IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light technology. London Body centre IPL hair removal devices apply very gentle pulses of light to the hair root. This makes the hair go into its resting phase: the hair you have falls out, and gradually your body grows less hair in that area.

 IPL stands for intense pulsed light. It’s a type of light therapy used to treat wrinkles, spots, and unwanted hair.

You can use IPL not only for lasering away unwanted hair but also to minimize or remove:

• age spots
• sun damage
• freckles
• birthmarks
• varicose veins
• broken blood vessels on your face
• rosacea
• hair on your face, neck, back, chest, legs, underarms, or bikini line

IPL is similar to a laser treatment. However, a laser focuses just one wavelength of light at your skin, while IPL releases light of many different wavelengths, like a photo flash.

The light from IPL is more scattered and less focused than a laser. IPL penetrates down to the second layer of your skin (dermis) without harming the top layer (epidermis), so it causes less damage to your skin.

Pigment cells in your skin absorb the light energy, which is converted into heat. The heat destroys the unwanted pigment to clear up freckles and other spots. Or, it destroys the hair follicle to prevent the hair from growing again.

You can use IPL anywhere on your body, but it may not work as well on uneven areas. It isn’t recommended for people who tend to get thick, raised keloid scars or who have darker skin tones. It’s also not as effective on light-colored hair as it is on darker hair.

 Before your IPL procedure, your skin care specialist will examine your skin and let you know what to expect. Let them know if you have any skin conditions that might affect healing after your treatment, such as inflammatory acne or eczema.

You will be asked to complete a Fitzpatrick skin typing form as well as a medical history form before we even book the patch test and consultation.

Your skin care specialist may recommend that you avoid certain activities, medications, and other products for two weeks prior your procedure.

You should avoid

• direct sunlight
• tanning beds
• waxing
• chemical peels
• collagen injections
• drugs that increase your bleeding risk, such as aspirin (Ecotrin) and ibuprofen (Advil)
• creams or other products that contain vitamin A, such as RetinA, or glycolic acid

Before your IPL procedure, your skin care specialist will examine your skin and let

Your skin care specialist first cleans the area that’s being treated. Then they rub a cool gel onto your skin. Then, they apply light pulses from the IPL device to your skin. During your treatment, you’ll need to wear dark glasses to protect your eyes.

The pulses might sting your skin. Some people liken the feeling to being snapped with a rubber band.

Depending on which part of your body is being treated and how large the area is, the treatment should take 20 to 30 minutes.

To get the results you want, you may need to have 6-20 treatments. Those treatments should be spaced about 2 weeks to one month apart to let your skin heal in between. Hair removal requires 6 to 20 treatments.

 You should be able to go right back to your regular activities. The treated area of skin will be red and sensitive for a few hours, as if you got sunburned. Your skin may be slightly swollen, too. Your skin will continue to be sensitive for a couple of days after the procedure. You may need to avoid using hot water on it until your skin heals.