Lear more about IPL treatments
Dr. Vi Sharma has worked in the field of cosmetic surgery
He has a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery, Monash University; and former member of the Australasian College of Aesthetic Medicine and the Royal Australian College of General Practice.
What happens after intense pulsed light therapy?
After getting your intense pulsed light treatment, you should take great care of your skin to avoid the resurfacing of skin damage. If your skin condition is a result of excessive exposure to UV rays, then always use a sunscreen or cover up adequately when outdoors. It is still better if you can prevent spending as much time outdoors as possible.
Protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat or visors for your eyes. If your skin condition is melasma, it could be more challenging to correct since hormonal fluctuations cause it. Consider an alternative method of birth control, rather than using pills. However, if it is caused by pregnancy, it may go away after a while, with results being more visible after birth.
Using intense pulsed light for hair removal
Intense pulsed light (IPL) is also quite effective in getting rid of unwanted hair just be careful of using it in areas of dermal fillers. For really hairy people, this will come as a relief as it sometimes negatively affects our overall appearance while also reducing body confidence. However, getting rid of unwanted hair using IPL is not meant to be a magical quick fix as it requires perseverance and months of patience to get fantastic treatment results.
IPL treatment is effective in hair removal when the hair is in a growing phase called the Anagen stage. Hair has three life cycle stages, and each hair on the body is usually at different stages most times. So, the average continuous life cycle time will depend on the area of the body the hair is growing. For example, the life cycle is as long as 12 months on the legs and as little as five months at the underarms.
Therefore, you need to have multiple treatments to get all the hair in the treatment area at the Anagen stage and reduce hair growth successfully. This is why you need consistency and patience. Avoid hair removal methods like epilating, sugaring, and waxing while having your laser treatment. Instead, it is advisable to shave before your procedure and in-between treatments as well.
The bad news about this intense pulsed light therapy is that it is not suitable for everyone. It doesn’t work for specific hair colour and skin tones, so you need to be sure that it is right for you. IPL therapy is a no-no for darker skin tones as this technique uses light energy to work on the dark pigment on the skin and hair. This dark pigment will then absorb the light and release heat that damages the hair follicle enough to allow it to fall out.
