Intense pulsed light
Encyclopedia
Intense pulsed light (IPL), is a technology aimed at producing light of high intensity during a very short period of time. It involves specific lamps together with capacitors whose rapid discharge provides the high energy required.
It is a method of hair removal from the body most commonly employed by medical practitioners and estheticians. It involves the use of a specially constructed xenon flash lamp and focusing optics.
IPL hair removal is cheaper and faster than laser hair removal
. Although the precise effectiveness of IPL compared to laser epilation is debated by scientists, equipment manufacturers and practitioners, their results are generally accepted to be roughly equivalent. IPL can also be used as a skin treatment in a process known as photorejuvenation
.
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 vessels to the follicle. Contrary to what is often announced, Photoepilation is not a permanent hair removal method but a permanent hair reduction method. This means that although IPL treatments with these devices will permanently reduce the total number of body hairs, they will not result in a permanent removal of all hair.
In terms of rosacea, IPL offers one of the few effective treatments to relieve the facial redness associated with the disorder. Such treatment may be administered by a dermatologist or other medical specialist with experience treating skin disorders. 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.
It is a method of hair removal from the body most commonly employed by medical practitioners and estheticians. It involves the use of a specially constructed xenon flash lamp and focusing optics.
IPL hair removal is cheaper and faster than laser hair removal
Laser hair removal
Laser hair removal was performed experimentally for about 20 years before it became commercially available in the mid 1990s. One of the first published articles describing laser hair removal was authored by the group at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1998...
. Although the precise effectiveness of IPL compared to laser epilation is debated by scientists, equipment manufacturers and practitioners, their results are generally accepted to be roughly equivalent. IPL can also be used as a skin treatment in a process known as photorejuvenation
Photorejuvenation
Photorejuvenation is a skin treatment that uses intense pulsed light or other thermal or chemical methods to treat some skin conditions and remove wrinkles arising from photoaging. The process induces controlled wounds on the skin, prompting it to heal itself by creating new cells...
.
Hair removal mechanics
The focused, broad-spectrum lightLight
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
is applied to the surface of the skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
by way of either a hand-held wand or an articulated arm. This light travels through the skin until it strikes the hair
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
shafts or the bulb (root) of the hair. The bulb is usually where the highest concentration of melanin
Melanin
Melanin is a pigment that is ubiquitous in nature, being found in most organisms . In animals melanin pigments are derivatives of the amino acid tyrosine. The most common form of biological melanin is eumelanin, a brown-black polymer of dihydroxyindole carboxylic acids, and their reduced forms...
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
Hair follicle
A hair follicle is a skin organ that produces hair. Hair production occurs in phases, including a growth phase , and cessation phase , and a rest phase . Stem cells are principally responsible for the production of hair....
. It is also claimed that direct light-heat conversion occurs directly in the darker colored capillaries that bring nourishing blood vessels to the follicle. Contrary to what is often announced, Photoepilation is not a permanent hair removal method but a permanent hair reduction method. This means that although IPL treatments with these devices will permanently reduce the total number of body hairs, they will not result in a permanent removal of all hair.
Other usage
IPL technology is also employed in the treatment of medical disorders of the skin including:- Sun damage induced dyspigmentation and vascular changes
- Poikiloderma of CivattePoikiloderma of CivattePoikiloderma of Civatte is a cutaneous condition and refers to reticulated red to red-brown patches with telangiectasias.- See also :* Poikiloderma vasculare atrophicans* Cutis rhomboidalis nuchae* List of cutaneous conditions* Poikiloderma...
- Acne RosaceaRosaceaRosacea is a chronic condition characterized by facial erythema . Pimples are sometimes included as part of the definition. Unless it affects the eyes, it is typically a harmless cosmetic condition...
- 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 may be administered by a dermatologist or other medical specialist with experience treating skin disorders. 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.