How exciting it is to be taking the first steps towards your IPL hair removal! Before you jump in and start zapping away, here are a few friendly things to know before booking your first IPL Hair Removal treatment so your journey is smooth, successful, and stress-free.
Before you begin your journey…
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) works by targeting hair at the root during specific growth phases. You see, not all the hair in the treatment area will be growing at the same time. Some hair follicles may be in the “baby” phase, while others might be in the “senior” phase living out their golden years! Translation? You’ll need multiple sessions to see long-term results. This is so that Stick with the plan, trust the process, and don’t panic- the hair is not meant to disappear overnight.
Plus, before booking your first appointment, you’ll wanna make sure you meet eligibility for the treatment.
Planning Ahead: How will you stay smooth?
Put the wax strips down! Waxing, threading, and plucking remove the root IPL needs to work its magic. Shaving is the best hair removal method during your IPL Hair Removal journey.
What does it feel like?
Most people say IPL feels like a quick snap of a rubber band or a warm little zap. Not exactly spa-level relaxing, but totally manageable. Sensitive areas may tingle more—speak up if you’re uncomfortable so settings can be adjusted.
Your skin might look a bit pink or feel warm afterward —this is normal and usually short-lived. In addition, if you have a darker skin tone your skin will retain heat for a couple of hours longer than lighter skin tones.
What about pre and post-care?
Avoid sun exposure and tanning before and after sessions. Plus, it’s a good idea to give yourself a thorough shave usually about 24 hours before treatment. Removing all hair from the area to be treated will maximize success and minimize discomfort.
Keep things gentle post treatment. For example, skip hot showers, workouts, and saunas for a day or two.
Book your appointment to start your IPL Hair Removal journey!Schedule Appointment
Intense Pulse Light (IPL) Treatments and Pregnancy
IPL Hair Removal works by emitting a light beam into the hair follicle, this treatment coagulates the melanin when the light beam turns into heat energy. This “zaps” the hair follicle, leaving it unable to grow new hair. While this light beam doesn’t penetrate deeply enough to reach a developing baby, there isn’t enough scientific research proving IPL is completely safe during pregnancy. As a result, we choose caution over risk.
There’s also the effectiveness issue. Hormonal hair growth during pregnancy can make IPL results inconsistent or temporary. This is because during pregnancy, rising estrogen prolongs the hair’s growth phase and reduces shedding. In addition, progesterone supports this effect by counteracting hair‑thinning hormones.
Together, these hormonal changes often make hair appear thicker, fuller, and healthier. In other words, you could go through the treatment and still end up shaving anyway—hardly a win.
So when does IPL become safe again?
Most professionals recommend waiting for IPL Hair Removal treatments until after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Once hormones settle back into their normal rhythm—usually a few months postpartum—your skin is calmer, hair growth stabilizes, and IPL can work the way it’s meant to.
Surprise Pregnancy?
As soon as you know about your pregnancy, stop IPL hair removal treatments and let us know. Pregnancy hormones can make skin more sensitive, more pigmented, and more unpredictable. That increases the risk of burns, irritation, or dark spots.
We can resume your treatments when hormones settle—usually a few months postpartum—IPL works better and more safely. In the meantime, you can continue shaving as pregnancy‑safe standby. It’s not glamorous, but it’s safe and reliable.
Located in YEG, Dérmica offers permanent hair removal treatments.
Our IPL Hair Removal treatment will deliver permanent results on any area of face and body. Above all, razor burn, ingrown hairs, and embarrassing stubble will be a thing of the past!
Your safety is our first concern, therefore, please review the following criteria before booking online.
PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA BEFORE BOOKING ONLINE.
*PLEASE SHAVE AREAS TO BE TREATED TO SKIN BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT.
Time frame: Dependent on size of area being treated.
Pre-treatment protocols:
Must not currently be on or have used Accutane or any other oral prescription acne medications in the past 12 months
If currently using any products containing AHA/BHA/Retin A/Vitamin A on the area being treated, you must discontinue usage 2 weeks prior to procedure
Must wait a minimum of 4 weeks (or up to 6 weeks for darker skin types) from last tanning (artificial or natural) AND/OR waxing session
If currently on any prescription medications, check with your physician regarding possible photosensitivity
Recommended sessions: 8-12
Downtime required: 24 hrs
Contraindications:
Diabetes
Pregnancy
Disorders stimulated by light
Cancer (remission under 2 years)
Epilepsy
Use of photosensitive medication and herbs
Active infection of Herpes Simplex in treatment area
Can you do IPL or laser hair removal over a tattoo?
