Laser Hair Removal vs. IPL

The two methods of hair removal, laser hair removal and IPL, are hot topics at the moment – with many celebrities endorsing their use and various beauty magazines raving about their effectiveness. But which one is best?

Laser hair removal uses a beam of high concentrated light, targeted at the hair follicle, to kill it from the root. This means the hair is destroyed and will not grow back. The treatment is not painful like waxing or traditional methods of hair removal, and can be completed in a short amount of time. Different types of lasers mean that different patients can be treated, including men or women with varying degrees of hair types. You need multiple treatments to achieve the best results, especially on larger areas of hair, however sometimes only one treatment is needed on some people. Laser body hair removal is now established in many clinics and salons, and is a trusted form of hair removal which is also cost effective.

IPL stands for intense pulsed light. Like laser hair removal, IPL uses a light beam to kill the hair at the follicle which means that the hair cannot grow back. The difference between this and laser hair removal is that the light beam is designed to take a shorter amount of time to remove the hair and is ideal for larger areas of hair removal. However, long term effects of the treatment have not been assessed because it is too new to tell. IPL treatments also require multiple sessions to achieve full effectiveness, and occasionally skin damage can occur but this all depends on the individual. Laser hair removal is a more accurate and effective way to remove unwanted hairs and can be less costly then IPL.