Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal For Men (IPL)

Intense Pulsed Light hair removal for men (IPL) is an increasingly popular choice given its widespread availability and ability to cover wide areas of hair removal in a relatively short period of time.

IPL has become increasingly popular for hair removal amongst both men and women and is an alternative to laser hair removal. Men particularly are interested in the fact that it covers a large area of hair removal that electrolysis can’t ie. back, shoulders, legs, arms, chest.

It’s important to note that IPL is not laser hair removal. IPL was actually designed to treat vascular conditions and other skin conditions before it became known for hair removal. It’s a different and newer technology than laser and the process itself is different in several ways which we’ll discuss below.

Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal For Men

I found a local clinic that offered the IPL hair removal option and I chose to go down this route when I was considering hair removal for my back and shoulders. You might be interested to read more about my specific experience with IPL hair removal by clicking here. On this page that you’re reading now, I’ll discuss more about the pros and cons and the actual procedure itself.

IPL hair removal involves the use of a handheld device (or wand) that is held directly against the hair being treated. Before treatment begins, the hair that is being treated is trimmed with clippers. The shorter the hair the more concentrated the light will be and more effective the result. With a shorter hair, the light flash doesn’t have to travel as far to the root which makes it better able to damage the hair to effectively kill it.

After trimming the hair, a clear cooling gel is then applied to the skin before treatment and the actual treatment can then begin. In my experience, the gel came directly from the fridge and it was super cold.

The person operating the IPL hair removal machine then begins the process. In my case, a nurse who was trained in hair removal and IPL who worked at the local hospital operated the machine. She would press a button and the device would flash a light that zaps the hair. The nurse then moved the IPL head to the next spot to be treated and the process repeated.

Each part of my body was treated only once. Every so often she’d wipe the gel off the IPL head before continuing the hair removal.

IPL Hair Removal versus Laser Hair Removal

There are several key differences between Intense Pulsed Light hair removal and laser hair removal:

IPL requires the use of a cooling gel

If you have a clear gel applied to your skin before treatment, you’re most likely having IPL done and not laser. IPL always uses gel and I have heard of some laser clinics who use a gel too but it’s something you’ll definitely experience with IPL. It adds a bit of time to the process and uses quite a bit of gel for larger areas of hair removal as it has to completely cover the skin to be treated.

IPL uses a larger wand

The actual attachment that is used during the procedure is called a wand and it’s the device that is held up against your skin that emits the light to treat the hair to be removed. The IPL wand is quite large certainly in comparison to most laser wands.

Thus, IPL can generally cover a larger area of skin and hair than laser hair removal which uses a smaller handheld device.

IPL uses a broad unfocused light

IPL uses a broad unfocused light whereas laser utilizes a focused single beam of light. Because the IPL light is less focused, you’ll tend to find the home products you can buy utilize a similar if not the same technology. It’s because of this reason that some people feel laser is a better option for hair removal given it’s focused and more pointed beam of light.

So to summarize, Intense Pulsed Light is not a laser hair removal option but works using similar principles as a laser. It uses a pulsed light to heat the hair to disable its ability to grow and possibly eliminate its ability to regrow permanently with repeated treatments.

Typically, the treated hair will fall out a few days after treatment. You may find that you experience ingrown hairs shortly after the treatment which typically disappear after a few days. Skin might be sensitive as well so you should avoid tanning until your skin has fully healed.

IPL Permanent Hair Removal “Guarantee”

Chances are you won’t see the IPL service promising permanent hair removal and you’ll probably see it advertised as offering permanent hair reduction instead.

“Permanent hair removal” would denote removing the hair forever so you’re more likely to see clinics promising that they will help you permanently reduce the amount of unwanted hair which is easier to accomplish.

With multiple treatments of course. Hair grows in cycles so you can’t expect to have all your unwanted hair treated in one session. Hair growth dictates that you’ll have multiple visits needed depending on how much hair you have to be removed.

Here are some things to think about if you’re considering Intense Pulsed Light including my experience with it.

Intense Pulsed Light: Benefits

• Patients generally regard it as being more gentle than lasers and electrolysis. The feeling is often compared to the flicking of a rubber band against your skin.
• Can provide good long term hair reduction with multiple treatments spaced apart properly.
• Can cover large areas of hair relatively quickly with the larger wand than laser uses.
• Machine settings can be tailored based on the characteristics of the person’s hair type and pigment and can be adjusted during the session depending on your specific needs.
• Side effects tend to be minor ie. temporary skin redness, ingrown hairs.

Intense Pulsed Light: Considerations

• Can be expensive and usually requires multiple treatments for long term success.
• Requires professional expertise to operate the IPL machine for safe and optimal results moreso than laser hair removal.
• Can produce some skin discoloration if not operated properly. I personally experienced some burning on my shoulders after one treatment and discoloration that lasted over a year.
• Requires patients to avoid direct sun exposure before treatment and for a few days afterwards ie. avoid tanning and using self tanning products on the area being treated.

Intense Pulsed Light: Ideal Candidates

The ideal candidate for IPL tends to be someone with:

• Light-colored skin and dark hair. The IPL light distinguishes between the skin and hair and picks up the hair to be removed accordingly. The light has difficulty picking up darker skin and lighter colored hair.
• Untanned skin. Stay away from the sun before treatment to avoid hurting the results you may achieve.

Speak in person with the local clinic that you’re considering to get a better sense as to how IPL can help you and if you’re a suitable candidate. Ask for a test session if needed to see how your skin reacts.

IPL Versus Laser Hair Removal

Customers of both types of hair removal technology often have their favored brand. Even practitioners get in on the act and claim favoritism with some preferring one type over the other.

But what is better, IPL or laser hair removal?

IPL is a single type of hair removal machine whereas laser encompasses four main types: Ruby, Diode, Alexandrite and Nd: YAG lasers. Each laser product operates slightly different at a different wavelength and may benefit one person over another.

IPL tends to be good with those people with light skin and dark hair because the IPL machine looks for the contrast between skin and hair color.

Some newer lasers are better than IPL for people with darker skin, those who have lighter, finer hair and those with coarse hair, things that IPL isn’t as good with.

In general terms though, laser hair removal tends to be seen as “better” for long term results since it uses a focused, single beam that targets a specific area for hair removal whereas IPL uses a broad beam that isn’t focused.

Then again, IPL tends to be able to cover a wider area of hair at one time which might still offer you decent results at a good price, maybe better than laser.

So your individual goals and situation may dictate which option is better for you. Speak with different hair removal specialists to discuss your specific situation. Intense pulsed light hair removal for men remains a viable option in my opinion for long term hair removal. But laser hair removal options are also worth checking out in detail as a comparison.

And just for the record, although I haven’t visited my IPL practitioner in years, I checked out their website and noticed that they now only offer laser hair removal. The IPL service is not advertised.

Having said that, you might be interested in some recent IPL hair removal research that ponders whether Intense Pulsed Light hair removal might actually offer “permanent” results moreso than first thought.

Laser Hair Removal Comparisons

Thinking about laser hair removal instead of IPL? Check out my very detailed page that discusses all four laser hair removal options for men including Diode laser, Ruby laser, Alexandrite laser and Nd: YAG laser.

Remember: IPL is not laser hair removal and is a slightly different process. I’ve written about my 16 visits to a clinic to have IPL hair removal done and you can read about more about my experience to help you better understand the procedure and how it worked for me.