Laser or IPL: which is better for permanent hair removal?
Laser or IPL: both procedures are offered for permanent hair removal, but they work with different kinds of light. A laser emits a single wavelength, IPL and BBL use filtered flashlamp light, and IPL devices for home use are a class of their own again.
This page compares efficacy, number of sessions, skin types, safety and costs and shows how you can tell what a studio is really working with. The examples used are the SIACSKIN devices: the DEWEON 4LD and AlexDUAL UFO lasers, the DERMAFORCE BBL PRO as BroadBand Light with filters for hair reduction, and the VCL DERMALIGHT LED system for light hair.
Laser or IPL: which reduces hair more effectively in the long term?
The laser generally reduces hair more effectively and with fewer sessions than IPL. It delivers all its energy into the hair at one wavelength matched to melanin and penetration depth. With IPL, the energy is spread over a broad spectrum, of which only a part reaches the hair root. Professional IPL and BBL also reduce hair growth over several sessions, especially on fair skin with dark hair. For both, only hairs in the growth phase are affected, and the result is a long-term, marked reduction in hair.
For hair removal as a focus, SIACSKIN builds lasers: the DEWEON 4LD as a diode laser with four wavelengths and the AlexDUAL UFO with alexandrite and Nd:YAG.
Why does laser light hit the hair root more precisely than the flash of an IPL device?
Laser light has a single wavelength and travels as a collimated beam in one direction, whereas the light of a flashlamp contains many wavelengths and radiates in all directions. With a laser, it is therefore possible to choose exactly the wavelength that melanin absorbs well and that penetrates deeply enough. With IPL, a filter merely cuts off the lower part of the spectrum. Of what remains, the shorter components mainly put strain on the epidermis, and the long ones are barely absorbed by the hair. In addition, the flashlamp light scatters more, so less energy arrives at depth.
The DEWEON 4LD works with four fixed laser wavelengths from 755 to 1064 nm. The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO, by contrast, is BroadBand Light with a spectrum of 400 to 800 nm and 9 filters.
Do you need more sessions with IPL than with a laser?
Yes, with IPL you should generally expect more sessions than with a laser. With a laser, 6 to 8 sessions are usual; with IPL it is often a few more, and top-ups are needed more often. The reason is the lower energy that arrives at the hair root per pulse: some follicles are only weakened and later form a thinner hair again. With both methods, the intervals follow the hair cycle, 4 to 6 weeks on the face and 6 to 10 weeks on the body.
With the DEWEON 4LD or the AlexDUAL UFO, a studio works with laser light. The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO offers filters for hair reduction as a complement to skin treatment.
For which skin and hair types is IPL enough and when do you need a laser?
IPL is enough for fair skin with dark, coarse hairs, that is, where the contrast between hair and skin is large. The darker the skin or the finer and lighter the hair, the more likely a laser is needed. With skin types V and VI, the epidermis absorbs too much of the broad light spectrum, and a laser at 1064 nm is the suitable technology. Fine, dark blonde hairs respond better to 755 nm with short pulses.
According to SIACSKIN, the DERMAFORCE BBL PRO is intended for skin types I to IV. With four wavelengths, the DEWEON 4LD covers all skin types, and the AlexDUAL UFO, with alexandrite and Nd:YAG, skin types I to VI.
Is IPL gentler and safer than a laser or is that a misconception?
That is a widespread misconception: IPL is not inherently safer than a laser. Both work with heat, and both can cause burns, blisters and pigment spots if set incorrectly. With IPL, the broad spectrum also strongly heats the melanin of the epidermis. On tanned or dark skin the risk is therefore, if anything, higher than with a suitable laser. What makes a treatment safe is the right wavelength, effective cooling, a test pulse and trained staff.
The DEWEON 4LD cools the skin through a sapphire at temperatures down to minus 50 °C. The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO works with sapphire contact cooling and pulse widths up to 800 ms.
How powerful are IPL devices for home use compared with professional devices in a studio?
IPL devices for home use work with a fraction of the energy of a professional device. They are deliberately designed to be weak so that laypeople do not injure themselves, have a small light window and usually no active cooling. That is enough to slow hair growth as long as you keep treating regularly. After stopping, the hair generally grows back. Home devices are not suitable for dark skin and light hair, and many block dark skin tones entirely via a sensor.
For comparison: the DEWEON 4LD offers 4000 W at the handpiece and spots up to 15 × 40 mm, the AlexDUAL UFO 7500 W total power. Such power delivers enough energy to the hair root in short pulses, and the cooling in the device makes it tolerable for the skin.
Can I use an IPL device at home between laser sessions at the studio?
Better not, as long as the course of treatment at the studio is under way. The home device weakens hairs without causing lasting damage to the follicles. At the next appointment the laser then meets thinner, lighter hairs that absorb less energy, and the studio finds it harder to judge how the skin reacted to the last session. Additional light pulses also raise the risk of irritation. Between appointments you only shave. Individual stragglers after the course of treatment are best treated in a top-up at the studio.
The DEWEON 4LD and the AlexDUAL UFO document treatment areas and shot counts in their client management system, so the course of treatment remains traceable.
What is cheaper in the long run: laser at a studio, IPL at a studio or a home IPL device?
