Can IPL Treatments Work on Blonde Hair? The Truth Revealed
It’s no surprise IPL treatments have become a preferred choice for those that want to get rid of unwanted hair and make their skin soothing. However, there is a certain concern regarding the effectiveness of IPL on blonde hair.
So, does IPL work on blonde hair? Here’s what you need to know.
How Does IPL Work
Simply put, IPL uses bursts of light with various colors and wavelengths to treat different skin issues. The removal of unwanted hair, acne scars, sunspots, and pigmentation are a few examples of the things the treatment helps with, targeting the melanin in your skin and hair to produce results.
IPL basically heats up the melanin, which it then either destroys or causes it to regenerate. The hair follicles in this way are damaged and prevented from producing new hair by IPL.
If you’ve light skin and dark hair, IPL will work best. That’s because dark hair absorbs light better since it contains more melanin. Light skin reflects light because it contains less melanin. IPL might not be effective or safe if you possess very dark skin or light hair due to a lack of contrast between your skin tone and hair.
However, it’s essential to know IPL hair removal takes time to work. It’s thus recommended that for the treatment to be effective, you must attend several sessions spread out over a few months since your hair grows in cycles, and that IPL can only affect hair that is actively growing at the time.
All in all, your skin tone, hair type, and the area you want to treat will all influence how many sessions you require.
Factors that Affect IPL's Effectiveness on Blonde Hair
Here are some factors that might affect the effectiveness of IPL on blond hair. Here are some:
- Type of Melanin Present
For starters, the effectiveness of IPL largely depends on how much amount and type of melanin is present in your hair. It’s seen darker and coarser hair has more melanin and help absorb more light, making IPL effective to work.
Blonde hair has less melanin and thus reflects more light, that might make it a bit difficult for IPL to work except in some conditions.
- Shades of Blonde Hair
Shades also play a crucial role when it comes to effectiveness of IPL treatment. A few shades of blonde hair may be more responsive to IPL than others. For instance, dark blonde or ash blonde hair has enough eumelanin for IPL to work. In comparison, light blonde or white blonde hair may have too little eumelanin or too much pheomelanin, making it a bit tricky for IPL to work.
- Contrast
IPL can also be affected by the contrast between the hair and skin color. IPL devices rely on contrasting colors between the hair and skin in order to detect and aim the melanin pigments present in the hair follicles.
Can IPL Actually Work on Blonde Hair?
If you’re still asking, “Does IPL work on blonde hair?” Then, we have some good news.
According to research, it has been seen from certain clinical trials that IPL reduces unnecessary hair growth for blonde hair. The catch being it may require more sessions and energy compared to other hair colors.
Certain special IPL devices also use a type of technology combining IPL with radiofrequency that have shown to work on blonde hair. Not just that, it has also shown to work on grey as well as red and white shades. This is because it doesn’t only depend on melanin. The RF energy also helps dig deeper into the skin, targeting hair follicles irrespective of color.
Some Alternative Options for Blonde Hair Removal
- Electrolysis: The treatment, being an FDA-approved treatment from the US, involves piercing a needle that reaches the hair root and then giving a current to eliminate it. Electrolysis works on almost any color such as blonde as it doesn’t rely on melanin. Electrolysis, on the other hand, is time-consuming as well as painful and expensive.
- Hair Remover Threading: It’s a device that utilises a U-shaped wire to remove hair from the root. It works on different facial hair (like blonde hair) as it doesn’t depend on melanin for targeting. Also, it’s inexpensive as well as simple to use.
- Elettra Skin IPL Hair Removal Device: This device uses the power of IPL to remove hair and can dramatically reduce facial hair off your skin. It’s also easy to carry and lasts several years.
If you want to reduce facial hair off your skin for good, we recommend giving Elettra Skin’s IPL Hair Removal Device a try. Order yours today!