INTENSE PULSE LIGHT (IPL) Intense Pulse Light technology is a treatment which can correct a variety of skin conditions. These include facial skin imperfections, signs of ageing, birthmarks, unwanted hair, unsightly small veins and other blemishes. IPL provides a non-invasive, safe solution tailored to your individual conditions and skin type, providing superior cosmetic results. The new name for this procedure is called Photo rejuvenation.

Laser Hair removes actively growing hair follicles which are destroyed by the laser.  So althougth the price of Laser Hair Removal is higher than the other methods over the short term. The long term return on investmet let alone the time you save by not having to keep up the other treatments means that you will get your money back in a very short time.

Laser hair removal is a tried and tested method of getting rid of unwanted hair and can be used on any part of the body.

The process normally needs about 4 to 5 treatments for full results although very impressive results are normally achieved in the first treatment.

Pricing ranges from a few hundred dollars to thousands.

Here are the prices we charge

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To learn if a specific manufacturer has received FDA clearance, you can check FDA’s Website at Medical Device Databases under the 510(k) database. You will need to know the manufacturer or device name of the laser. You can also call FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Consumer Staff, at 240-276-3103, fax your request to 240-276-3151 or send an e-mail to: DSMICA@cdrh.fda.gov.

Manufacturers should be aware that receiving an FDA clearance for general permission to market their devices does not permit them to advertise the lasers for either hair removal or wrinkle treatment, even though hair removal or wrinkle treatment may be a by-product of any cleared laser procedure. Further, manufacturers may not claim that laser hair removal is either painless or permanent unless the FDA determines that there are sufficient data to demonstrate such results.

Several manufacturers received FDA permission to claim, “permanent reduction,” NOT “permanent removal” for their lasers. This means that although laser treatments with these devices will permanently reduce the total number of body hairs, they will not result in a permanent removal of all hair. The specific claim granted is “intended to effect stable, long-term, or permanent reduction” through selective targeting of melanin in hair follicles. Permanent hair reduction is defined as the long-term, stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing after a treatment regime, which may include several sessions.

The number of hairs regrowing must be stable over time greater than the duration of the complete growth cycle of hair follicles, which varies from four to twelve months according to body location. Permanent hair reduction does not necessarily imply the elimination of all hairs in the treatment area.

FDA does not make comparisons between systems or how well or safely they work compared to another company’s system. FDA does not recommend one laser system over another.

Lasers cleared for body hair removal are also cleared for facial hair removal.

The Intense Pulsed Light hair removal process has become very popular due to its cheaper and faster procedure compared to laser hair removal. The comparison of effectiveness between Intense Pulsed Light and Laser Epilation is debated by scientists, equipment manufacturers and practitioners, but results are generally accepted to be roughly equivalent. It is also used for the treatment of the skin in a process known as photorejuvenation.

Hair removal mechanics

The focused, broad-spectrum light is applied to the surface of the skin by way of either a hand-held wand or an articulated arm. This light travels through the skin until it strikes the hair shafts or the bulb (root) of the hair. The bulb is usually where the highest concentration of melanin is located, as opposed to the rest of the hair shaft. As the light is converted to heat energy, the bulb and most of the hair shaft are instantly vaporized. The intense heat radiated by the hair also destroys the hair-producing papilla or the entire hair follicle. It is also claimed that direct light-heat conversion occurs directly in the darker colored capillaries that bring nourishing blood to the follicle.

IPL technology is also employed in the treatment of medical disorders of the skin including:

• Sun damage induced dyspigmentation and vascular changes
• Poikiloderma of Civatte
• Acne Rosacea
• Broken capillaries/telangiectases
• Vascular and pigmented birth marks

In terms of rosacea, IPL offers one of the few effective treatments to relieve the facial redness associated with the disorder. Such treatment is best administered by a specialist dermatologist. This new technology incorporates ‘dual mode filtering’ and other important advances which result in safer and more effective treatment than older systems designed for hair removal.

The pulses of light produced by IPL equipment are very short in duration, so discomfort and damage to non-target tissues is minor. Most people who undergo IPL epilation only experience slight irritation similar to that of a minor sunburn though under certain circumstances, blisters may occur. Men undergoing the procedure experience greater discomfort as male body hair is generally thicker than women’s. Depending on the instrument settings and intensity, treating sensitive areas such as the chest and face can result in pain comparable to waxing the same areas; however this pain dissipates immediately. The light that emanates from the IPL wand is filtered to remove any ultraviolet components, eliminating the possibility of UV skin damage.

IPL’s (Intense Pulsed Light) work more directly on the top layers of the skin and do not penetrate deep enough to damage hair germ cells, without potential damage to the epidermis.

Laser hair removal helps to reduce hair growth in the long-term The laser is preferentially attracted to the hair over the skin, and therefore the hair is selectively targeted.

Multiple sessions are required to achieve longer lasting results Hair removal with laser is usually partial rather than complete.

Hair removal with laser is not usually permanent, and maintenance sessions may be required Different lasers are used for different skin/hair type combinations including; Fair skin, fine hairs (Apogee Elite 755nm, Ruby laser 694nm) Fair skin, coarse hairs (Apogee Elite 755nm, Ruby laser 694nm)
Olive to dark skin, fine hairs (Apogee Elite 1064nm, Medlite laser 1064nm) Olive to dark skin, coarse hairs (Apogee elite 1064nm, Gemini laser 1064nm)

What is laser hair removal?
Laser hair removal is a process that helps to reduce hair growth and increase the manageability of excess hair in the long-term. Laser energy is used to selectively target and disrupt hair follicles whilst leaving the skin unaffected. It has been used since the 1990’s for this reason, and can help reduce unwanted hair that is usually removed by plucking, shaving or waxing, and make hair management an easier task.

How does it work?
Laser hair removal works by using a laser or light source to target and selectively heat the hair follicle. The laser is attracted to the melanin in the hair follicle where it is converted to heat energy that can destroy the stem cell in the hair follicle and prevent its future growth. The skin also takes up part of the laser energy, but it has the ability to lose heat quicker than the hair follicle, and is left intact. Hair also has a larger amount of melanin than skin, therefore it attracts the laser energy more readily than skin. As a rule, people with darker hair and lighter skin are easier to treat as there is a greater differential between the amount of melanin in the skin and hair.

Laser hair removal works best on the hairs that are in their anagen or active growth phase.

The laser head is placed on the skin, and systematically fired over the areas to be treated. A small ‘prick’ is felt with each laser shot, and this discomfort is usually tolerated well. Skin cooling to reduce the heat and discomfort of the laser on the skin can be built into the laser head, or be a separate cooling unit that blows cold air onto the skin.

How many treatments do I need and how often?

Generally, 3 to 8 sessions are required at 4 to 8 weekly intervals (depending on the area treated) in order to achieve a 60 to 80% reduction in hair growth. The reason why 3 to 8 treatments are required is that laser hair removal works best on the hairs that are in their anagen or active growth phase. Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of hair growth, multiple treatments are required to capture more hair follicles in their anagen phase of growth. The interval between each session is decreased in areas such as the face which has a shorter hair cycle.

The permanence of laser hair removal has always been a debatable topic. In many cases, hair reduction can be achieved for a significant period of time, sometimes years. Although laser hair removal is able to permanently remove existing hairs, this does not prevent the growth of new hairs – this is the case with any laser or IPL system used. Instead laser hair removal allows for easier management of hair, decreasing the need for plucking, waxing, and shaving of hairs.