Hair Removal

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IPL hair removal: Fast, painless hair removal and long-lasting results

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), is used in a number of different cosmetic treatments, and most commonly known as an effective form of hair removal. IPL is one of the most effective methods of removing hair – especially thick, dark hair – with the longest lasting results when compared to shaving, waxing, depilatory creams and epilators. IPL is a fast method of removing hair from almost any part of the body. Women commonly use IPL treatments on their faces, under arms, legs and bikini line, while men use it mostly on their backs and chests.

Book your consultation or appointment with our team at Fresh Faces Cosmetic Medicine, and our highly trained nurses or dermal therapists can answer all your questions about the treatment and what you can expect for results.

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What is IPL hair removal?

IPL has many uses for skin treatments, since the light waves can penetrate the skin to repair scarring and promote collagen production. For hair removal the light travels along the hair shaft to the follicle where the hair is produced. Hair follicles that are in their active growth phase will be heated and destroyed. The surrounding tissue will not be affected.

IPL hair removal is often referred to as “Laser Hair Removal”, but there is a difference. IPL is an intense light source, and a laser – while technically is also an intense light source – is more extreme. Lasers are calibrated precisely and are often used for one specific treatment, while IPL has a broader spectrum and is more of a pulse (not a laser beam), and it can be used for multiple treatments for cosmetics and rejuvenating skin.

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Book a complimentary consultation with one of our Doctors or Registered Nurses.

What to expect

Your Fresh Faces IPL treatment experience.

Before your treatment. Most importantly, don’t tweeze or wax your hairs in the area that you would like to be treated, for four weeks leading up to your treatment. Your hair needs to be attached at the root so that there is pigmentation to absorb the light. Shaving, trimming or bleaching are all fine. You will be asked to shave the treatment area on the day of your IPL treatment, so that your skin is clear of hair for the laser.

Before every treatment at Fresh Faces Cosmetic Medicine, our clients receive a free consultation. This is one-on-one with our nurses or dermal therapists to go over everything you need to know about the treatment. Any potential side effects and aftercare recommendations, and any questions you may have. After the initial consultation, if the patient has not waxed, and the area is shaved, the treatment can begin right away.

Your IPL hair removal treatment. During IPL hair removal, the Dermal Therapist will place the tip of the laser over your skin, pausing to give a pulse of light. The light is absorbed by the melanin, or pigment, of the hair cells in the follicle, and this intense heat destroys hair cells and the follicle. Patients comment that it is much like the snapping of a rubber band on the skin, but some areas are more sensitive to pain than others. Most patients do not require any numbing agent before the treatment.

At Fresh Faces Cosmetic Medicine, we use ETHEREA IPL-Sq®. This advanced system is one of the top rated for its safety, precision, and maximum versatility, particularly for treatments for IPL hair removal.

What to expect

Your Fresh Faces IPL treatment experience.

Before your treatment. Most importantly, don’t tweeze or wax your hairs in the area that you would like to be treated, for four weeks leading up to your treatment. Your hair needs to be attached at the root so that there is pigmentation to absorb the light. Shaving, trimming or bleaching are all fine. You will be asked to shave the treatment area on the day of your IPL treatment, so that your skin is clear of hair for the laser.

Before every treatment at Fresh Faces Cosmetic Medicine, our clients receive a free consultation. This is one-on-one with our nurses or dermal therapists to go over everything you need to know about the treatment. Any potential side effects and aftercare recommendations, and any questions you may have. After the initial consultation, if the patient has not waxed, and the area is shaved, the treatment can begin right away.

Your IPL hair removal treatment. During IPL hair removal, the Dermal Therapist will place the tip of the laser over your skin, pausing to give a pulse of light. The light is absorbed by the melanin, or pigment, of the hair cells in the follicle, and this intense heat destroys hair cells and the follicle. Patients comment that it is much like the snapping of a rubber band on the skin, but some areas are more sensitive to pain than others. Most patients do not require any numbing agent before the treatment.

At Fresh Faces Cosmetic Medicine, we use ETHEREA IPL-Sq®. This advanced system is one of the top rated for its safety, precision, and maximum versatility, particularly for treatments for IPL hair removal.

Expected Results

The hairs that are targeted are in the anagen or active growth phase of the hair cycle. At any given time, approximately 80 – 90% of your hair is in this cycle, which is why you will need multiple treatments to entirely clear an area of all hair. Most patients have 6 to 8 sessions, but the number of sessions will depend on how dark and thick the hair is in the treatment area. After each treatment, hair growth is noticeably less and remaining hairs are finer and lighter. The results can last for years, but with regular treatments, you can maintain a reduction of unwanted hair by 90%. 

Recovery time and possible side-effects for IPL hair removal 

There is no downtime required after IPL, which is unlike other laser treatments where there is redness, blistering and peeling. IPL is gentler, and it is normal for patients to look like they have a slight sunburn or a flush to their skin. You can return to your daily routine immediately after the treatment. If your skin is uncomfortable, like the sensation of sunburn, you can use ice or a cold compress for relief. 

After your IPL treatment, there are a number of things that you should do in order to protect your skin and achieve the best results.

