Page 112 - Chapter 3 - Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal

Chapter 3 – Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal 1st Edition
Laser vs IPL – Some Myths...
There are many myths about how lasers and IPLs compare. Most of them are based on ignorance of the scientific facts! In essence, both types of systems are merely delivering light energy into the skin. This light is then absorbed by something, which usually converts it into heat. It is the heat which induces the changes that we are trying to achieve.
Let’s dispel some of those myths.... So, what are they?
Myth 1 – ‘An IPL is “not as good as a laser” because it’s not the same’ Myth 2 – IPLs “don’t get as deep as lasers”
Myth 3 – IPLs “don’t generate long term results, like lasers”
Myth 4 – “The broadband wavelength range of IPLs makes them ‘much weaker’ than lasers”
Let’s begin with Myth 1 – This is partly correct – lasers are not IPLs. If you read Chapter 1 you will see that this is clearly obvious. They are quite different technologies and generate light by completely different methods.
But, the end product – the light energy – is basically the same! The main difference, which is important in terms of skin treatments, is that all of the energy in a laser output is contained within a very narrow range of wavelengths – a few nanometres (Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle does not allow all the energy to be emitted in a single wavelength!).
This means that we can match those wavelengths with a specific chromophore, such as haemoglobin in blood. The result of this is that much of this energy will likely be absorbed by that chromophore.
IPLs, on the other hand, output energy across a much wider range of wavelengths, typically hundreds of nanometres. While this means that the absorption is not as specific as with a laser output, it will still induce a reaction in the target chromophores.
In particular, if the target chromophore is melanin (as for hair and pigmentation) then the wide range of wavelengths is advantageous, since melanin absorbs light across the full visible spectrum (plus a bit of the near infrared too).
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