How exciting it is to be taking the first steps towards your IPL hair removal! Before you jump in and start zapping away, here are a few friendly things to know before booking your first IPL Hair Removal treatment so your journey is smooth, successful, and stress-free.
Before you begin your journey…
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) works by targeting hair at the root during specific growth phases. You see, not all the hair in the treatment area will be growing at the same time. Some hair follicles may be in the “baby” phase, while others might be in the “senior” phase living out their golden years! Translation? You’ll need multiple sessions to see long-term results. This is so that Stick with the plan, trust the process, and don’t panic- the hair is not meant to disappear overnight.
Plus, before booking your first appointment, you’ll wanna make sure you meet eligibility for the treatment.
Planning Ahead: How will you stay smooth?
Put the wax strips down! Waxing, threading, and plucking remove the root IPL needs to work its magic. Shaving is the best hair removal method during your IPL Hair Removal journey.
What does it feel like?
Most people say IPL feels like a quick snap of a rubber band or a warm little zap. Not exactly spa-level relaxing, but totally manageable. Sensitive areas may tingle more—speak up if you’re uncomfortable so settings can be adjusted.
Your skin might look a bit pink or feel warm afterward —this is normal and usually short-lived. In addition, if you have a darker skin tone your skin will retain heat for a couple of hours longer than lighter skin tones.
What about pre and post-care?
Avoid sun exposure and tanning before and after sessions. Plus, it’s a good idea to give yourself a thorough shave usually about 24 hours before treatment. Removing all hair from the area to be treated will maximize success and minimize discomfort.
Keep things gentle post treatment. For example, skip hot showers, workouts, and saunas for a day or two.
Book your appointment to start your IPL Hair Removal journey!Schedule Appointment
Located in Edmonton, Dérmica offers IPL laser hair removal treatments for the legs.
Is phototherapy effective on legs?
Phototherapy, for example IPL and LASER Hair Removal, on the legs is very effective.
In fact, your initial treatment will give you the most noticeable reduction. Clients report an average of 20-60% less hair growth following their initial treatment. Not only do they experience less hair growth, but the texture of the hair also becomes finer and delayed in growth rate.
Each treatment following your initial session will increase the amount of reduction by approximately 10% to maximum of 80-98% overall reduction.
What about legs with light coloured hair?
IPL Hair Removal is effective even on blonde hair!
However, hair colour plays an important role when setting expectations for treatment outcomes. The light energy pulsed by the operating system targets pigment cells found in the hair bulb. As a result, the more pigment cells present, the more energy is absorbed and therefore, producing optimal results.
How long does laser hair removal last legs?
Results vary and can last between 1 – 5 years before a touch-up is required. Although IPL / LASER hair removal are considered methods of “permanent hair removal”, these treatments often require touch-ups. The typical span is 1 to 5 years.
What is the cost of permanent hair removal on the legs?
Please refer to our treatment menu for IPL hair removal cost per session per area, plus a link directing you to contraindications, pre and post treatment instructions.
IPL and LASER are different permanent hair removal procedures that have a similar purpose and achieve similar results.
They achieve their results by emitting a specific range of light energy towards a specific target in the skin.
IPL and Laser are both safe and effective treatment methods for treating skin conditions and permanently reducing unwanted hair. It is important to remember that results vary with both methods, there are specific guidelines to follow pre/post treatment, and number of sessions can range from 4-12.
LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
Lasers operate by emitting a single wave of steady or pulsed laser light into their target. Depending on the manufacturer of the laser equipment, some lasers are not suitable for all skin tones or skin conditions. As a result, the technician is required to use different attachments or machines for treatment.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)
IPL technologies project flashes of light energy onto the surface of the skin. The handheld device is placed directly on the skin and flashed at set intervals. The device emits a broad band of light energy into the skin, which is then quickly absorbed by the target. The diameter covered by the spot size varies and is ideal for larger areas.
At Dérmica, we offer IPL treatments for skin care and hair removal solutions. Our chosen technology is safe and customizable thanks to its ‘DPC’ technology. DPC stands for Dynamic Pulse Control. The DPC technology means that we can determine the “aggressiveness” of the treatment based on the duration of the pulse- shorter pulses are more aggressive, delivering the light beam in a shorter period of time, while longer pulses are less aggressive as they have a longer period to deliver the light beam. The different range of pulse durations results in a major increase in the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.
In a professional setting where the service is delivered by a trained technician there should not be any concern regarding eye damage when having IPL hair removal or any other method of phototherapy. That is not to say there is never reason for concern. However, any contraindications can be determined during your consultation. For example, reasons for concern could include the use of medications that cause sensitivity in the eyes, or recent eye surgery or trauma.
Otherwise, the precautions taken when preparing the client for the treatment are enough to prevent any harmful side effects to the eyes.
How do you prevent eye damage during laser/ IPL hair removal?
Precautions involve the use of goggles. Goggles are made from different materials depending on the manufacturer’s recommendation for the type of phototherapy and the intensity of the treatment. Eyewear protection can range from translucent lenses to fully enclosed goggles. Anything that has been deemed harmful to the vision is filtered out by the appropriate eyewear.
Potential Side Effects to the Eyes
IPL/ laser hair removal is safe for the eyes. Minor side effects include pressure from enclosed goggles during the procedure. Some light may still be visible even with protective eyewear. After the treatment there may be a bit of haziness that lasts a few minutes. This is usually due to the pressure of the goggles and having your eyes closed for so long.
Does IPL laser hair removal have long term side effects?
The long term side effects of IPL Hair Removal may include lightening of the hair tone in the area being treated. In addition, you may also see thinning of the hair growth in that area if and when it starts to come back. Overall, there aren’t really any negative side effects if the treatment course goes well.
However, if there was damage or trauma to the skin during the treatments, then scarring could be a long term side effect.
What is the down side to IPL treatments?
Treatments can be costly when compared to other methods of hair removal, such as waxing. While these treatments may be a higher price point than other methods, they yield permanent results. So, in the long run, if waxing is regularly being used as method of hair removal it eventually balances out.
Another downside could be the time allotted to the treatment for larger areas, for example legs, chest, or back. It can be a lengthy session depending on the individual and how much surface area is being covered.
Finally, having to avoid the sun could be a downside for some people. You cannot have a previous tan or sun exposure during any of your sessions. It is recommended to wait a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the treatment. Plus, afterwards you are to avoid sun exposure as well. So that’s another couple of weeks that your skin needs to stay away from direct and extended sun exposure.
If you have a low pain tolerance take an ibuprofen or acetaminophen prior to your appointment. This will help decrease discomfort.
24 hours or less before your appointment
To maximize the success rate of your IPL hair removal treatments, give yourself the cleanest shave possible. If hair remains on the surface, theKeep in mind that the cleaner the shave, the better the results.
Throughout the course of your treatment
It is important to avoid all forms of hair removal that remove the hair root, for example, waxing. These types of hair removal cause interruptions in your treatment which in turn decrease the success rate.
In addition, avoid heat, friction, and irritants in the area being treated for approximately one week after each treatment. On that note, for irritating razor burn and ingrown hairs we recommend picking up some “Bump Stopper” solution found in the ethnic hair care section at most drug store/supermarkets.
Another tip is to discontinue usage any products containing AHA/BHA/Retin A/Vitamin A on the area being treated 2 weeks prior to each treatment.
Last but not least, we cannot stress the importance of staying on schedule. We need to target those new/recovered hair roots at just the right time!
Wishing you all peace, love, and great skin…and don’t forget to follow the tips above for successful IPL laser hair removal treatments!
