Imagine never having to shave your legs or underarms again! Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Hair removal is suitable for men and women. Unwanted hair can be removed from almost any part of the body. This technology can also be used to treat skin damage including acne and sun damage.
The treatment is non-invasive so there isNOrecovery period after treatment. Normal activities may resume immediately after the hair removal treatment.
The (IPL) system for hair reduction and removal uses the most advanced technology on the market today. The wavelength, exposure duration and energy level are specified to selectively damage targeted hair follicles with minimum damage to the surrounding tissue. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) systems use a special computer-controlled Xenon Light tube to generate high-energy broad spectrum light. The light beam produced can then be filtered into a particular narrow range of wavelengths and thus, depending on the filter selected, can be used to target a particular hair problem, skin condition or sign of ageing, while reducing side effects.
Youth Maintenance uses the latest piece of equipment in IPL technology thatuses the energy from a light source, which is taken up by the pigments in the skin, hair and blood vessels. The hair is removed by using the light to generate heat in the melanin in the hair, which is transferred to the hair follicle (root) to destroy it. Unlike electrolysis thisIntense Pulsed Light treatment is non-invasive with no down-time or after effects and is relatively pain-free with some clients experiencing only a slight tingly sensation.
Our Youth Maintenance technician is fully qualified with the Level 4 VRQ LIght and Laser fromVTCT.
Intense Pulsed Light is not a laser. Our machineuses a novel pulse system (termed APL - accumulative pulsed light) that delivers controlled energy to the skin.
The light beam passes through removable filters that further modify the pulses according to the desired application results.
It is gentle to your skin (uniform energy release across a wide application area results in considerably reduced risk of skin burn) - laser side effects eliminated cheaper (fewer treatments because of larger area of the application head) versatile (removable light filters)
The treatmentt effectively and painlessly removes hair from bikini, legs, facial, lip, cheek, chin, back - including ingrown hairs, in fact, anywhere where unwantedhair grows on the body.
What is Intense Pulse Light?
Intensed Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy is based on emitting high intensity pulses of light to penetrate the skin to perform such treatments as Hair Removal, and Photo rejuvenation.
How does IPL remove hair?
The Intense Light penetrates the skin and is absorbed by the melanin in the hair. This absorption treats the hair, with the heat being transported to the nourishment structure of the hair (follicle). This is heated to 70°C for a millisecond thus destroying the follicle. Hundreds of follicles are destroyed by each flash, and the hairs then fall out in 2 weeks.
Can all types of hair be treated?
The darker the hair, (the richer the melanin content), the better the result. White and red hairs cannot be removed using this method.
Is IPL treatment painful?
The sensation of pain is extremely variable from one individual to another. It depends on the concentration of melanin in the skin, hair size and hair density. Bony areas, such as the shin, may also experience a sensation of sharp pain (although mild). This is why the darker the skin, the greater the sensation. It should be noted that a sensation of prickling may persist for 1-2 weeks after a session. Youth Maintenance always has Aloe Vera or Arnica gelsl on hand.
Are there any secondary effects?
In certain cases there may be redness in the treated area, local oedema or peri-follicular papullae (goose bumps). These effects will disappear several hours after the treatment, however in the majority of cases; there are no visible secondary effects.
Do I need to shave or wax before each treatment?
Definite no to waxing. There needs to be a hair in each growing hair follicle. Hairs should be 1 to 2mm long when the patient comes in for treatment so it is possible to mark out the treatment area. Long hairs take up the energy and prevent all of it reaching the hair follicle, therefore, hair is trimmed just before treatment for maximum transmission of the energy.
If the hair is normally shaved and can be seen when shaven then patients can shave right up to the day of treatment although plucking and bleaching should not be done. By avoiding epilation and waxing 4 weeks before treatment it ensures as many follicles as possible contain a hair and thus can be destroyed by the light.
How do I prepare for treatment?
Patients should avoid tanning 1 month ahead of and during the entire treatment scenario to avoid excessive discomfort from excessive light absorption in the epidermis.
