A lot of people wonder about is at home laser hair removal safe or not? what are IPL hair removal side effects? Is it worth the money? And how to choose the best IPL device for home use?
Laser hair removal machines for home use made removing unwanted hair much easier in your own home. It is easy to use and it saves money and time. A lot of people consider laser hair removal at home more helpful than going to the spa. It is easier to track your progress and to finish the treatment at home.
Here is all the information you need about laser hair removal for personal use.
Table Of Contents
Is at-home laser hair removal safe?
At-home hair removal devices are safe for adult use. It is suitable for both women and men. Make sure that you follow the instructions to avoid skin inflammation and burns. A personal IPL machine won’t give you the same results as a professional IPL. it is less effective but safer to use without supervision. You can reach the same results using an IPL device but it will take a longer time.
Tips for using IPL hair removal at home
Make Your Own Research First
In general, laser hair removal devices for home use are very safe. They are a great alternative option to professional laser treatment. Personal devices use IPL and not a laser but both work by targeting the melanin inside the hair follicle. The heat destroys unwanted hair and suppresses the hair growth cycle. Personal machines are generally safe. It reduces hair growth and it doesn’t remove it forever from the first session. That’s why you should do maintenance sessions to get long-lasting results.
Consider Your Skin & Hair Color
Laser target the melanin inside the hair follicle. The more difference between the skin tone and hair color, the more effective is the treatment. IPL uses more broad-spectrum beams to remove unwanted hair. It is suitable for a variety of skin tones and hair types. You should read the instructions carefully before using your IPL device to make sure that it is suitable for your skin tone and hair type. You should consider visiting your doctor and asking him if laser hair removal is suitable for you or not if you are still not sure about trying laser hair removal at home. We don’t recommend using a personal hair removal device if you have dark skin or you have tanned your skin recently. You might get skin scars, burns, or hyperpigmentation if the laser used is higher than recommended for you.
Use A trusted IPL Device
Whether you tried laser treatment before or not, Philips Lumea is a great choice for personal hair removal. There are millions of women who use Philips Lumea over the world. It works corded and cordless. You can use it for almost all body parts. The device comes with 4 heads for treating the face, body, underarms, and bikini line. The new edition of Philips Lumea has 450k flashes which last for more than 15 years according to the manufacturer.
Read more: Reviews For Philips Lumea 9000 Series
Read more: Does Laser Hair Removal Work for Blonde Hair?
Laser Hair Removal During Pregnancy
You shouldn’t use laser hair removal if you are pregnant. Until now, doing laser hair removal during pregnancy is not tested and there aren’t enough data about the safety of performing laser treatment on the mother and the baby. Pregnancy causes hormonal changes to the mother which might cause the hair to appear more often and thicker than before pregnancy. However, this hair usually sheds off after the delivery.
If unwanted hair doesn’t go away after the delivery, you can try an at-home laser hair removal device. You should visit your doctor first and discuss the best time to get laser hair removal treatment. Your doctor might advise you to wait a few weeks before starting your IPL sessions.
IPL Hair Removal Side Effects
IPL hair removal side effects are minor and don’t happen to most people. You might feel slight pain during the session. Some people noticed that their skin become pink and sore after finishing the treatment. Such side effect usually disappears in the same day. You might feel mild sunburn that lasts for a few days after your session.
The most common IPL treatment side effects include:
- Skin irritation – you might feel a little discomfort, skin inflammation, or redness on the affected skin. The skin irritation is temporary and usually disappears within 24 hours after your IPL session.
- Pigment changes – laser hair removal might cause skin darkening in rare cases. This side effect doesn’t last for a long time.
There are IPL hair removal side effects that are very rare such as blistering, scaring, and dryness of the affected areas. We don’t recommend using IPL and laser systems on eyelids, eyebrows, or the area around the eye as it might lead to a serious eye injury.
How To Prepare For Laser Hair Removal?
If you are going to do laser hair removal at the clinic, choose a doctor who is certified in laser hair removal or cosmetic surgery. If a technician is going to perform the treatment, make sure that the doctor will supervise your sessions and he will be onsite with you. You shouldn’t get laser hair removal on untrusted places like spas and salons because the person using the laser machine might not well-trained enough to do the laser hair removal session.
Before your laser treatment, schedule a consultation visit to discuss with the doctor the best treatment for your skin tone and hair color. Your doctor will do the following:
- The doctor will review your medical history, the medications you take, the skin diseases or skin scars.
- The doctor will ask you if you did any skin procedures.
- Your doctor will discuss with you the risks, benefits and what to expect after finishing your laser treatment.
- He might take photos to the area you are going to treat to help notice the changes after each session and for long-term reviews.
If you are going to get laser hair removal at home, there is nothing you worry about. The personal device is designed for home use. You won’t need supervision as it is made for personal use and the light use is less painful than professional laser hair removal machines at clinics.
Before Getting Laser Hair Removal Treatment
- Don’t get direct sun exposure – avoid sun exposure before your laser treatment session. If you have to go out, make sure you apply sunscreen cream.
- Don’t put makeup or creams on the skin before the session. Make sure your skin is clean and dry.
- You shouldn’t wax or epilate before your laser hair removal session. Such methods might cause disturbance to the hair growth cycle. Make sure you stop waxing, shaving, and epilating for at least 2 weeks before starting your IPL treatment.
- Shave the area you are going to treat first. You will get better results if you shave or trim the hair before your session. Besides, shaving removes the upper part of the hairs and prevents skin damage and injury.
Is IPL safe?
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is generally considered as safe. Harmful UV radiation is blocked by the UV filter. It targets unwanted hair beneath the skin in the form of light. The light produced is more scattered and less intense than Laser light. That’s why IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is safer to use than laser for personal hair removal sessions.
What are the other options?
If laser hair removal is not suitable for you, it is not the only option for permanent hair removal. Electrolysis is FDA approved method to remove unwanted hair permanently. It is a bit painful but it guarantees permanent results. However, you will need at least 14 sessions to get permanent results. The hair will grow lighter and thinner after each session. The technician will remove unwanted hairs thread by a thread that’s why the treatment is painful.
Conclusion
Home laser hair removal is actually safe and effective if you use the right IPL device. We recommend using Philips Lumea 9000 series as it uses the fastest and the newest technology for hair removal. Laser treatment will help you reduce the hair growth cycle within time until you reach permanent results. However, you won’t notice any difference after finishing only one session. You should continue the treatment sessions as planned to get noticeable results. Most people need at least 5-6 sessions to get rid of unwanted hair. You should do maintenance sessions to get long-lasting results. Laser hair removal is not suitable for you if you have white, grey, or blonde hair.
Read more:
- Smoothskin Pure IPL Device: Is It Worth It?
- Beamia IPL Hair Removal Review
- Electrolysis at home Vs IPL Which is better?
- Artolf Hair Removal Device for Permanent Results
resources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/laser-hair-removal/about/pac-20394555
