IPL Laser Hair Removal

If you live with unwanted hair, you’ve probably tried some of the typical solutions, such as waxing, shaving and maybe even electrolysis. If so, you’ve also found that shaving is a daily nuisance, and waxing is painful and only a short-term solution. Electrolysis is effective, but since it only treats one hair follicle at a time, it’s not practical for large areas and is extremely time-consuming.

Lasting Hair Removal Through Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

Our intense pulsed light (IPL) system offers a lasting solution for unwanted hair.

Benefits include:

• Permanent hair reduction: Concentrated pulses of light loosen the hair and disable the cells responsible for new hair growth.
• Fast: Small areas, such as the underarms or upper lip, can be treated in ten minutes or less, and even large areas, like the back or legs, can be treated in under one hour.
• Comfortable: Various cooling methods keep the light pulses mild and skin-safe, allowing for more comfortable treatments than electrolysis and waxing.
• Convenient: Unlike waxing, there is no need to let hair grow out between treatments. You can remain hair free all the time.

How does intense pulsed light hair removal work?

Our IPL system uses specialized handpieces that filter light from different parts of the spectrum. Different treatments such as hair reduction, sun spot removal or leg vein clearance require light of different wavelength bands. The IPL hair removal handpieces emit pulses of light into the hair follicles. The light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicles and converted to heat. The heat then loosens the hair and disables the cells responsible for growing new hair.

How is intense pulsed light different from a laser?

Pulsed light systems and lasers are very similar, but IPL systems use a much larger treatment window than most lasers. This spreads light over a wider area of skin and allows faster coverage of the skin and results in a quicker treatment.

What body areas can I get treated?

Most areas except directly around the eyes. The face, upper lip, neck, chest, arms, back and legs all can be treated.

How many treatments do I need?

At any given time, only a portion of hair on your body is in an active growth phase. The hair that is not actively growing can stay on your skin for up to three weeks. Therefore, you will need more than one treatment to affect the growth of all unwanted hair.

Depending on the size of the treatment area, you may require from six to 12 treatments to catch all hairs in their living cycle and achieve permanent hair reduction.

What should I expect after hair removal treatment?

Immediately after treatment, you can expect a mild sunburn-like sensation, possibly accompanied by some minor swelling. This usually lasts for two to 24 hours and can be soothed with cool gel or ice packs. The treated hair continues to appear for seven to 30 days following treatment. This is not new hair growth. It is the treated hairs being expelled from the skin.

Other IPL Treatments

If you want to improve your skin tone, our IPL photorejuvenation process offers comfortable and effective photofacials for the treatment of sun damage, age spots, rosacea and unsightly spider veins, with little to no downtime.

At Water’s Edge Dermatology, our IPL treatments provide the most skin-safe, comfortable and effective laser hair removal available. There is little to no downtime, and you can immediately return to work or other activities.

Do you have questions about a cosmetic procedure or product? We’re here to help. Send us your questions or concerns: Cosmetics Q&A / Ask the Experts.