Laser Hair Removal in Bellingham, WA
IPL (Intense Pulse Light) Laser Hair Removal
IPL hair removal is an advanced long-term hair removal method where the light is transmitted through skin tissue and is absorbed by melanin, found at the root of the hair. When the light is absorbed, heat is produced which radiates out into the folicle wall destroying the cells so hair re-growth is impeded.
IPL works well on most skin pigmentations without removing any of the pigment and can safely and effectively eliminate hair of all colors: black, brown, red, blond and even white.
Only a few treatments, at monthly intervals, are needed to obtain stunning results. It is very quick, relatively painless with very little redness or skin reaction to worry about.
The IPL system delivers energy to the skin very gently and safely. Plus, the hand piece extracts heat from the skin during each pulse of light for maximum protection. The main side effect is temporary redness which lasts for either a few minutes or occasionally for a few hours. Patients can usually go right back to work.
The light is selectively absorbed by the hair and hair folicles and is relatively painless. The skin itself is exposed to little heat, plus, no irritating chemicals are used and the hairs aren’t pulled on in any way. Patients usually find IPL treatments less painful than laser treatment or electrolysis.
The number of treatments needed depends on the area to be treated, hair density and the contrast between the hair and the skin color. The more contrast between the hair and the skin color, the less treatments you need. People with white skin and light hair would require the most number of sessions. Moreover, your hair grows in cycles and many factors influence its growth, such as age, ethnicity, weight, hormones, diet, metabolism, previous hair removal methods and medical history. All these factors help increase or decrease your hair’s resilience. IPL slows the growing capacity of follicles in the growth cycle at the time of the treatment. You might therefore only need one treatment. However, since some hair follicles may enter their growth cycle after your treatment, 2 to 6 treatments are needed, in average, in order to achieve optimal results. In most cases, a 50% hair reduction is observed after an average of one or two treatments.
The main difference between IPL and electrolysis is that Intense Pulse Light utilizes a range of wavelengths whereas laser has only one single wavelength. This means that the light that causes the hair to be eliminated is not adjustable.
Unfortunately hair texture, color, and size vary from person to person as well as on one’s own body. If you use the same beam of light for different hairs, how can you expect them to be removed with the same efficiency? With IPL, the energy delivered to the area is adjustable. In other words, we have the ability to customize the setting (the wavelength, number of pulses, duration of pulses, delay between pulses, and power delivered) to match each client’s specific hair color, thickness and depth; as well as the color of their skin. Moreover, since IPL utilizes a range of wavelengths, it has other uses.
Besides removing hair from the face and all body areas, it can treat other skin disorders like pigmentation irregularities in the skin due to sun damage as well as small congested blood light systems.