Unwanted hair? – IPL is back at Dermal Aesthetics!
And do you know we offer several other removal methods?
Electrolysis
Electrolysis nearly disappeared from beauty treatment menus over the past two decades as IPL and Laser took centre stage. As one of the few clinics that still offers Electrolysis, we receive enquiries about it every week.
Advantages: it is the ONLY modality that will permanently remove unwanted hair for good and the ONLY modality that doesn’t rely on pigment so will work on any hair colour.
Disadvantages: It is a lot slower than laser and IPL so definitely not recommended for large areas and if the client has dense and dark hair we would certainly recommend IPL. It is hard to know how many times each hair has been treated as it is individual. Histamine is also sometimes triggered, which results in hive like bumps for a few hours (nothing a telfast doesn’t fix), it can be uncomfortable. Bot suitable for darker skins, You can only shave and cannot pluck hair between sessions. Hair needs to be a growth anagen stage to be effective.
IPL
IPL uses broad-spectrum pulsed light to target the melanin (colour in hair) and disable hair follicles. After each treatment, stubble may be seen on the seen as the body eliminates the hair follicle and root.
Advantages: It is fast and you are guaranteed to get every hair every time, no matter where it sits in the skin. It is somewhat cheaper as we can treat a full face in only a few minutes, whereas a dense growth will require more sessions to get through all the hairs.
Disadvantages:
Client must shave beforehand so cases of facial hair for woman this is not always desired. Will only work on dark hair. Cannot be used on darker skins due to pigmentation risks. It is called a hair reduction method now rather than permanent removal as we are seeing hair can recover over time. It is recommended one maintenance treatment once a year will be enough in most cases to keep hair at bay. You can only shave and cannot pluck hair between sessions. Hair needs to be a growth anagen stage to be effective.
ALKALINE WASH
Alkaline wash works in a similar principle as Galvanic Electrolysis, where a very powerful salon strength chemical solution penetrates the follicle and dissolves the hair. Everyone who has heard me describe this treatment is ‘as if your skin has had a layer of glad wrap over it and suddenly it is brighter and fresher’. It will also treat the skin as it removes dead surface layers as well as hair.
Advantages: Skin will receive a peel treatment at the same time. It removes all fluffy peach fuzz hairs that electrolysis and IPL treatments cannot effectively do. It is painless. It is also great for acne skins as the alkaline solution swells the follicle and releases impactions. Great for Keratosis Piliaris (bump on back of arms and sometimes face) and men who suffer pseudo follicultisis barbe from shaving. Over time repeated use of alkaline wash will slow hair growth as the hair follicle suffers chemical trauma.
Disadvantages: The alkaline solution will not reach all the way to the hair bulb to render it incapable of regrowth as the galvanic electrolysis will do. It can be slightly more irritating for some skins and may be red or sensitive for up to 48 hours. It can sometimes leave grazed or roughened spots for a day or two, as skin layers do not have the same thickness everywhere as can dissolve faster in some places.
EPIBLADING
Also known as Dermaplaning or levelling is a gentle method of skin exfoliation and hair removal. A sterile surgical blade is used to glide over the face removing all fluffy hairs and redundant skin cells. We also include a pomegranate or Pumpkin peel for further exfoliation and smooth the skin, giving a youthful and brightening glow.
Advantages: skin will receive a brightening and smoothing treatment. Hair can be in any stage of growth. No downtime in most cases.
Disadvantages: Skin peeling, redness and sensitivity could occur with some individuals. Risk of small nicks (extremely unlikely as we are skilled in the process).
So if you are interested in removing body or facial hair once and for all, get in touch for your free consultation to determine what method is best suited to you. It is important to note hair will NOT grow back thicker or darker with any of these methods, hormonal hairs are an exception to regular hair growth and no matter which method chosen we can only commit to maintenance rather than long term removal.
