A Clinician’s Overview of IPL Treatment: Understanding the Technology

Intense pulsed light, or IPL, is  commonly used by aestheticians and other practitioners to remove body hair through focusing optics and a specially constructed xenon flash lamp light source. This technology is also employed in treatment of skin centered medical disorders such as  sun damage induced uneven pigmentation and vascular changes,  poikiloderma of civatte, extreme acne, Rosacea,  capillaries and telangiectases, vascular birthmarks and  pigmented birth marks. This  treatment technology incorporates what is known as dual mode filtering, an important advance which results in more safety of the client and more effective treatment than previously used systems.

How The Process of IPL Works

Focused  broad spectrum light  in IPL treatment is applied to the skin surface by use of either a hand-held wand or an articulated arm. The intense light  waves travel through the skin tissue  until it strikes hair shafts or the bulb of the hair, the hair root itself.  The hair root is where the highest concentration of melanin is. When light strikes the melanin, which is dark in color, the light is then converted to heat energy, which vaporizes the hair shaft. Intense head radiated by the hair will then destroy the entire hair follicle.

Intense Pulsed Light Is Of Short Duration

Light pulses produced by the IPL devices are of short duration which keeps discomfort to a minimum. Clients may experience a slight irritation which is much like a minor sunburn. At worst a small amount o blisters can occur.  Men tend to have more discomfort since men’s hair is thicken than women’s.  Also treatment of sensitive body areas such as the face and the chest can result in minor pain, much like that which comes from waxing. The pain, however, does go away quickly.  UV skin damage is avoided through filtering of the IPL wand.

Popularity of Intense Pulsed Light Is On The Increase

The popularity of IPL is increasing.  The cost is low and the procedure doesn’t take a lot of time.  It also compares in a favorable manner to laser hair removal which is a much more expensive process which takes more time.  Most people consider the results to be roughly equivalent.  Most clients who undergo intense pulsed light treatment report good results, and in the hands of a skilled aesthetician the procedure is safe for most skin types. The popularity is bound to continue to grow.