Do you have unwanted hair on your body? No matter how much you shave, it just grows back, sometimes much itchier and more irritated than before. When it comes to laser hair removal technologies, you have a couple of options to choose from. However, you might receive wildly different answers depending on who you ask, especially when it comes to diode laser hair removal and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal treatments.
Laser hair removal uses concentrated beams of light to remove unwanted hair. The light from the laser is absorbed by the melanin (pigment) in the hair. Once absorbed, the light energy is converted into heat and damages the hair follicles in the skin. The result? Inhibiting or delaying the growth of unwanted hair.
Now that you understand the basics, diode lasers use a single wavelength of light with a high abruption rate that impacts the surrounding tissue around the melanin. As the location of the unwanted hair heats up, it breaks down the follicle’s root and blood flow, resulting in permanent hair reduction.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is technically not a laser treatment. Instead, IPL uses a broad spectrum of light with more than one wavelength. However, it can lead to unfocused energy around the surrounding tissue, which means much of the energy is wasted and not as effective when it comes to follicle absorption. In addition, using a broadband light can also increase your risk of experiencing side effects, especially without integrated cooling.
Integrated cooling methods play a big part in determining which of the two laser treatments is better preferred. IPL laser hair removal will most likely require more than one session, while using a diode laser may work more effectively. Diode laser hair removal is more comfortable because of the integrated cooling and treats more hair and skin types, whereas IPL is best suited for those with darker hair and lighter skin.
At one point, of all the laser hair removal technologies, IPL was the most cost-effective go-to. However, its power and cooling limitations proved less effective when compared to diode laser hair removal. IPL is also considered a more uncomfortable treatment and increases potential side effects.
A diode laser has the power needed for faster treatments and can deliver each pulse at a rate faster than IPL. The best part? Diode laser treatment is effective on all hair and skin types. If the idea of destroying your hair follicles seems daunting, we promise you that there’s nothing to fear. Diode hair removal treatment provides integrated cooling technology that keeps your skin feeling comfortable throughout the session.