What to Expect at Your IPL Hair Removal Appointment
Your IPL treatment begins with a consultation and mandatory patch test to ensure your skin responds safely and effectively. Your therapist will discuss how IPL works and assess your suitability, especially if you’ve had recent sun exposure or tanning.
During your session, you’ll wear protective eyewear while the handpiece glides over the area, delivering precise pulses of light. Most clients describe the feeling as a quick, warm flick, with minimal discomfort. Cooling is applied afterwards for comfort.
Within 10–14 days, treated hairs begin to shed — a normal part of the IPL process. IPL is suitable for most skin types and can be used on nearly any body area (excluding directly under the brow).
Because only hairs in the active growth phase respond, multiple sessions are needed. Most people require 6–8 treatments, depending on hair colour, density, area and hormonal factors. Temporary redness or follicle swelling can occur and indicates a good treatment response.
What Is IPL Hair Removal?
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a non-invasive technology that uses controlled pulses of filtered light to reduce unwanted hair and improve overall skin clarity.
Unlike laser, which uses a single wavelength, IPL uses multiple wavelengths, allowing faster coverage and the ability to treat various skin concerns.
IPL is efficient, versatile and requires minimal downtime.
How IPL Hair Removal Works
IPL delivers pulses of light into the hair follicle. The melanin in the hair absorbs this light, converting it into heat and disabling the dermal papilla, the structure responsible for regrowth.
The surrounding blood supply to the follicle is also impacted, further reducing growth over time.
With each session, fewer hairs return, and regrowth becomes lighter and finer until long-term reduction is achieved.
IPL vs Laser Hair Removal – What’s the Difference?
Both IPL and Laser use light-based tools to reduce unwanted hair, but they work in slightly different ways. Just like an oven and a microwave cook food – similar results just different technology.
IPL Hair Removal
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) uses multiple wavelengths, allowing it to treat a wider variety of skin concerns — not just hair. It can also cover larger areas quickly, making treatments more efficient and often more comfortable.
Laser Hair Removal
Laser uses a single, concentrated wavelength of light. It’s very targeted and effective for dark, coarse hair on lighter skin. However, it’s not suitable for all hair colours and can be more limited on certain skin tones.
Why Neue Skin Clinic chooses IPL technology –
- More versatile: Treats hair reduction plus pigmentation, redness & sun damage.
- Covers larger areas faster: Shorter appointments and fewer repeats.
- Customisable settings: Easily adjusted to suit different skin types.
- Cost-effective: Typically more affordable per session than laser.
- Comfort-focused: Most people describe only a warm flick sensation.
The Bottom Line:
Laser is ideal for very dark hair —
but IPL is the better all-rounder for clients wanting effective hair reduction and additional skin benefits, faster treatment times and more flexibility across skin types.