The three most common questions people who are looking for IPL hair removal systems typically ask are:
- Is IPL hair removal permanent?
- How long does IPL hair removal last?
- Is IPL hair removal as effective as in-clinic hair removal?
IPL (Intense Pulse Light) laser hair removal is a minimally-invasive and safe process of removing unwanted hair from the face and body using light therapy. This non-surgical method of hair removal is approved by many worldwide health agencies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada, and can be performed clinically in laser hair removal centers or at home using simple devices like the RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset.
IPL hair removal systems, even though clinically proven to work for permanent hair removal, is an optional investment and knowing whether they can truly lead to permanent hair removal, regardless of how many treatments you need to achieve this, can be helpful in deciding whether to invest in one. Knowing how long IPL hair removal lasts after treatment with IPL hair removal systems can also help you determine if permanent hair removal systems such as the RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset is the best method for your hair removal needs.
Is IPL Hair Removal Permanent?
The short answer is that IPL hair removal can be permanent. The Food and Drug Administration, FDA, defines permanent hair reduction as the “long-term, stable reduction in the number of hairs regrowing after a treatment regime.” This is different from the concept of never growing hair ever again or permanent hair removal. Once your body is alive and functioning, your hair follicles will attempt to rejuvenate and produce hair even if more sparse and slower with each subsequent IPL or laser treatment. IPL hair removal devices and in-clinic laser treatment will put your hair follicles in a state of dormancy, but eventually, hair will grow back finer and fewer, regardless of your choice of hair removal treatment.
Whether you are trying to achieve permanent hair removal using handheld IPL hair removal devices at home, or choosing to work with a laser clinic, you will require multiple treatments before you see a more permanent result. The good news is that laser hair removal at home and in a clinic are equally effective as they work with the same basic principles of using laser beams to achieve permanent hair removal. With in-clinic laser treatment, one specific wavelength is emitted while with IPL handheld devices, several safe wavelengths of light are emitted and filtered to the specific wavelength needed for hair removal. IPL handheld devices can also be used for skin disorders like facial flushing and rosacea while keeping your skin smooth.
When an IPL laser beam is used specifically for hair removal, it is directed to the area of treatment where the melanin in the hair absorbs the emitted beams. This light energy is then subsequently turned into heat energy which destroy hair follicles, leading to hair removal and inhibition of hair growth. Over repeated treatment sessions with a handheld IPL hair removal device like the RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset, hair follicles will progressively diminish, causing reduced hair regrowth and permanent hair removal. Typically, most people will require 6-8 treatments before they see a complete removal of hair within a specific treatment area. However, how fast or permanent IPL hair removal works to achieve complete hair removal also depends on the color of skin, color of hair, and thickness of hair.
How Long Does IPL Hair Removal Last?
Hair is made of two distinct parts: the hair follicle, which is tunnel-like and extends down into the deeper layers of the skin, and the hair shaft, which is what we see above the skin and know as hair. Most regular hair removal processes like shaving with a razor simply crop the visible part of the hair, but the follicles remain in place, allowing the hair to grow back rather quickly, within a day or two, and sometimes even coarser. Waxing can remove hair from the follicles beneath the skin surface; however, since the follicles remain intact, new hair typically reappears within two weeks.
On the other hand, with IPL hair removal treatments, light from the handheld device typically heats the hair and damages the follicle even while protecting surrounding areas. In this way, IPL hair removal treatments reduce the amount of hair follicles present in the targeted area, causing subsequent reduced hair regrowth in that area of treatment. Each subsequent treatment cycle will further affect the regrowth potential of existing hair follicles, leading to reduced hair over a period of time.
After treatment with an IPL device, the current hair cycle is usually disrupted enough that you can see a visible difference in the treatment area. However, it can take up to 2 weeks before the disrupted hair falls out of the destroyed follicles and new but finer hair starts growing. You will need multiple treatment sessions up to 12, depending on your skin and hair type, to achieve more permanent hair-free smooth skin.
So, if you are wondering how long IPL hair removal lasts, remember that even though an IPL hair removal treatment can interrupt and kill the hair follicles in the targeted treatment area, hair may still eventually grow back, even at a reduced pace. In fact, after the first treatment, don’t be surprised if hair regrows almost at the same pace as prior to having had any IPL treatment.
Several things can affect how long the result of your IPL hair removal lasts including genetics, stress, anxiety, changes in your hormones, medications, underlying medical conditions, and nutritional imbalances. If you’re relatively healthy, your hair may regrow faster than someone who may not be as healthy. However, regardless of your skin and hair type, every subsequent treatment will lead to reduced and thinned hair until hair removal is almost permanent.
Is the RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset as effective as in-clinic laser treatments?
Someone buying RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset might wonder if the IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset is as effective as an in-clinic laser treatment. So, how does the IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset compare to traditional laser hair removal? The IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset and clinical laser treatment are both light therapy, which work by emitting wavelengths that target the pigment in our hair. When exposed to a treatment area, the light is absorbed by the pigment and converted to heat energy which kills hair follicles (hair growth cells), thus temporarily disabling hair production. Every subsequent IPL or in-clinic laser treatment causes hair to grow back slower and more sparsely until hair growth is permanently reduced due to the hair follicles being damaged.
The IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset and clinical laser treatment have the same end result of gradually reducing hair growth over several treatments until you get a permanent reduction in hair growth. This makes the RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset and in-clinic laser treatment equally effective with a few minor differences:
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Length of Treatment
Depending on your skin color and hair type, you might need up to 12 weeks of single weekly treatment with IPL to get complete results. You will typically notice more sparse and slower hair growth within the first month with a permanent reduction in hair growth within the three months. In contrast, most people looking to achieve permanent hair removal with in-clinic treatment require about four to six laser sessions spread over six weeks which can take up to nine months to complete compared to three short months with the RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset.
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Follow-up Sessions
Eventually damaged hair follicles will regenerate, so to maintain hairless skin and prevent the hair follicles from regenerating, both in-clinic and IPL treatments require maintenance and follow-up sessions. Depending on your skin type and hair type, most in-clinic laser treatments require at least 1-2 visits to the clinic annually for a retreatment to resuppress the hair follicles. The RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset, on the other hand, can be used every 3-4 months, at home, depending on your skin and hair type, to touch up on new growth and maintain hairless smooth skin.
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Cost and Convenience
Cost and convenience are equally important in determining the effectiveness of both IPL and in-clinic laser treatment. Regardless of how effective a treatment is, if it is not convenient or cost-effective, it will be hard to maintain. Handheld IPL devices are not only less expensive but are also easy to use and more convenient as they can be used safely at home. In-clinic laser treatments, on the other hand, not only require in-person office visits but is also more expensive. These disadvantages can make people less compliant with keeping up with their recommended laser treatment plan, resulting in incomplete treatment and less effectiveness of the clinic laser treatment compared to the RoseSkinCo™ IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset.
Related: IPL Treatment Costs for Hair Removal
