What are the problems with IPL machines for your Salon? Well there are a lot of good things about IPL systems, but often Salon Owners want to know the potential pitfalls first!
I’ve been operating IPL and Laser devices for 18 years now in my chain of Salons… so here are the disadvantages of IPL hair removal machines:
- IPL often gets confused as a Laser. It’s not a Laser. It’s Intense Pulsed Light, which is quite different. The light is scattered, so not as focussed, and doesn’t penetrate as deeply.
- It’s not as effective as Laser. Many studies have shown over the years that you’ll need to carry out more IPL treatments to get a good result. So if you were to carry out 6 sessions of Laser with a good machine, you’ll probably need to carry out 8-10 sessions of IPL to achieve the same hair reduction.
- It’s more painful for your clients, and more shocking. Because the light is very bright and fills the room (you can see it even with goggles on) it tends to ‘shock’ the client more than laser. Also it feels more painful than many lasers (especially the ‘less painful’ lasers)
- It’s slower. Most IPL systems cannot fire at the same high speeds that laser can. Also most IPLs require a stop start motion, where you lift and place the head onto the skin, as opposed to a glide motion. This makes the treatment a lot slower overall. As we all know time is money, and clients don’t like procedure which hurt to take a lengthy amount of time.. they’d rather get the job done as quickly as possible.
- You can only treat lighter skin types – and as your client’s skin gets darker then there’s more chance of causing a blister or a burn. This is because IPL systems contain hundreds of wavelengths of light which are easily absorbed by the pigment of the skin.
- You can’t treat clients with tanned skin. You need to be very careful not to treat clients who have a slight tan or even remnants of fake tan, otherwise you can seriously burn them and cause scarring.
- The flash lamp needs changing regularly – which makes it expensive to maintain. Think of the lamp like a light bulb. The lamp is what causes the flash of light, and that deteriorates and runs out, like a light bulb. The lifespan of the lamp is much shorter than the lifespan of most lasers, which means you have to pay out more money on a regular basis. Eg. You may get 20,000-50,000 shots of light with an IPL. However with many lasers you’ll get 10-20 million! You may be paying around £1,000 or more every time you replace the lamp. (You need to check the price with your supplier so you know.)
I hope you have now understood the disadvantages of IPL hair removal machines. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy one for your business. I love my IPL, they can be a great addition if you get the right one and use it to its strengths.
If you need any help with your Salon then feel free to get in touch with me by email: rachael@comeandcopyme.co.uk