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
Located in Edmonton, Dérmica offers IPL laser hair removal treatments for the legs.
Is phototherapy effective on legs?
Phototherapy, for example IPL and LASER Hair Removal, on the legs is very effective.
In fact, your initial treatment will give you the most noticeable reduction. Clients report an average of 20-60% less hair growth following their initial treatment. Not only do they experience less hair growth, but the texture of the hair also becomes finer and delayed in growth rate.
Each treatment following your initial session will increase the amount of reduction by approximately 10% to maximum of 80-98% overall reduction.
What about legs with light coloured hair?
IPL Hair Removal is effective even on blonde hair!
However, hair colour plays an important role when setting expectations for treatment outcomes. The light energy pulsed by the operating system targets pigment cells found in the hair bulb. As a result, the more pigment cells present, the more energy is absorbed and therefore, producing optimal results.
How long does laser hair removal last legs?
Results vary and can last between 1 – 5 years before a touch-up is required. Although IPL / LASER hair removal are considered methods of “permanent hair removal”, these treatments often require touch-ups. The typical span is 1 to 5 years.
What is the cost of permanent hair removal on the legs?
Please refer to our treatment menu for IPL hair removal cost per session per area, plus a link directing you to contraindications, pre and post treatment instructions.
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
Located in Edmonton, Dérmica offer IPL hair removal treatments to remove hair on the face permanently.
Can IPL remove facial hair permanently?
IPL equipment delivers results by emitting a specific range of light energy towards a specific target in the skin. When it comes to facial and body hair, the target is the hair bulb.
Hair colour plays an important role when setting expectations for treatment outcomes. The light energy pulsed by the operating system targets pigment cells found in the hair bulb. As a result, the more pigment cells present, the more energy is absorbed and therefore, producing optimal results.
IPL Hair Removal Treatment Protocols
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.
Pre-treatment protocols:
Must not currently be on or have used Accutane or any other oral prescription acne medications in the past 12 months
Discontinue usage any products containing AHA/BHA/Retin A/Vitamin A on the area being treated 2 weeks prior to procedure
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
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
Use of anticoagulants
If any, potential side effects can include discomfort and fragile skin. Visible effects, for instance, edema (swelling) and erythema (redness), can last up to 24 hours.
Your technician will conclude the session by providing Post Care instructions. After that, you can expect your hair to shed approximately 2 weeks post-treatment. Subsequently, we recommend rebooking every 4-8 weeks.
Treatment course length
Facial areas require shorter rebooking timeframes than body areas. We recommend 8-12 treatment sessions spread 4-6 weeks apart. That is to say, a successful IPL treatment course requires commitment.
Treatment Tips
Phototherapy treatments “zap” live hair follicles while waxing removes them from the bulb. As a result, waxing counteracts IPL and laser treatments. Consequently, shaving is the only method of hair removal in between sessions.
Additionally, exfoliating twice per week will help prevent ingrown hairs.
Please shave the morning of your appointment. Furthermore, area should be shaved flush to the skin for best results.
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.
What is the difference between Electrolysis vs IPL Hair Removal? If you are in search for permanent hair removal services, you may have come across these two methods.
Differences in treatment areas.
Electrolysis can be used on any hair colour, type, and area, including close to the eyes. For example, back in the day, women used it as a method for permanently shaping brows. Today, electrolysis is used primarily for random white chin hairs, the upper lip, and other small areas.
IPL Hair Removal is a popular choice for larger areas such as legs, arms, back, chest, full face, or bikini. However, hair colour plays an important role when setting expectations for IPL treatment outcomes.
What about treatment costs?
Treatment costs differ between these two treatments. IPL treatments are charged per service. In contrast, electrolysis treatments are often charged as a sitting fee.
Longevity
With electrolysis, once a hair bulb is treated, it’s gone! You only need one treatment per hair bulb. Electrolysis injects energy directly into the hair bulb via a needle or electrical charge. As a result, it can boast permanent removal. On the down side, electrolysis is a slow progression because you are working on small areas at a time. Therefore, it is not ideal for legs or other large areas.
LASER and IPL Hair Removal are ideal for intimate areas.
IPL Hair Removal requires multiple sessions to achieve similar results. This is due to the different hair growth stages at any given time. With IPL, the root bulb has to be big enough and have enough melanin to yield results. IPL or LASER hair removal can offer a permanent 98% reduction rate.
Which is best for you?
Now that you know a little more about electrolysis vs IPL hair removal, you can make an informed decision when selecting a treatment course. Dérmica offers IPL Hair Removal as a treatment for permanent hair removal/reduction.
