Do you have darker, thicker hair that you’ve to spend a lifetime shaving, plucking, and waxing? Then, you may be interested in some of the at-home hair removal devices around. The front runners either use the IPL (Intense Pulse Light) device or laser technology.
Both the IPL at-home hair removal and Laser technologies use intense light that is absorbed by the melanin or pigment in our hair and is transported to the hair follicle to prevent regrowth. While almost similar, they are not the same; either physical, efficient, or operational. They’re also pros and cons when it comes to choosing the right at-home hair removal device for personal use.
Last year, I used the Philips Lumea Advanced IPL device and it thinned a lot of unwanted hair on my legs, underarms, and bikini area leaving around 20%-30% of the hair leaving the areas way more manageable. I also had the chance to use Tria Laser to get rid of the remaining hair left by the IPL device. So, having used both of them, how do they compare?
Comparing Laser vs IPL At-Home Hair Removal Device
Laser and IPL at-home hair removal devices have similarities and differences. Both are convenient for home use and are more affordable compared to the average costs of complete hair removal sessions at a professional salon. Again, laser and IPL hair removal methods work on select skin tones and specific hair shades.
What is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removalbetter results
If used correctly, at-home laser hair removal has minimal hair removal effects. But if a laser device is used wrongly or without following the correct procedure, it can cause blisters, soreness, irritation, redness, slight swelling, or scabbing. This hair removal method isn’t long-lasting. The concentrated beam of light only damages the hair follicle which eventually allows the hair to regrow.
What is IPL Hair Removal?
IPL hair
With this safe at-home hair removal method, you’ll require a top-up treatment every 6 – 12 months after completing a full treatment session.
Similarities Between Laser and IPL Hair Removal Treatments
The laser beam used in Tria and other laser hair removal devices is made up of controlled pulses of energy that are absorbed by the melanin in our hair and into the hair follicle that lies within the skin thus heating the hair down into the root destroying it without damaging the surrounding tissue.
With the laser, some people will need between 6 – 8 sessions after which the hair will be visibly reduced or long-lastingly reduced. To achieve maximum results, you’re recommended to use a Tria laser for about 3 months with sessions two weeks apart until you get the desired results.
Similarly, the IPL hair removal method targets the hair pigment but while it uses a broad spectrum of light, the laser uses a single focused spectrum. The IPL energy isn’t as targeted as the laser and thus it’s weaker. This means if you’re using an IPL device such as the Philips Lumea Advanced, you’ll have to keep topping up treatments every now and then to maintain the results.
The IPL method isn’t long-lasting and neither is the laser method. To a smaller extent, the laser hair removal treatment method does promise longer durations before hair regrowth. But to achieve this result, you’ll require patience as it takes time.
With both methods of hair treatment, the shin has to be shaved and freshly cleaned skin to get close to the hair follicle as possible. And whichever method you use, it’s a good idea to pitch test the skin first to check for sensitivity and then work your way up through the intensity settings.
Another similarity between laser and IPL hair removal methods is they perfectly work well with limited skin tones and hair shades. They work best on light-medium skin tone and natural brown or black hair and not white grey or red-blond hair. Sadly, this excludes many people from using either the laser or IPL method.
Differences Between IPL and Laser Hair Removal Methods
The main difference between IPL and laser hair removal is while the IPL method uses a broad spectrum of intense pulsed light, the laser method is more targeted and it uses bursts of the single focused light spectrum. And with IPL, the IPL at-home hair removal devices have a comparatively bigger head than the at-home hair removal laser devices.
When using the Philips Lumea advanced IPL device, it’ll take 20 minutes on average to work on both legs due to the larger head while the laser will take 25 -30 minutes per leg on average due to the smaller head. Again, it will take the laser 4-5 minutes to work your underarms.
Another difference is the usage of body parts. The laser hair removal method is more suited for smaller parts like the upper lips, underarms, knees, and bikini area. It’s also good for areas with low hair density. The Philips Lumea IPL devices used in the IPL hair treat are more suitable for larger body parts such as the legs, arms, stomach, and chest.
How Laser Hair Removal Works – Using Tria Laser
Among the advantages of using Tria Laser is the simplicity of use. Start by charging up and then switch on using the pink button at the top, and it’ll show you the charge level.
Next, unlock the device by pressing the end and not the head against your skin. If it recognizes the skin tone as safe for use, it’ll produce the unlocking sound. Before you start using it, ensure you’ve no makeup and the area to be treated is clean shaved. You’ll experience painful bursts if you’ve not shaved well.
Work on the light intensity setting and you’re ready to start. All you need is to press it against your skin and move like half a circle each time to achieve maximum results.
How IPL Hair Removal Works – Using Philips Lumea Advance
If it’s your first time using the Philips Lumea Advanced, start by shaving the body area to be treated. Then connect the device to a charging socket and choose the head attachment to use. Switch on your IPL Lumea advanced and patch test on your skin while working on the light intensity settings to determine the right light level.
Press the flash button when treating small body areas such as the underarms and upper lips. As for the legs, arms, and chest, stomach, use the sliding mode.
Conclusion
If you need to cover large areas of your skin using the laser hair removal method with the Tria Laser, you’ll need to be extremely patient as it takes a considerable time to evenly treat the arms, legs, chest, face, and stomach. The advantage of using a laser device is that it offers better and longer-lasting results compared to the IPL hair removal device.
We recommend using the Philips Lumea Advanced as the head covers a larger area when treating the skin. Both devices work best on thicker and darker hair.
