IPL Not Working? 7 Reasons Why & How to Fix It (UK)

IPL not working? You’ve spent a small fortune on an IPL device, stuck to the routine for weeks, and… nothing. The hair is still turning up right on schedule, as if it’s making a point. Meanwhile your best mate swears hers “worked in no time” and you’re stood there shaving again, wondering what you’ve done wrong.

If that’s where you’re at, you’re not being dramatic. It’s genuinely annoying when you’ve invested the money and the effort and you’re not seeing the smooth-skin payoff.

Here’s the reassuring bit. In most cases, IPL does work, but only when a few key things line up. Timing matters. Consistency matters. Prep matters. Your skin and hair combination matters too, and that one can be the deal-breaker. The upside is that the majority of issues are fixable once you know what to look for.

This guide walks you through seven common reasons why IPL is not working, plus the practical changes that usually get results moving again. We’ll keep it simple, realistic, and very UK-friendly. No miracle claims, no guilt trips. Just clear troubleshooting so you can work out whether you need to tweak your routine, adjust your settings, reset your timeline, or consider a different option altogether.

The problem: You’ve done three or four sessions, checked the mirror, and thought, “Why is my IPL not working?”

This is the single most common reason people lose confidence in their device. Not because they’ve done anything wildly wrong, but because IPL is slower than most of us expect.

IPL targets the pigment inside the hair follicle. The catch is that it only works on hairs in their active growth phase. At any one time, only around 20 to 30 per cent of your follicles are actively growing. The rest are resting or preparing to shed.

That means each session only affects a portion of the hair in that area. The follicles that are “asleep” during one treatment may wake up in the following weeks. This is why repetition matters so much.

When IPL hair removal is not working early on, it is usually because the growth cycle has not been fully covered yet.

It is also worth being clear about terminology. IPL delivers permanent hair reduction. That means fewer, softer hairs over time, not a promise of total elimination after a handful of sessions.

Think of it like any slow transformation. The changes can feel invisible at first, then suddenly obvious once enough time has passed.

Early frustration does not automatically mean your IPL is not working. More often than not, it simply has not finished the job yet.

The problem: You’ve followed the instructions carefully, kept to your schedule, and still feel like your IPL device is not working at all.

This is the point where it can feel personal. You start wondering whether you are doing something wrong. In reality, it may come down to biology rather than technique.

IPL works by targeting melanin, the pigment found in hair. The light energy travels down the hair shaft and heats the follicle, which disrupts future growth. For that to happen safely and effectively, there needs to be clear contrast between your skin tone and your hair colour.

The device needs to distinguish between the two. When there is not enough contrast, results can be limited or non-existent.

Hair colour is the sticking point for a lot of people. IPL simply needs pigment to work with. Blonde, red, grey and white hairs do not contain enough of it, so no amount of persistence will change the outcome. In that situation, electrolysis is usually the more realistic option. It takes longer, but it does not rely on colour.

Skin tone can also affect things. Very deep skin tones are generally not suited to at-home IPL because the light can be absorbed by the skin as well as the hair. And light brown hair often responds more slowly than very dark hair. None of that means you have done anything wrong. It just means the technology has limits, and sometimes a different approach makes more sense.

The problem: Treatments happen “when you remember” rather than on a proper plan, and now you’re questioning why your IPL is not working.

With IPL, consistency is not a bonus. It is the whole point.

Hair grows in cycles, and IPL only works on hairs in the active growth phase. Weekly treatments in the early stage give you the best chance of catching follicles as they become active.

Long gaps between sessions mean follicles can move through their cycle untouched. That slows everything down and can make it seem as though your IPL device is not working, when in reality it just has not been used often enough.

Sporadic treatments also make it harder to see patterns. You cannot judge progress properly when the routine keeps changing.

Think of it less as a beauty extra and more as a short-term course you are completing. Once the initial phase is done, maintenance becomes much lighter.

The problem: You are doing your sessions regularly, but your IPL hair removal is not working as expected.

Before blaming the device, it is worth looking at what happens in the 24 hours before you press that button. Preparation makes a bigger difference than most people realise.

Waxing, plucking or threading between sessions is the biggest culprit.

IPL needs the hair root in place so the light can travel down the shaft and heat the follicle. When you wax or pluck, you remove the very target the device is trying to treat. No root, no result.

