Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Hair Reduction
Most adult humans develop body hair and some are hairier than others. There are sometimes medical conditions for this but other times it is just genetic or the way we are.
History is full of different methods of removing body hair such as plucking, waxing, shaving and so forth.
All of these techniques remove the actual hair but do not have any effect on the hair follicle and therefore do not have any influence on further hair growth. In fact, some seem to stimulate the follicles so subsequent hair grows thicker, stronger and faster.
With modern technologies, it is now possible to treat many people's hair using IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). This not only treats the hair itself but also treats the follicle, either destroying it or reducing its effectiveness, giving permanent hair reduction.
How does Depilation work ?
The laser energy is absorbed by the hair which creates a heat that destroys the hair root without causing damage to the skin. The light is quickly passed over the area, treating many hairs with one pulse.
Hair grows in cycles. These cycles are known as anagen (growing), catagen (resting) and telogen (dying).
In order for the treatment to be effective the hairs must be at the anagen stage.
There are two important regions in the skin which are responsible for hair growth - The dermal papilla and the `bulge` a region of cells which contain the germ cells which `re-seed` the follicle if the dermal papilla is damaged.
It is essential that both of these areas are destroyed to achieve permanent hair reduction. Using intense pulses of light it is possible to heat the hair shaft which in turn heats the surrounding cells. The cells in close contact with the hair shaft are those which we wish to kill, i.e. the dermal papilla and the bulge.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) produces heat in the hair follicle causing damage to the cells; but without removing or damaging the outer layers of the skin. If enough damage is done, it will prevent the hair from growing any further. Several treatment sessions are needed at the beginning due to the natural hair growth cycle; most effective during the "anagen" phase, when new hairs start to grow.
Intense Pulsed Light systems are different from lasers in that they can deliver hundreds of wavelengths (or colours) in each burst of light. Certain filters are used that target these flashes of light so that they can work in as precise a way as lasers. Simply, the burst of light to the hair causes damage to the follicle in the same way as a laser.Hair follicles are heated using IPL. This damages the hair follicle, which prevents the hair from growing again. Each treatment may take between 15 minutes to over an hour. Your eyes must be protected with specially designed goggles during the treatment and there may be a certain amount of pain.
The number of treatments needed will depend on the area to be treated and the system which is used - different systems will work differently on different skin types and hair colours. In addition, the laser beam only works on hair follicles which are actively growing at the time of the treatment - and hair will continue to grow from follicles which are not active at the time of the treatment. This means that a course of treatments may be needed before the area is fully clear of hair. The duration of this course of treatments may be up to a year.
You will be requested to complete a personal health questionnaire list before the treatment begins. This is to ensure that the treatments are suitable and that they are tailored to your personal requirements.
Treatment by Fully Qualified Laser Professional, so you can rest assured you will be in safe and experienced hands.
PLEASE NOTE, I AM UNABLE TO TREAT SKIN TYPE VI (BLACK SKIN) ALTHOUGH MIXED RACE IS TREATABLE.
Before and After Pictures:
