Unfortunately, IPL doesn't work for everyone. IPL technology requires contrast between hair and skin to work its magic since it targets pigment in the hair follicle.
Answer: IPL procedures can be underpowered It sounds like you may have had too low of a power setting on your IPL OR the IPL that was used is not able to deliver enough power. It is very important to discern your Fitzpatrick skin type and then set the laser accordingly so you will A.
It's common for IPL to work differently across body areas due to factors like hair thickness, density, and skin tone. For areas like the underarms and chest, hair is often thicker and denser than on the arms and legs, so it might take longer to see significant reduction.
It may take 1-3 weeks for the remaining hair shafts to work themselves out of the hair follicles after IPL. Give it a few more days. The hair shafts being shed from the follicle may appear as thicker hair growing in. There is such a thing as paradoxical increase in hair growth after IPL or laser treatment.
IPL devices aren't suitable for everyone, as they're only able to identify and target hair pigment that is a contrasting shade to the skin. Naturally light blonde, red, white and grey hairs contain little pigment, so IPL typically isn't as effective on people with these hair shades, whatever their skin colour.
You will notice that the hair growth after four weeks of IPL treatment will be lesser and thinner. After completing a session of 12 weeks, the hair growth will reduce completely, providing you with silky, smooth skin for a longer time. However, you may have to continue touch-ups as needed.
What Does Research Say About IPL's Success Rate? Several clinical studies support the effectiveness of IPL for dry eye disease: Significant symptom relief – Research has shown that 80–90% of patients experience improvement in dry eye symptoms after a series of IPL treatments.
Up to a few weeks after treatment, your skin will develop stubble or blackheads as a part of the shedding process that happens from hairs that were partially grown at the time of the procedure.
After an IPL application, it initially appears as if nothing is happening, as no hairs fall out immediately. However, there's no need to worry. With IPL, only the hair root is heated to inhibit further growth. The hair itself remains in the skin.
Pulling out loose hair after a laser hair removal session is not recommended. It disrupts the hair growth cycle; when hairs are loose it means the hair is in its cycle of removal. If it's removed before it dies on its own, it could stimulate hair to grow again.
Avoid sun exposure: Direct sunlight can increase the risk of complications and make the treatment less effective, especially when you're receiving IPL for sun damage. Avoid sun exposure and tanning beds before your session. IPL skin treatments work best on pale skin.
The laser targets the melanin (pigment) in the hair follicles, so when the hair is too light or too closely matched to the skin tone, the laser may struggle to distinguish between the two. As a result, people with light-coloured or blonde hair often experience less effective results.
Remember the laser light is attracted by the pigment of the hair. So due to the lack of pigment in grey/ white hair the laser isn't able to penetrate the skin. And therefore the procedure won't be effective.
Although side effects of IPL are typically rare and minimal in severity, the most common adverse events include pain and erythema. Other reported side effects include edema, bullae, hematoma, crusting, hyper- or hypopigmentation, leukotrichia, scarring, keloid formation, and infection.
Although newer machines have the ability to target all hair colors and skin tones, IPL still tends to work better on thick, dark hair than it does on fine, lighter hair due to the way broad-spectrum light targets melanin pigment. And when it comes to skin tones, IPL is most effective on light skin.
That's because the eumelanin absorbs the strong IPL and laser light energy, which then heats up and damages key areas of the hair follicle. After several sessions it slows and stops your hair growth. Pheomelanin in blonde and red hair doesn't absorb the light energy.
If you've found yourself wondering, “Why is IPL not working on my hair” it could be due to your skin and hair type. IPL can be challenging to use for certain individuals,4 so it's important to know what skin types will achieve the best IPL experience: IPL works best on light, untanned skin.
Why do hairs 'grow' after treatment? Contrary to other treatments, hairs are not vaporised by IPL treatment. The hair follicles are killed by the heat but the hairs remain in the skin and often become attached to the epidermis.
It could indicate that the follicles were not sufficiently damaged during the procedure, which may necessitate further sessions or even alternative treatments, conducted with the same precision you'd expect from plastic surgery procedures.
First things first, let's answer a pressing question: can you use IPL on the bikini area safely? Yes, you can! That is, as long as you have a device, like the Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series, that has a specific attachment designed to work with the contours of this area of your body.
1-3 Days Post-Treatment: Some clients may notice that the hairs fall out after laser hair removal as early as a few days after the session. This early shedding is due to the heat weakening the hair structure. 1-2 Weeks Post-Treatment: For most people, this is the period when the hairs fall out after laser hair removal.
For best results, IPL treatments should be repeated every fortnight, up to six times. You will start to see results after the third treatment. A treatment schedule can help you maintain this rhythm. This is especially helpful if you're treating different areas of your body.
Your first IPL session can indeed bring noticeable changes to your skin, particularly if you're dealing with pigmentation or redness. While some improvements might be visible quite quickly, it's crucial to manage your expectations and understand that multiple sessions often yield more pronounced results.
IPL Photofacial is More Effective at Treating Melasma
Microneedling, on the other hand, promotes collagen production, which can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles—but it's not as effective at treating melasma.