What is Intense Pulsed Light?

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a treatment similar to Laser, but using a very powerful Xeon Light.

Differences with Laser

• It has bigger spot size than any laser, therefore can treat larger areas quickly.
• The bigger spot size also means there is a greater depth of penetration, enabling deeper hairs to be effectively treated.
• Can treat a wide range of clients (skin type, hair type.)
• Does not have the same degree of safety issues as laser (not as dangerous), due to divergence of light.
• Filters used to cut out wavelengths not required.

Types & Areas of Treated by IPL

Hair Removal - any area except under eyebrows, nostrils, inner ears, inner labia.

Pigmentation - back of hands, back of forearms, décolletage, face.

Rejuvenation - full face, neck, décolletage, back of hands.

Vascular - cheeks, nose, chin, neck, décolletage.

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IPL for Hair Removal

IPL treatment cannot guarantee absolute 100% “permanent” hair removal, but what it can offer is excellent hair “management”. If you think about other methods of hair removal, pulsed light comes on top, but it must be stressed that it is a course of treatment and not a “one off”.

A course of regular treatments followed by maintenance sessions is required to manage a hair growth concern. How often the initial regular treatments are will depend on body area, previous hair removal and speed of regrowth. How often the maintenance treatments are will depend on hormonal influences, individual response and body area.

Intense Pulsed Light is absorbed into a hair shaft, due to its melanin content and heat is produced as a reaction. This heat will radiate out into the surrounding follicle tissue. If 70 degrees centigrade is reached in the cells of the follicle and maintained for at least a millisecond, then it will denature protein and disable the cells. This will inhibit further growth of the follicle.

The majority of hair can be sufficiently treated over a few sessions so that further growth is eliminated, sometimes the follicle has not been totally destroyed and there is regrowth. This regrowth is usually different to the original hair growth. The hairs tend to have change structure from deep terminal hairs to smaller vellus hairs which are finer, thinned and lighter in colour.

These hairs are less obvious and usually not as much a problem as the original growth. They also tend to have a longer growth cycle, so when treated with pulsed light they take a lot longer to return, often many months.

Body areas are easier to successfully treat as there is less likely to be much hormonal influence. Facial hair is the hardest to eliminate.
All this means the best treatment plan is a series of 5-10 regular treatments followed by occasional maintenance (touch-up) sessions.

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IPL for Skin Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation is a treatment usually performed over the whole face to encourage collagen production, sometimes known as collagen remodelling. It will help to improve texture, tone and refine pore size. If there are any colour irregularities (due to sun damage) then it is likely to even it up as the light will affect the pigment, darkening it, then it will fade out in a week or two.

The intense pulsed light will cause a mild inflammatory response in the upper layers of the dermis causing the release of fibroblasts which in turn will produce new collagen. The stimulation of collagen and elastin within the skin helps reverse the aging process and results in a more youthful appearance.

This is a slow process, taking up to three months to see full effects. A series of rejuvenation treatments is recommended as it will continually kick start this inflammatory process thus creating more collagen. A series of six treatments, the first two two weeks apart, then monthly. There is very little reaction after a rejuvenation session.

IPL for Vascular Treatments

IPL can be used to reduce or elminate the appearance of broken blood vessels on the skin surface. Pulsed Light is absorbed into the vessel, coagulating the blood. The heat produced will radiate out into the walls of the vessel, damaging them. The vessel collapses.

Time for healing is then required as the body needs to remove the debris, replacing it with collagen scar tissue. Up to four treatments may be necessary, four weeks apart.

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