At Home Laser Hair Removal - The Truth Behind the Technology
Between shaving, waxing, sugaring, depilatory creams, and all the other hair removal methods, there’s no shortage of options to get smooth, hair-free skin. Of course, if you’re looking for a more permanent solution, or are tired of the mess and hassle associated with things like shaving or waxing, laser hair removal offers many advantages over other methods.
However, there can often be some confusion surrounding the technology used in many of the products marketed as ‘laser’ at-home hair removal devices. While this is hardly surprising, given how often the term ‘laser’ is used to refer to many forms of intense light, most of these devices do not technically use what would be defined as a true ‘laser’ to achieve their results.
With that said, it’s important to know that just because some hair removal devices do not use true lasers in them, it doesn’t mean they are inferior. Quite the contrary, in fact, but we’ll get to that in a moment. First, let’s clear up the true definition of a laser.
What actually makes a REAL laser?
Many people aren’t aware of this, but the word ‘laser’ is actually an acronym, and stands for ‘Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation’. In technical terms, a true laser is a single coherent, focused beam of monochromatic light. To simplify that definition, a laser is a very intense stream of focused light consisting of a single color on the spectrum, such as blue, red, or green.
It is this focus and intensity that makes lasers so particularly powerful in certain applications. However, it is also the source of its limitations when it comes to the effectiveness of its use in hair removal. In fact, there is only one mass-market hair removal device that uses true laser technology. This device, known as the Tria Beauty Hair Removal Laser, is quite popular but not without its drawbacks.
Due to the monochromatic nature of laser light, it is most effective in hair removal when there is a dramatic contrast between the hair pigment and the skin pigment. The darker the hair and the lighter the skin, the better it works. As the hair and skin become closer in tone, the less effective the laser device will be. While this is true of most at home hair removal devices, it’s even more pronounced with this device.
Another drawback of the Tria device is that the treatment area is very small, meaning treatments take much longer to perform.
What’s the difference between true lasers and Intense Pulsed Light?
Most other light-based hair removal devices use what is known as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) technology. The main difference between lasers and IPL devices is that lasers use only one color on the spectrum, whereas IPLs use the full spectrum of visible light. This means the range of skin tones and hair tones that can be treated more effectively using IPL technology are much broader and therefore far more universal in their appeal.
How does laser & IPL light-based hair removal actually work?
Whether you’re using a true laser or an IPL hair removal device, the principle in how they work is virtually identical. When the intense, focused light beam is applied to the area where the hair removal is desired, the light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, creating heat.
This heat affects the cells in the follicle that are responsible for the growth of new hair, gradually reducing the speed at which the growth occurs to the point where it will essentially stop growth entirely. Over multiple successive treatments, the hair will regrow thinner, smaller, and at longer increments, eventually leading to smooth, hair-free skin that lasts for months and months.
It’s critical that we mention that not all IPL or laser treatment devices are safe for use on the face. Due to the sensitive nature of much of the skin on our faces, as well as the potential danger of intense light on the eyes, facial hair removal often requires technology and devices specifically engineered for facial hair applications, such as the Silk’n Infinity, suitable for chin and cheek areas.
Does light-based hair removal work equally well for everyone?
The speed and effectiveness of the treatment are directly related to the type of light used by the device, and the combination of skin and hair pigment of the user. Devices that use true laser technology are generally only viable for people who fit the profile of having very fair skin and very dark hair.
IPL hair removal devices have a wider range of potential applications, and are effective for people with a broader variety of darker skin tones and lighter hair. However, it should be noted that for those users with the darkest skin tones and/or the lightest hair tones, light-based hair removal is not recommended, and alternative methods should be evaluated.
Most manufacturers of light-based hair removal devices will include a reference chart with their products and on their websites that users can use as a quick guide to determine how effective the treatments will be. At a glance, you can see whether your particular tone of hair and tone of skin fall in the range of achieving effective IPL treatment results.
What should I look for in a IPL Hair Removal Device?
For most people, IPL home hair removal devices are a much more reasonable hair removal option when compared to their true-laser counterparts, which can be very expensive. When evaluating the different IPL hair removal devices, there are a few things you should look for to accurately compare their features and benefits.
First, Intense Pulsed Light hair removal devices rely on a special type of glass bulb to produce the flashes of light they use to treat the hair and skin. These bulbs have a finite lifespan, and are rated based on how many flashes they can produce before wearing out.
Some devices use bulbs that can produce 5,000 to 10,000 flashes before replacement is needed, which is about a month or two worth of treatments. Other models have longer lifespans, reaching approximately 30,000 flashes which covers about a year of average treatments.
The Silk’n Infinity IPL hair removal device is capable of providing hundreds of thousands of pulses from a single bulb, providing a virtual lifetime of hair removal treatments for many users.
The IPL bulbs are typically housed within replaceable cartridges that can be changed by the user at home. When looking at the different hair removal devices that use IPL technology, check to see how many flashes the bulb will produce, and the cost of replacement bulbs.
The other thing you’ll want to research before buying is the range of hair and skin tones the device will be able to effectively treat. Some have far more limited ranges than others. Given that many of us have different hair tones and skin tones on different areas of our bodies, a more versatile device will be able to provide better results when treating a variety of spots, such as legs, bikini area, underarms, and others.
Silk’n Infinity Hair Removal Device
When it comes to IPL technology, the Silk’n Infinity provides a suite of benefits that few other home hair removal devices are capable of matching. Engineered in a beautiful and user-friendly design, the Silk’n Infinity is able to achieve spectacular results across a very wide range of skin and hair tones that many other devices are unable to treat. This is thanks to the combination of HPL (Home Pulsed Light) and galvanic energy technologies contained in the Infinity.
The Infinity also has a special quartz flash bulb that produces an astonishing 400,000 pulses, which provides many years of hair removal treatments without ever needing to change the bulb. You’ll love the results that the Infinity will provide, and marvel at the smooth, supple feeling your skin will have thanks to the galvanic energy which stimulates and rejuvenates your skin, providing optimal absorption of moisturizers.
You’ll find that the Infinity works equally well at treating small, focused areas as well as large areas using the pulse-and-glide technique. With the Infinity, you have complete control over your hair removal treatments.
Discover the Difference of At-Home IPL Hair Removal
Throw away that razor, toss the wax in the trash, and forget about messy depilatory creams. With an at-home intense pulsed light hair removal device like the Silk’n Infinity, you’ll have great results without the hassle, mess, or constant regrowth. IPL hair removal is safe, effective, and devices are extremely easy to use.
There’s no time like the present to make the change and start realizing the benefits of at-home IPL hair removal technology. You’ll be amazed at how great you’ll feel with your smooth, soft, hair-free skin!
