If you’re a salon owner looking to invest in a piece of equipment.. you’re probably wondering whether to go for IPL or Laser for hair removal.
It’s easy to get baffled and confused by all the options, and to really understand the difference between IPL and laser. However there’s a big difference and it’s important for you to know, so that you can make the best decision for your salon.
What is the difference between IPL and Laser Hair Removal?
There are many similarities but these two technologies are different, and that means quite a big difference for you. Despite this, salons and clinics up and down the country often refer to them as the same thing.
So here’s your jargon free guide. IPL or Laser hair removal….
The Difference
Lasers produce a beam of light which is just one colour.
- That light goes in one direction only, and is very focused, and therefore very effective. It goes into the skin/hair follicle where you point it!
- Hair removal lasers deliver a particular colour of red light to destroy hair.
- Some Lasers can be safely used on all skin types from the lightest to the darkest skin. (In general IPLs are not safe to use on dark skin types as they will burn the skin)
- A Laser beam will tend to go deeper into the skin and hair than IPL.
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light.
- This technology is a mix of many colours of light, so it looks very much like ‘white light’.
- It doesn’t go in one direction – it’s scattered a bit like a powerful camera flash. Plenty will go into the skin, and plenty will also fill the room, so it looks very bright.
- It’s not as focused as laser and generally should not be used on dark skins, as it will burn them.
- It doesn’t penetrate as deeply into the skin so does not usually destroy the hair as well as a laser.
The Similarity
Both IPL and Lasers are great technologies and can work well in the right salon and on the right clients. They will both reduce the amount of hair growing if carried out correctly.
The way they do this is by generating light, which is flashed into the skin and hair follicle. As long as the hair has colour (so it’s not blonde, grey or very pale) it will absorb the light and this causes heating. It is the heat created in this reaction which destroys the cells so the hair does not grow back.
Is IPL or Laser Hair Removal better?
In general Lasers perform better than IPL at reducing hair growth. This tends to be because the light penetrates better and is exactly the right colour to be absorbed by the colour in the hair.
However some IPLs can perform as well as Lasers, which is more down to the quality of the IPL and also down to the Laser/IPL technician.
If you have a great Laser and a poor Laser technician, then you’ll get poor results. Whereas, if you have a good IPL and a good technician then your results will be good! If you have a good Laser and a good Laser technician then you’ll get even better results.
Clinical trials have shown that the results of an average laser will be better than the results of an average IPL. So if you have 6 sessions of Laser, you’ll need approximately 8 sessions of IPL to get the same result. Saying that I have personally experienced an exceptional IPL which is nearly as good as Laser.
What else should you consider when comparing IPL and Laser for your salon
The newer generation of Diode Lasers have become very popular for Salon Owners for a few reasons:
- Diode Lasers are much faster than IPL, which makes the treatment easier for the therapist and the client.
- It’s less painful to have a Diode Laser treatment than an IPL treatment, so again nicer for your clients.
- Diode Lasers are safe to treat on all skin types, so it doesn’t matter if your client is very fair or very dark skinned.
- IPLs are not safe to use on darker skin types.
So as a Salon Owner why would you offer IPL and not just Laser for hair removal?
The answer for this is quite simple, it’s down to cost and the multi-functional capabilities of an IPL. Since an IPL produces many colours of light, it can be used to treat other things. The investment to purchase a good Laser or IPL is a big one, although not as big as it used to be.
So if that machine can also be used to not only get rid of hair but also improve the skin, it becomes more attractive to buy. That’s why some salons and clinics will opt to invest in an IPL instead of a Laser.
However I’m now seeing more and more clinics swap from IPL to Laser for hair removal. That’s because the price of lasers has come down and because they’re more effective, faster, easier to use, and nicer for the client.
In summary Lasers:
- effectively destroy hair by the absorption of light, causing heat
- produce a single beam of red light that goes straight to its target
- go a bit deeper than IPL to get the hair
- can be used on all skin colours (if the correct laser)
- usually get better results than IPLs
- primarily used for hair removal
- are quicker, less painful and easier to operate
IPLs:
- effectively destroy hair by the absorption of light, causing heat
- produce a mixture of light colours
- scatter light in every direction, so not as focused as laser
- generally not safe to use on dark skin, but fine for fair skin
- can get very good results if a good IPL and a good operator
- used for hair removal as well as skin treatments
- more painful to have, and slower to use
My Opinion
I started off with an IPL and then converted to Laser for hair removal. I would never go back to IPL as my main choice of system for hair removal now, because it’s more painful, time consuming and overall not as nice to use or to receive!
In my experience clients are much more willing to book multiple areas when having Laser than IPL, and are not put off by the sensation and flashing light. That said, IPLs have their place and do have multi-functionality. I still use my IPL – but only for skin treatments. I much prefer Laser for hair removal!
I hope this guide helps in your IPL or Laser hair removal decision! If you’d like any more information or would like some advice, please email me here: rachael@comeandcopyme.co.uk and I’ll be happy to organise a chat.