Hair removal has been the bane of every woman’s existence since a lifetime. Yes, there are multiple ways now to get rid of unwanted hair. Painful. Not painful. Borderline painful. All these methods reap different results. Where one method only cuts the hair by the shaft, the other takes it out by the root – from shaving, hair-removal creams, and waxing, to now IPL. Your options are nearly endless.
But finally the tides are shifting. IPL is a relatively new hair removal method in town. It removes the hair from its root with laser technology, so if you're looking for an efficient and affordable at-home solution, the Ulike Air 10 IPL device is a great option to consider.
But the core question remains – can you wax before IPL at home?
Understanding the Relationship Between IPL and Waxing for Hair Removal
IPL treatment destroys the hair follicle from the root of the skin. And the way it does it is by detecting the contrast of pigment between the skin and the hair. When the hair is dark and the skin is lighter in comparison with the hair, the IPL device will target the hair all the way down to its roots. However, it can miss on targeting any hair follicle when it doesn’t exist to begin with.
So when your hair is pulled out from the root (through waxing) and the hair follicle is destroyed, the laser will not find any pigmentation on your skin. Therefore, if you get your hair waxed before your IPL appointment, your treatment might not have anything to work with; hence it is not recommended as the laser will technically be targeting nothing.
If it’s been weeks since you last waxed, however, you can consider using IPL to get rid of the hair.
How Long After Waxing Can I Use IPL?
Using an IPL device right after waxing is practically useless. So you would obviously have to wait for some time before your hair starts showing up again, for the IPL to work its best.
The question is, how long after waxing can I use IPL? Ideally, 6 weeks is the best amount of time to wait before getting your IPL treatment done. The main crux of the matter is that IPL needs to identify the hair pigment to effectively remove it. Therefore, if your hair pigment is active, it is safe for you to start your IPL. For people with quicker hair regrowth, a period of 4 weeks is also enough, however, the laser might miss out on the dormant hair in this case if re-growth is not optimal.
Regardless, it is normally recommended that you wait for a longer period of time, before you achieve a full growth of your hair. After that, you shave it from the surface, so you don’t take any chance at missing out on any hair as you shave.
Is it Better to Wax or Shave Before an IPL Session?
Shaving. Shaving is the only recommended method of hair removal before an IPL session, and there is very little room for debate on this. To compare the two, waxing, as mentioned before, removes the hair from the follicle, which makes an IPL session useless after it. When it comes to shaving, the hair very subtly remains under the skin and therefore, has a higher chance of being caught by the laser, making it super effective.
One thing to note here is that if your hair is any longer than one-fourth of an inch, you may stand a chance of burning your skin. Not because of the direct laser. But because when the laser targets your hair it will burn and get in contact with your skin. This is easily avoidable by shaving the hair first before your IPL session.
Additional Tips for IPL Hair Removal Success
To make sure that you achieve your desired results, you need to pay attentive care to your skin pre and post sessions. Before your session, make sure that you
- Are not waxing, or applying any hair removal creams. The reason should be self-explanatory. Hair removal creams contain harmful chemicals that might irritate the skin, and then if you top it off with intense pulsed light, you put yourself at a risk of burning your skin. And waxing will simply be ineffective.
- Are not using any UV light therapies or tanning your skin; again, tanning and UV light therapies are something that will eventually make your skin sensitive, so best you don't immediately use IPL on your skin after your tanning sessions. Wait at least 2 weeks.
- Are not using any chemical peels on your body. You will be putting yourself at risk of increased skin damage, hyperpigmentation, and skin sensitivity. Something you obviously wouldn't want. Wait at least 2-4 weeks before considering using an IPL device.
In these small steps, you can simply walk into your session with confidence knowing that you will achieve your desired results. However, that does not mean that you become careless after the session.
Here are small steps you can take after your IPL sessions that will help you stay hairless for the most amount of time:
- Avoid heat in any and all forms; this means you cannot take any hot baths or showers as this might burn your skin at a time when it is most sensitive. Hot temperatures tend to do the most damage.
- Do a cold compress. Cold water or ice has the opposite effect of heat, therefore using cold water might actually help calm your skin after an IPL session.
- As in pre-treatment, it is recommended to avoid using any sort of hair removal methods for at least 2-4 weeks after IPL. This includes shaving, waxing, and hair removal creams and lotions.
- Avoid using perfumed products; fragrances are normally an irritant for skin and are risky to use on sensitive skin. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid using perfumed products directly on your skin for at least 48 hours after treatment.
- Avoid the sun. The sun does very little good to your skin. Yes, you get some amount of vitamin D directly from the sun, but if it's worth not wearing your sunscreen is extremely questionable. If you must get out of your house, and your skin is being exposed to the sun, remember to apply a good sunscreen.
Bottomline
IPL, with its gaining popularity, has a lot of misconceptions being thrown around as well. One of these includes the confusion regarding waxing before IPL. As we have established, shaving will always be the better option. Waxing will have the opposite effect on your IPL treatment and might be a loss to you, physically and financially.
While we are busting these myths, make sure to do your research before setting up an IPL treatment. When you know your hair and skin well, you will know exactly what method of hair removal is best for you before your IPL session.