Phototherapy treatments such as IPL or LASER hair removal cannot be done over tattoos. This is due to the fact that phototherapy targets the melanin (pigment) cells in the hair bulbs. As it happens, the tattoo contains pigment as well. Therefore, IPL or LASER hair removal is going to blast those pigment cells as well. This could cause adverse reactions and side efefcts such as burns.
Also, phototherapy over a tattoo can diminish the pigmentation or even partially remove the tattoo. While laser is used to remove tattoos, the laser equipment used to remove hair does not use the appropriate forms and levels used in tattoo removal light treatments.
Phototherapy around a tattoo
If you are getting IPL or LASER hair removal around a tattoo, it is always recommended that you stay within a centimetre of the border of the tattoo. If there is a faded effect on the tattoo, stay about 2 cm away . The reason for this is that when the light penetrates into the skin we get an effect called ‘scatter’. Although the light pulse is going straight to the target, a bit of light literally scatters on to the surrounding tissue.
How long does IPL take to remove hair permanently?
Plan ahead! Depending on the area being treated, it can take anywhere from 12- 24 months. This is because different areas of the body are treated at different cycles. For example, facial areas are treated on a 4-6 week cycle, whereas body areas are treated on an 8-12 week cycle. The reason for that difference in treatment cycles is because the face has a different growth rate than body hair.
Safe Methods of Hair Removal After Tattoo
If you’re looking for safe hair removal methods after getting a tattoo, shaving and waxing are the most popular methods.
What about hair removal creams?
Epilation creams are typically made of corrosive material that interacts with the keratin protein in the hair which is also found in the skin. In addition, some epilation creams can cause irritation which can distort the pigment in the tattoo.
Located in YEG, Dérmica offers short and long term solutions for hair removal.
Waxing- Short term hair removal
Traditionally, waxing involves the use of warm wax, typically honey or pine resin-based and cloth strips. The esthetician first preps the area by disinfecting and applying a protective barrier to the skin. The warm wax is then applied using a wooden spatula and covered with a cloth strip; this is referred to as strip waxing or soft waxing. The strip is then quickly pulled off parallel to the skin and voilà your skin is left smooth and hair free!
Prior to booking a wax service ensure your hair is at least ¼ inch long, and has not been sunburned, treated with AHA/BHA, or prescription acne medications. Avoid caffeine for a couple hours before your appointment to reduce sensitivity. Results are visible for about 2 weeks, with 4-6 weeks before you are ready for your next visit. After care for waxing includes: avoiding heat, sun exposure, strong/fragranced, lotions, and washes for 24 hours and frequent skin exfoliation.
IPL- Long term hair removal
For a permanent solution, opt for IPL hair removal treatments. These advanced treatments should only be performed by trained and certified technicians. They are somewhat of an investment and can cause injury to your skin if not delivered properly, so do your research and make sure operational requirements are met by both the business and technician.
If you choose to have your treatment performed by the experts at Dérmica, here’s what you can expect:
Our tech begins by disinfecting your skin, she provides you with your protective eyewear, then off she goes zapping away.
Some lasers, like ours, are equipped with cooling systems, making your service a breeze. The cooling system makes your treatment significantly less painful (if at all), and 100% less messy than other lasers.
For the following 24-48 hours you will be required to avoid direct heat, perspiration, sun exposure, strong/fragranced soaps, lotions and washes. Ensure your skin has not been sunburned, treated with AHA/BHA, or medications/vitamins that may affect your skin.
Typically you will notice a stunt in the growth of hair, followed by what seems to be continued growth, then towards your 4-6 week the hair will begin to fall out. At this point you are ready for your next session.
Treatment frequency for IPL Hair Removal (HR) sessions is 1 treatment every 6 to 8 weeks apart for body areas, and 4-6 weeks apart for facial areas. If you are having sessions too close together, you are basically working on hair that is most likely no longer alive. In other words, you are losing financially!
We need a live hair bulb in order to achieve results. Therefore, we need approximately 4-8 weeks of regrowth to have some live bulbs in the skin again. IPL is also something that you don’t want to be using too often. For this reason, we advise our clients that anything beyond 12 treatments within a 12 month period is far too much.
Like any light based treatment, IPL is a form of radiation so you want to make sure you are not overexposing your skin.
Does IPL or LASER remove hair permanently?
IPL and other light based treatments do not remove hair permanently- as in “forever”. There is always a small chance that you may have some regrowth through the years. The amount of regrowth can range from 2-50%. There are certain things that can influence that percentage. For example, hormonal changes, whether that be with age, pregnancy, or health conditions that can bring back hair growth or decrease hair growth.
Another factor to consider is the amount of reduction that was achieved during your treatment course. Regrowth percentage will influence reduction rate. A higher reduction rate, for example, 98% will have a lower regrowth percentage. On the other hand, a lower reduction rate such as 50% will see higher regrowth.