Immediately after the treatment the skin is particularly sensitive to UV light and strong sunlight should be avoided for 4-5 days.
How long does treatment take?
The facial treatment usually takes 10 minutes whereas both legs or an entire back will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
How do we know if sufficient treatment has been given?
In the majority of cases, there is no immediate visible effect. It is possible, immediately after treatment to pull a hair using tweezers. If it can be removed without pulling on the skin, this is proof of a good result. Also if per-follicular papullae or redness appears around the hair follicle, this also indicated the treatment has been successful.
How many sessions are necessary?
It is estimated that around 20% of hairs are in their growth phase at any one time. Normally between 5-8 sessions are needed, however this may differ depending upon the area treated. For example, lip and chin approximately 4 weeks apart and legs approximately 12 weeks apart.
Why do hairs 'grow' after treatment?
Contrary to other treatments, hairs are not vaporised by IPL treatment. The hair follicles are killed by the heat but the hairs remain in the skin and often become attached to the epidermis. They will fall out after 1 to 3 weeks as the epidermis is renewed. During this period it will seem that the hairs are growing as they are pushed out by the epidermis.
Why do hairs 'grow' after treatment?
Contrary to other treatments, hairs are not vaporised by IPL treatment. The hair follicles are killed by the heat but the hairs remain in the skin and often become attached to the epidermis. They will fall out after 1 to 3 weeks as the epidermis is renewed. During this period it will seem that the hairs are growing as they are pushed out by the epidermis.
How can you tell if the treatment has worked ?
After treatment the hairs are often loose within the follicle and can easily be pulled out with tweezers. A red ring around each follicle is often seen a few minutes after treatment. These two things are good indications that sufficient heating of the follicles has taken place. However, these indicators are not always evident and we have seen many patients with successful treatment results without the post-treatment signs.
What are the side effects?
The visible light is completely safe so no special precautions are needed apart from glasses for the brightness. The skin of some patients becomes quite red immediately after treatment and very rarely small blisters as from excessive sun exposure can occur. However, most patients experience no side effects at all and the described skin reactions above usually disappear within hours to a few days. Unlike electrolysis, IPL treatment is non-invasive.
How much does it cost?
A patch test (£30.00) is carried out prior to treatment which is fully redeemable against the cost of the treatment. You can see ourfull price list here. Please call us to discuss Student, Charity and other discounts.
IPL v Laser Hair Removal
There is great debate over ipl v laser hair removal. There are some clinics with laser hair removal machines that try to demean those beauty and treatment centres, such as Youth Maintenance, who use IPL machines by claiming they are cheap and so infer that the treatment is as such.
Youth Maintenance would like to state that both forms of hair removal are just as good as each other. We chose an IPL machine as we have tried both forms of hair removal – our preference is IPL and it was not down to cost. As we have used these machines, we can speak from experience. Laser hair removal costs a lot more than IPL but that can be because of perception rather than cost of a machine.
Youth Maintenance has a growing list of satisfied clients, who are seeing hair reduction after only two treatments.
Treatment Guidelines and Contraindications
Over 18s only are suitable for IPL hair removal treatment. Sometimes very dark skins do not suit this treatment due its nature of using red light.
If a course of antibiotics are being taken, treatment can only begin, 2 weeks after the course completion.
Can treat, but MUST have a test patch first (cost £30, refundable if treatment(s) booked)
- Contraceptive Pill
- HRT
- Anti Depressants
- Anti Histamines
- Anti Hypertensives (blood pressure)
- Diuretics
- Anti Parasitics (anti malaria)
Not suitable for the following:
- Deeply sun tanned skin
- Dark moles
- Tattoos
- Psoriasis
- Eczma (dermatitis)
- Skin cancers or cancer
- Diabetics
- Possibility of pregnancy or are pregnant
- Very dark skins (although a patch test can be undertaken for suitability)
- Certain drug treatments including
- Hydrocortisone
- Isotretinoin (Roaccutane®
- Tretinoin (Retin A® Acticin®)
- Amiodarone (Cordarone X®)
- Bendroflumethiazide
- Topical medication, for example, steroids
