Intense pulse light targets the areas from where hair grows, the hair follicles. The process of targeting the follicles and killing them has some prerequisites. Some of the prerequisites for IPL hair removal includes,
- An intact skin barrier
- Compatible hair color and skin tone
- Appropriate length of hair
Among the factors mentioned above, the appropriate length of the hair raises questions about which length is good enough and how to achieve it. To get a good length of hair on the unwanted area of the skin, shaving is the recommended method.
However, some women wax, epilate, or pluck the hair before IPL hair removal and wonder why they are not noticing the expected results.
So, let us discover if IPL without shaving is possible.
Table of Contents:
- Part 1: Can You Use IPL Without Shaving
- Part 2: What Happens If You Use IPL Without Shaving?
- Part 3: How to Shave Before Using IPL Devices?
Part 1: Can You Use IPL Without Shaving
The straightforward answer to the chances of using an IPL device without shaving is NO. So, you cannot use an IPL device without shaving. For shaving, it is essential for the surface of the skin to be smooth and have no visible hair. Additionally, the hair must be present under the surface of the skin with an attachment to the hair follicles.
This makes shaving one of the major requirements for preparing your skin for IPL. Therefore, you cannot avoid it and IPL hair removal treatment is not effective without shaving prior to.
There are some cases in which people want to avoid shaving the skin before an IPL hair removal treatment. Some examples are,
- Women with a high risk of ingrown hair
- Women with sensitive skin
- Women with thin skin prone to tears from a razor
However, there is no exception in such cases either. Rather, if you belong to any of the categories, you can take the measures mentioned below to make shaving safe for your skin,
- Do not be afraid of ingrown hair as you won't have to shave often using IPL and it kills ingrown hair as well.
- Use hair removal razors with a single-blade
- Get a shaving razor with a guard to prevent micro tears and cuts
These tips will help get a seamless shave without any harm and need to avoid the suggested method of hair removal prior to IPL hair removal treatments.
Part 2: What Happens If You Use IPL Without Shaving?
Plucking the hair from the roots with waxing, threading, or epilation should be avoided before using an IPL device. This is because these hair removal methods leave no hair attached to the roots. Thus, rays from an IPL device cannot travel to the follicles and kill them.
Furthermore, you should remove the hair from the surface of the skin as well.
From safety concerns and skin harm to interference with the effects of an IPL device, here is what happens if you do not shave your skin while preparing it for hair removal with an IPL device.
Intense Pain in the Skin
The principle behind the effects of an IPL device is based on selective thermophotolysis. It means that when the energy is emitted from an IPL device, it is in the form of light and when it reaches its target follicle, it is changed into heat to burn it.
This conversion stimulates the pain in nerve endings lying deep in the skin causing little discomfort. However, when the hair is present on the skin’s surface, heat is created above it and superficial pain nerve endings are stimulated.
Consequently, you will experience intense and sharp burning pain in the treatment area.
Hair Singing and Skin Burns
The heat energy not only gives you pain but burns the hair on the surface of the skin. These burns can,
- Impact the surrounding skin leading to skin burns and blisters
- Cause singing of the hair
- Give out an awkward smell due to the burning of the skin and the hair
Contamination of the IPL device
When the hair follicle is burnt under the surface of the skin, the hair automatically sheds off within a few days. However, when you have not shaved the skin, the hair is singed and removed immediately.
This singed hair adheres to the surface of the glass window of an IPL device. Moreover, more and more hair starts to accumulate and contaminate the device as you continue the treatment.
Also, note that this hair is not removed easily and might put scratches on the window.
Little to No Effects
The energy emitted from an IPL device is already limited. If it burns the hair on the surface of the skin, there will be no energy that travels to the hair roots and kills the hair follicles.
Even when a few rays reach the target, it will take more sessions to gain the same results as with shaving the hair. So, even if you forget to shave before the treatment, grab your razor and do it.
Part 3: How to Shave Before Using IPL Devices?
Let us learn a gentle method of shaving the skin before using an IPL device with these step-by-step instructions.
- The first thing is to remove the dead skin cells, oils, and impurities from your skin to provide a smooth surface for shaving. So, exfoliate the treatment area 1 to 2 days before your IPL hair removal session if you did not exfoliate recently.
- Buy a set of fresh and high-quality shaving razors. For the face, get a single-blade razor with guards and for the skin, buy multi-layer razors.
- Now take a shower as a shower not only cleans the skin but also softens the hair for an easy shave.
- Put shaving oil, moisturizing gel, or aloe vera on the desired treatment area to lubricate it.
- Grab your sharp shaving razor, pull your skin a little, and start shaving.
- Move the razor in short strokes in the direction of the hair growth.
- Do not shave in a single area multiple times. Rather ensure that you remove maximum hair in one go.
- In a well-lit environment, look for any patches of hair left behind.
- Lastly, rinse the shaved area of the skin with lukewarm water to remove the hair, lubricant, and any skin cells.
- Now, your skin is all done with shaving and you can proceed with the IPL device.
Conclusion
For any semi-permanent hair removal method including laser and IPL, there are some pre-requisites and tips to prepare for the treatment. When it comes to IPL hair removal, the main tip is to remove the unwanted hair from the surface of the skin without touching the roots.
That is why, it is crucial to shave the desired treatment area before using an IPL hair removal device to ensure the safety of the treatment and effectiveness of the results. Furthermore, each brand has its own instructions for preparing the skin.
So, read the instructions and follow those precisely to get the optimal results.