  • Apply moisturizer immediately, and often after your treatment
  • If the treated area is exposed to the sun, use a full spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 to protect against UVA and UVB rays
  • Avoid the sun as much as possible for the duration of your treatments, and to prevent skin damage or complications, use a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 for 30 days after your final treatment
  • Immediately following the treatment, do not apply foundation or powder makeup to the treated area 
  • Do not take hot baths or hot showers for 48 hours after the treatment
  • To avoid infection, do not engage in strenuous exercise or an activity that causes excessive perspiration for 48 hours after the treatment
  • Do not scratch or pick at the treated area, causing irritation or infection
  • Before and after your treatments, do not use Accutane. Additionally do not use forms of Vitamin A acid, including retinoic acid, tretinoin (Retin-A), glycolic acid, and alpha-hydroxy acids

Frequently Asked Questions

IPL Vs. Lasers: What's the Difference?

Intense pulsed light is not a laser per se. It’s an intense light source. But so is a laser, fundamentally-speaking, albeit a far more intense light source. What makes IPL different from laser is that it directs a broad-spectrum high intensity light pulse on the skin instead of a more invasive, precisely calibrated laser beam set on a narrower, specific wavelength.

In other words, IPL operates on a wider range of wavelengths and thus, one IPL machine can treat more than one condition, using special filters to remove unwanted wavelengths and keep only those required for the specific skin concern being addressed.

So if a clinic has an IPL machine, then it’s safe to assume a variety of skin conditions as well as hair removal can be addressed whereas lasers work on a narrow wavelength range, which means a clinic may be able to only address one specific skin concern with one laser machine.

The downside of IPL is that while each individual treatment is allegedly less expensive, safer and gentler than laser, it is also less intensive and as such, the results are not quite as dramatic. Therefore, more repeat visits may be required to produce desired results.

What do I need to do prior to treatment?

In order to minimize any potential side effects, individuals preparing to undergo an either IPL or a Laser treatment should:

 

  • avoid going in the sun without SPF30 sunscreen (must contain UVA and UVB filters) for at least 4 weeks prior to treatment
  • ensure treatment area is free of sunburn, suntan, fake tanning, herpes outbreak (cold sores), inflammatory acne, eczema, hypo or hyperpigmentation
  • If you are using any types of medication for your skin, please consult with our team a few weeks before your treatment, so we can determine if there are any additional risks we should consider.
How long does IPL hair removal last?

Although IPL hair removal perth will permanently and drastically reduce the total number of body hairs.  Most patients are happy with their results after 4-6 treatments, as nearly all of the anagen cycle hairs will have been destroyed during that time. The results can last for years, but with regular treatments, you can maintain a reduction of unwanted hair by 90%. Results will be less noticeable with every subsequent treatment.

Is IPL hair removal safe?

IPL is one of the safest forms of laser treatments. However, there may be a few individuals with higher risks. The Dermal Therapist will check your skin for active infections or open wounds in the treatment area. Patients with darker skin tones have a higher chance for cell damage or discoloration.  

To minimize risks, follow these recommendations:

  • The area must be free of sunburn, suntan, spray tanning, acne, eczema, cold sores, hypo or hyperpigmentation. 
  • Do not take blood-thinning agents for pain (aspirin or ibuprofen) for at least a week after your treatment
  • If you are using any types of medication for your skin, please consult with our team a few weeks before your treatment, so we can determine if there are any additional risks we should consider.
Does it hurt?

Clients and practitioners commonly compare the sensation felt during laser/IPL treatments to a rubber band snapping against the skin. However, what laser resurfacing feels like depends on the laser, the depth and area of treatment, and an individuals tolerance for pain.

Deeper ablative (some outer layers of skin are removed) laser treatments may require local anesthetic injections or a topical cream to keep a patient comfortable.

Some non-ablative laser treatments (the laser passes through the skin without removing layers) cause little-to-no pain and require only a topical numbing cream to offset discomfort. Following the procedure, some degree of tenderness in the treatment area can be expected. Your provider will recommend safe ways to control discomfort after laser resurfacing when necessary.

What do I need to do after the treatment?

In order to minimize any potential side effects, individuals whove just undergone an IPL or laser Rejuvenation should:

  • immediately apply moisturizer and a full spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 protecting against UVA and UVB rays
  • wear full spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 protecting against UVA and UVB rays, every day on the treated area for at least 30 days (failure to do so can result in complications and skin damage)
  • avoid the sun as much as possible for the duration of the treatment plan as well as the next 30 days following the final treatment
  • avoid applying foundation or powder makeup immediately after the treatment session, if possible (although Oxygentics foundations are fine)
  • not take hot baths for 48 hours following treatment (hot showers not recommended either, hot water must not touch the treated area, warm showers are fine)
  • not engage in strenuous exercise that produces perspiration for 48 hours in order to avoid infection
  • not scratch or pick treated area to avoid infection
  • as with pre-treatment measures, avoid using any form of Vitamin A acid for the duration of the treatment plan, including retinoic acid, glycolic acid and alpha-hydroxy acids
  • moisturize frequently
Is there any downtime after IPL?

No. Unlike with most laser treatments, which often require a few days of recovery as a result of extreme redness, blistering and peeling, an IPL treatment requires no downtime, appearing in most cases as if one has just a slight sunburn or exercised on a cardio machine for an hour. You can book an appointment on your lunch break and go back to work right after, with colleagues none the wiser.    

Can Laser and IPL treatments be performed on darker skins?

A common misconception is that laser resurfacing is only safe for light skin types. While it is true that certain lasers pose a higher risk for cell damage or discoloration in darker skin, there are safe and effective resurfacing options.

The best way to ensure a safe, effective treatment for your skin type? Consult with one of our experienced practitioners who have extensive training and knowledge in laser resurfacing procedures and experience working with darker skinned patients.

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