When is an IPL device suitable for you?
Hair and skin tone
The larger the contrast between your hair color and skin tone, the better an IPL device works. That's why IPL devices often don't work on a dark or black skin, and on white, gray, light-blonde, or red hairs. Check the table on the website of the product, or the manual, to see if the device is suitable for you. We don't recommend an IPL device for use on a freckled skin or on birthmarks. In that case, an epilator is a good alternative. Do you have a single freckle or birthmark? Choose an IPL device with built-in skin sensor
Women
As a woman, you can use an IPL device on most body parts. You can use it to remove hair from your legs, belly, arms, back, armpits, and bikini line. With special attachments, you can also remove hair from parts of your face, like your jaw and upper lip. You can't use the device around your eyes or eyebrows, on your lips, and inside your nose. Other body parts that you can't use the device on are the inner lips, vagina, anus, nipples, ears, and around piercings.
Men
As a man, you can use IPL devices too. The body parts you can and can't use the IPL device on are different for men, though. As a man, you can use the device on your legs, belly, arms, back, armpits, and parts of the pubic area. Areas men can't treat with an IPL device are the face, neck, areas with beard growth, ears, pubic bone, scrotum, nipples, anus, and around piercings.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
You can use an IPL device for hair removal without worries before and after your pregnancy. During your pregnancy and while breastfeeding, we recommend you to not use an IPL device. When you're pregnant, your skin often is extra sensitive. The use of an IPL device can cause extra pigmentation or skin damage. Your hair will also change, so it's difficult to determine the strength of the IPL device. We recommend you to wait with IPL hair removal until your hormones are stable again after your pregnancy and possible breastfeeding.
Other factors
Lastly, there are a couple of other reasons we recommend you to not use an IPL device, in addition to the reasons mentioned earlier. We've listed them for you:
- On and around tattoos and piercings.
- On varicose veins and treated varicose veins.
- On sensitive or damaged skin with (abrasion) wounds.
- When using medication, contact your doctor or read the instructions.
- Types of diabetes and epilepsy, contact your doctor.
- When you've had skin cancer.
- On injection areas, fresh scars, pacemakers, or implants.
- Within 48 hours before or after the sunbed.
Conclusion
Do you have a healthy skin, and do you want to enjoy a smooth skin for a long time? An IPL device is the right choice for you. IPL hair removal is suitable for both women and men, but different rules apply. Make sure to only use the IPL device on indicated body parts, hair and skin tones, and during the indicated situations. This way, you prevent unwanted skin damage and create a smooth skin for a longer time.