You can shave as often as you like. You just cannot remove the hair from the root.

Surface product can block the light or cause irritation. Longer hair above the skin can singe and waste energy that should be travelling down to the follicle.

That is it. No elaborate ritual required.

A small adjustment in preparation can be the difference between feeling like IPL is not working and finally starting to see proper reduction.

The problem: Your IPL device is not working properly, or you are unsure whether it is doing anything at all.

Settings are one of those details people either overthink or ignore completely. Both can cause problems.

Some go straight to the highest intensity, assuming more power means faster results. Others stay on the lowest setting forever because they are nervous. Neither approach is ideal.

Cranking it up to maximum from day one can make treatment uncomfortable and put you off continuing. Redness, stinging, and anxiety about the next session often follow.

Higher does not automatically mean more effective. It just means more energy delivered. The goal is effective but tolerable treatment, not proving how much you can endure.

On the other hand, staying at the lowest level long-term may not deliver enough energy to properly disrupt the follicle.

A mild warmth or gentle snapping sensation is normal. Feeling absolutely nothing at all, session after session, can be a sign that the intensity needs adjusting.

When someone says their IPL is not working, it is sometimes simply a matter of finding the right setting for their skin tone.

If your IPL device is not working in the sense that it will not flash, check those basics first before assuming it is broken.

Getting the balance right can make a surprising difference. Small adjustments in intensity or technique are often what turn “IPL hair removal not working” into a visible, steady reduction over the following weeks.

The problem: You have been consistent, careful, and patient, yet hair keeps returning, or new growth seems to appear. At this point, it is natural to wonder why IPL is not working for you when it seems to work for others.

Hormones can quietly change the picture.

Hair growth is heavily influenced by androgens. When those hormone levels shift, follicles can become more active, especially on the face, chin, chest or stomach. IPL can treat existing follicles, but it cannot stop hormonal signals from activating new ones.

With PCOS in particular, higher androgen levels can lead to thicker or more persistent hair growth. That does not mean IPL is pointless. It simply means expectations need adjusting.

In hormonally driven hair growth, you may successfully reduce existing hair only to notice fresh growth months later. It can feel as though your IPL device is not working, even though it has treated what was there at the time.

The goal in these cases is often management rather than total elimination. Fewer hairs. Slower regrowth. Less daily maintenance.

Addressing the hormonal side alongside hair removal tends to deliver better overall results than focusing on surface treatment alone.

It is also important to say this clearly. If hormones are involved, the slower progress is not your fault. You are not doing IPL incorrectly. Your body simply has different drivers influencing hair growth.

The problem: You have the right hair and skin type. You have followed the schedule properly. You have shaved, adjusted settings and been patient. Yet your IPL is not working at all.

At this point, it is reasonable to question the device rather than yourself.

Not all at-home IPL machines deliver the same level of energy. Power output, safety features and build quality vary more than most people realise. Some are consistent and well-engineered. Others are simply underpowered.

A completely pain-free experience does not automatically mean your IPL device is not working. However, most effective devices produce at least a mild warmth or light snapping sensation.

Lower-priced devices can look similar to premium ones on the outside, but internal components and energy stability often differ. That does not mean affordable devices never work. It does mean results can be slower or less noticeable if energy levels are inconsistent.

If you have completed 12 to 15 consistent sessions with no visible reduction and the device seems unreliable, upgrading or switching to professional treatment may be more effective.

Sometimes the issue is timing. Sometimes it is technique. And occasionally, it is simply that the device does not have the power needed for noticeable reduction.

Recognising that is not defeat. It is just being practical.

Still stuck and thinking your IPL is not working? 

The flowchart below walks you through the most common sticking points in a simple order. Start at the top and follow the path that applies to you.

If you reach the final step and you have genuinely done everything correctly for 12 weeks or more with absolutely no change, that is the point where reviewing your device or considering professional treatment makes sense.

Frustration usually comes down to one of four things:

Tighten those up and most people start to see steady reduction.

IPL works gradually. The shift is subtle at first. Then you notice you are shaving less often and the regrowth feels finer.

A full 12-week course, done properly, gives you a fair answer. At that point, the results will speak for themselves.

No change at all after that? It is reasonable to reconsider your device or look at professional options.

That is how you find out whether your IPL truly is not working or simply needed a better run at it.