What is the difference between Laser Hair Removal and IPL?

To understand the difference between laser hair removal and IPL hair removal, we must first start with the principles of their functions.

1. What is laser hair removal?

Lasers are monochromatic focused beams. Monochromatic means it has only one wavelength or color.

All crests and troughs of the wave are aligned

Melanin in hair will absorb wavelengths between 600–1100 nm. Therefore, there are different types of professional lasers capable of JOVS Hair Removal. E.g:

• Ruby laser (694nm)

• Alexandrite Laser (755nm)

• Diode Laser (800nm)

• Neodymium:Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser (Nd:YAG) (1064nm)

The cells in the hair follicles that contain melanin absorb the laser pulses, which are converted into heat, which slows down the growth of the hair and gradually achieves the ideal result of no hair regrowth.

It has had many applications since Theodore Maiman created the first laser in 1960. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that scientists discovered that lasers could remove hair. This sparked interest in the beauty industry, who funded research to develop machines, and around the 1990s, laser hair removal finally became available to the public.

Second, what is IPL hair removal?

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. It’s not a laser, but it also uses light energy to slow and reduce hair growth on the body and face. IPL uses a xenon flash lamp that emits diffuse, incoherent light. This means it is made up of many different wavelengths or colors and cannot be focused like a laser. The wavelength of IPL is 500 to 1200 nanometers.