you there.
Kirsty

Interested in learning more about Laser Hair Removal?  visit Vancouver Laser Hair Removal