Laser IPL machines have today revolutionised the beauty care industry around the world. They were introduced in the early 1990s and by mid 90s machines using this technology were commercially available and had brought about a sea change in the beauty industry. Before this time, most skin rejuvenation or permanent hair reduction or tattoo removal required extensive surgical interventions and prolonged downtime and recuperation periods. Not anymore! Each session of treatment on an IPL laser machine now for say acne spot removal or bikini hair line reduction is done in less than an hour and the patient can get back to a normal routine almost immediately.

Laser and IPL technologies harness the power of light energy for treatments. In laser, a concentrated beam of light is focussed on the area being treated. It is the same with Intense Pulse Light (IPL) but in this case, the light beam has a broad spectrum with different wavelengths. Hence, the effects of procedures too are different. While with laser, every pulse reaches the hair root, in IPL not all beams travel to the required depth. Hence it is not as effective as laser on dark skin tones and harsh textured hair.

Here are some of the beauty care processes that can be optimised with a laser IPL machine.

– Tattoo Removal – This is on top of the list because in the past tattoos were considered to be permanent imprints on the body and required painful surgical intervention to remove. Today, within a few sessions, a tattoo, regardless of the colour of the ink or density of design can be completely removed and a fresh one created in its place if required. The process involves targeting the tattoo with light that vibrates at nanoseconds. It enters the layer of the skin and breaks up the ink into minute particles. These are then disposed off by the body’s natural processes.

– Skin Freshening – In skin rejuvenation processes, beams of light from an IPL machine are focussed on the area being treated, thereby boosting production of collagen which is the element that ensures a taut and fresh looking skin. As people age, collagen production goes down and fine lines and wrinkles start to appear on the skin. With increased collagen, lines, freckles, acne spots and hyper-pigmentation are removed and the skin looks fresh and rejuvenated.

IPL machines can treat a large number of skin related problems. These give off various coloured lights of different wavelengths. For example, Red (633nn) are good for treatment of freckles, wrinkles sunburn and age pigmentation. The Blue (420nn) ones are ideal for anti-inflammatory treatments, and removal of blackheads and pimples. For a full range of the equipment, visit universalipl.com.au.  

– Permanent Hair Removal – Light energy in this procedure attacks and destroys melanin, the hair pigment situated at the root of a follicle. This stops further growth of hair. However, since only active hair can be stopped from additional growth, a number of sessions are required for complete permanent hair removal.

A laser IPL machine is made from the best Japanese and German components by leading manufacturers around the world. However, these machines are complex and should be handled by trained technicians and dermatologists only to avoid any side-effects. It is for this reason that leading importers and distributors of these machines offer training and support to their clients on the same equipment bought by them. The sellers ensure that the trainees are fully conversant with the functioning of the machines before they treat salon customers.

IPL laser machine are available in various models and versions. A salon owner wanting to offer optimised beauty care services can start with a small desktop model that is of course not short on power. Once business picks up and the appointments book starts filling up, a bigger and more powerful machine can be installed that offers faster treatment times.