Is IPL Hair Removal Permanent?

When a hair is targeted with intense pulsed light, it will most likely be permanently destroyed and will probably not grow back. However, this is absolutely not the case for every hair. No IPL manufacturer has been permitted to claim that IPL can cause ‘permanent hair removal’ as this cannot be guaranteed; they may, however, claim to cause ‘permanent hair reduction’. Whilst IPL cannot guarantee to permanently remove every single hair in the treated area and be sure it does not grow back, the amount of hair growing in the area should be permanently reduced. In order to be permanently removed, a hair must be treated with IPL whilst it is in the anagen, or ‘active’ phase of growth. If it is instead treated when it is just resting or shedding, chances are that it will grow back. The likelihood that hairs will grow back will vary depending on the exact nature of your hair and growth, and can be affected by hormones. The amount of hairs that re-grow in an area having had IPL treatment could vary from one or two, to nearly all of them. Many users report that the hair that grows back is significantly less coarse, and grows back gently with softer hairs rather than being stubbly.

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