Calculated over the whole period, laser at a studio is often the cheapest solution, even though the individual session costs the most. What matters is how many sessions you need to reach your goal and how often you have to top up later. IPL at a studio is usually cheaper per appointment but needs more appointments. A home device costs little as a one-off, but demands regular use on a permanent basis and your time. So compare package prices for the whole course of treatment and ask about the usual number of top-ups.
Studios with a laser such as the DEWEON 4LD or the AlexDUAL UFO usually plan on 6 to 8 sessions per area.
Why do some studios advertise IPL or SHR and others laser?
It usually comes down to the purchase: simple IPL devices are considerably cheaper than lasers, so many studios work with them and advertise low prices per session. Terms such as SHR only describe the way of working with many rapid pulses and say nothing about the light source. Studios with a laser generally name the type and wavelength, because that is their mark of quality. There is also the legal aspect: who may carry out which treatment is regulated differently depending on the country.
Anyone working with the DEWEON 4LD can be specific: a diode laser with 755, 808, 940 and 1064 nm. With the AlexDUAL UFO, it is alexandrite at 755 nm and Nd:YAG at 1064 nm.
How can I tell whether a studio really works with laser or with IPL?
Ask for the device name, the light source and the wavelength: a laser has one or a few fixed wavelengths, such as 755, 808 or 1064 nm, while an IPL device states a range such as 640 to 1200 nm. Another sign is the light pulse. IPL flashes brightly like a camera flash, whereas the light of a diode laser in the near infrared is barely visible. Descriptions such as light treatment, photoepilation or SHR without further detail tend to point to IPL. A reputable studio will show you the rating plate and state the specifications.
At SIACSKIN the classes are clearly named: the DEWEON 4LD and AlexDUAL UFO are lasers, the DERMAFORCE BBL PRO is BroadBand Light, and the VCL DERMALIGHT is an LED system.
When is BBL the right tool for hair removal and when is it not?
BBL is suitable when hair reduction is a complement and not the main business: on fair skin with dark hair, on smaller areas, and for clients who come for skin treatment anyway. BBL is not the first choice for dark skin types, for fine or light hairs, and when whole bodies are treated every day. There, a laser works faster and more reliably.
The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO is BroadBand Light with 9 filters between 400 and 800 nm, intended according to SIACSKIN for skin types I to IV. Its strengths are skin rejuvenation, pigment, redness and vessels, with the filters for hair reduction as an addition. For hair removal as a focus, the DEWEON 4LD is the suitable device.
Buying a laser or IPL: what pays off for a studio focusing on hair removal?
For a studio that wants to make its living from hair removal, the laser pays off. It generally delivers better results in fewer sessions, covers more skin types and justifies higher prices per treatment. Satisfied clients recommend you to others, and a studio lives on that. An IPL or BBL device is versatile for skin treatments but, for hair removal, limited to fair skin with dark hair. Before buying, set the monthly instalment against the number of treatments you expect.
At SIACSKIN, the DEWEON 4LD and the DERMAFORCE BBL PRO are in a similar price range. So your focus decides: hair removal with the laser, skin appearance with BBL. The price calculator shows what is viable at your level of utilisation.
Laser or IPL: which treats large areas such as legs and back more quickly?
On large areas, a diode laser using the in-motion technique is generally faster than IPL. A classic IPL device does have a large light window, but between two strong flashes there is a short charging time, and the handpiece is placed field by field. A diode laser emits many pulses per second while the handpiece glides over the skin in strips. Then there is the total time: anyone who needs fewer sessions with the laser saves more over the whole course of treatment than a few minutes per appointment.
The DEWEON 4LD works with up to 30 Hz and spots up to 15 × 40 mm, the AlexDUAL UFO with square spots up to 40 mm. The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO has spots of 45 × 15 and 30 × 12 mm; its strength is skin treatments.
Not necessarily: how strongly you feel the treatment depends more on energy, hair density and cooling than on the light source. IPL often feels like a warm, broad pulse, a laser pulse more like a brief snap. Weak devices are barely noticeable but also achieve little. Many people find a laser using the in-motion technique with contact cooling more comfortable than a strong IPL flash without cooling. The underarms, bikini line and upper lip remain sensitive with both methods.
The DEWEON 4LD cools through a sapphire at temperatures down to minus 50 °C, the AlexDUAL UFO with a compressor and quadruple cooling system. The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO has sapphire contact cooling.
Can you switch from IPL to laser if the hair keeps coming back?
Yes, switching is possible at any time and is the usual route when IPL only leaves thinner hairs that keep growing back. The previous treatment does no harm, but the course of treatment begins with a new assessment: skin type, hair colour, hair thickness and a test pulse. Because the residual hairs after IPL are often finer and lighter, they need short pulses and a wavelength that melanin absorbs strongly. Allow the usual interval after the last IPL session, 4 to 6 weeks on the face and 6 to 10 weeks on the body, and only shave in this time.
For fine, dark blonde to dark residual hairs on fair skin, the alexandrite laser in the AlexDUAL UFO is suitable, and for pigmented hairs on all skin types the DEWEON 4LD. The LED system VCL DERMALIGHT is intended for blonde residual hairs and vellus hair.
