About to invest in an at-home IPL hair removal device? You might notice that one of the first things a clinic technician will ask you to confirm is your hair colour and skin tone.
‘Why is that important?’, we hear you ask? Sounds kind of unfair, right?
We get it.
However, it turns out that hair root colour and the amount of melanin in the skin are some of the most important factors when it comes to determining the success of a candidate's treatment.
Here’s why...
Intense Pulse Light therapy works by emitting a strong wavelength that targets the pigment in hair. The light gets absorbed by the hair follicle and gets transformed into intense heat (by follicle standards, we promise it’s not too painful overall). This heat ‘damages’ the hair cells resulting in a major reduction in growth.
It’s a similar situation with laser hair removal, which works slightly differently by using a monochromatic coherent light source for a much more intense and targeted focus on the follicle.
Both systems are kind of magic, really. And both work by automatically spotting the darkness in the follicle and targeting that area.
The catch is that if you try to IPL on dark skin tones the IPL device will have difficulty differentiating between the colour (or eumelanin) in the hair shaft and the skin. This doesn’t mean every person of colour isn’t a great candidate for IPL, it just means that the efficacy depends on how dark your skin is. Please check the chart below.
At best, results on very dark skin will be minimal but there is also a risk of long term damage, so best to avoid completely. When using an IPL handset on coloured skin we always recommend keeping the intensity low, and only increasing it if there is no pain whatsoever.
For this same reason, anybody with light coloured hair roots (light blonde, grey, white) and those with red hair roots (which features a different type of melanin, called pheomelanin) may also struggle to see results. It is important to remember that the hair root colour is what is important, most peoples roots are darker than the rest of the hair follicle, it is important to check this. So if you're a red head with brown roots IPL will work for you! If you’re not sure if you’re an ideal candidate, read on.
Again, we know this can be discouraging, however we’ve included a chart below to help you determine which skin tones and hair colours will experience optimal results.
Which Hair Colours & Skin Tones Work Best For IPL Hair Removal?
Now that we’ve spent some time determining exactly who isn’t an ideal IPL candidate, let’s take a minute to share some of the good news.
And there’s plenty.
A large percentage of the population can enjoy the benefits of IPL and here is a handy guide to see if you match up.
Confident you’re a great match for IPL hair removal but still find yourself wondering ‘does IPL hair removal work?’
We’re here to say an emphatic YES—if your goal is to drastically reduce your body hair overall.
In fact, IPL hair removal can reduce hair growth up to 92% in as little as 3 in-clinic treatments.
At home IPL hair removal devices, such as our RoseSkinCo IPL Laser Hair Removal Handset, are more convenient than having to visit a clinic. However, they do work slightly differently and may require a few extra ‘top-up’ treatments every few weeks.
Click here to read our guide on how often to use your RoseSkinCo IPL.
Rest assured, at home IPL hair removal devices utilise clinical-grade technology, ensuring smooth skin satisfaction at a fraction of the full-clinic cost.
The results are effective, lasting, and beautiful.
Finally, if you’re wondering how easy it is to administer your own at-home IPL hair removal then be sure to read our guide on ‘What To Expect When Using Our At Home IPL Machine’.
And if you’re curious about if we’re the real deal, we invite you to read some of our 900+ 5-star reviews from real RoseSkinCo customers.
What If I’m Not A Great Candidate For IPL?
We understand that not being able to experience the benefits of IPL can be frustrating and at RoseSkinCo we are always working to offer beauty treatments that are inclusive for everybody.
That’s why if you’re a melanin-blessed babe or ultra blonde bombshell, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. At RoseSkinCo we offer a 4D Automatic Shaver which delivers one of the most comfortable and closest shaves in the industry.
