IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. Although it is not a laser, IPL uses light energy to reduce and slow down hair growth on the face and body. IPL uses a xenon Flash Lamp that emits diffused, incoherent light. It is composed of many wavelengths and colors, so it cannot be focused like lasers. The IPL is fast and coherent, with a wavelength range of 500 to 1200nanometers. Different wavelengths are absorbed by the chromophores within our bodies. The IPL filter removes unwanted wavelengths in order to target specific chromophores. It leaves only wavelengths between 600-1200 nanometers, and then multi-wavelength flashes from IPL are absorbed by the melanin-containing cells of the hair follicle. This heat causes hair to shrink and it stops growing completely. Different areas of the body have different hair diameters and depths, so it requires targeted "hair removal strikes."1 976 was the first year of clinical trials of IPL for treatment of vascular lesions. The 1997 clinical trials of an IPL machine commercially available are the first to be reported, especially for IPL laser hair removal at home.
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