Imagine being swimsuit-ready for a day at Condado Beach or Isla Verda without the preparatory fuss of shaving, waxing or tweezing! If you’re looking for permanent hair removal options, visit ARR Medical Group in San Juan to learn about IPL therapy.

Permanent Hair Removal at ARR Medical Group in San Juan

Whether you’re getting ready for a wedding, a vacation, or just another week at work, state-of-the-art IPL hair removal treatment at ARR Medical Group in San Juan can help you feel confident that you look your polished best.

What Is IPL?

IPL is short for Intense Pulsed Light, a technology that dermatologists began using more than 20 years ago to treat acne, spider veins and varicose veins. They found that IPL therapy delivered an unexpected benefit. It not only rejuvenated the skin, but it also reduced hair growth in the treated areas.

Since then, further advances in the technology have made hair removal with IPL therapy faster, more comfortable, and more effective.

How Does IPL Work?

If you’ve worn dark colors on a hot day, you already know that dark colors tend to absorb more light and heat than lighter colors do. IPL treatment works on the same principle. The light energy is absorbed by the darker hair rather than the lighter skin around it.

During IPL treatment, rapid pulses of light of many different wavelengths are aimed at the skin and absorbed by the melanin, a dark pigment in hair and hair follicles. That energy turns into heat that weakens the hair follicles, causing the hair to fall out and the follicles to break down so they can no longer grow hair.

Unlike lasers that emit only one wavelength of light in a tightly focused area, IPL exposes larger areas of skin to an array of wavelengths between 500 and 1200 nanometers. These wavelengths are quickly absorbed into the second layer of the skin and into the hair follicles, leaving the top layer of skin intact. IPL treatment minimizes skin irritation.

How Long Does IPL Treatment Take?

Hair growth occurs in several phases in a cycle that can span several months. IPL therapy is most effective during the hair’s active growth phase, called the anagen phase, when there is more pigment in the hair and in the follicle to absorb the light energy.

Only a certain percentage of all the hair in any particular area is in the anagen phase at any given time. The second phase, called the regression phase, lasts about 10 days. The telogen phase, which is a resting phase, can last about three months. Further IPL treatment sessions are therefore necessary to treat previously dormant follicles as they enter the active growth phase.

Typically, six to eight sessions of IPL treatment at four-week intervals are required for significant hair reduction. This can vary depending on the areas being treated, since the length of the hair’s growth cycle may vary in different parts of the body. Lighter hair, which has less pigment than darker hair, may also require more treatments.

During your initial permanent hair removal consultation, we will assess your skin and hair to determine a treatment plan customized to your needs.

What Are the Benefits of IPL Hair Removal?

Most of us have an arsenal of products in the bathroom cabinet for hair removal: razors, shaving creams, tweezers, depilatory creams, and waxing strips. For all the money and time spent on these uncomfortable, and even painful, methods of hair removal, the results are only good for a few days or a few weeks. Sooner or later, the job has to be done again.

With IPL therapy, you can have smooth skin and confidently wear sundresses, shorts, and swimsuits throughout the beach season. Other benefits include:

Preventing Ingrown Hairs

Shaving and tweezing can create a hair that is sheared unevenly and then grows back into the skin. This is an ingrown hair, which can cause a painful inflammation or little cysts in the skin. Hair removal with IPL actually causes the hair to be shed by the hair follicle and then breaks down the hair follicle, so there’s nothing left to grow inward.

Treating Facial Hair

IPL therapy is a safe, effective way to remove hair from many parts of the body. In addition to hair removal from arms, legs, back and the bikini area, IPL can be used to safely remove unwanted facial hair from the upper lip, cheeks, and chin. Even men can have IPL treatment for facial hair. IPL hair removal is not used on the eyebrows or scalp.

No Waits for Touch-Ups

If you are used to wax treatments, you know that you have to let hairs grow a little before the wax can adhere for hair removal. That waiting period for the stubble to grow long enough for waxing can make you feel self-conscious and embarrassed. IPL treatments can be done at any time, at your convenience.

Quick Treatments, No Downtime

Because IPL treatment is applied over larger areas at one time, we can often complete a session in as little as 30 minutes. Plus, since IPL therapy uses many different wavelengths of light to target the hair follicle rather than the skin, most people experience very few after-effects. You can have your IPL session during your lunch hour and get right back to work!

Who Can Have IPL Treatment?

During your initial consultation at ARR Medical Group, we will help you determine whether IPL treatment is the best option for you. Generally, most men and women over the age of 21 can benefit from IPL hair removal. Women who are pregnant may be advised to wait until after the baby’s birth to have IPL treatment.

How to Prepare for Your IPL Appointment

IPL treatments are safe and most people experience little or no skin irritation following treatments. You can help make your treatment more effective and minimize your skin’s sensitivity to the laser by preparing for your appointment.

Avoid Chemical Hair Removal Methods

You can shave before your appointment, but please avoid tweezing, waxing, sugaring and cream depilatories. All of these can cause skin irritation and make your skin hypersensitive to the laser.

Avoid Tanning

You should also avoid tanning or using sunless tanning products, as these darken the skin and tend to make the skin absorb the light energy that is intended to target the hair follicles. This makes the IPL less effective in targeting the hair and hair follicles and may also cause your skin to be irritated or temporarily darkened by the IPL treatment.

Avoid Products and Perfumes

While we will thoroughly clean areas of the skin prior to treatment, it would be helpful to avoid applying moisturizers, perfumes, or deodorants to the areas that we are going to treat.

Let Us Know of Any Medications

If you use any medications, especially topical medications applied on the skin, please let us know during your initial consultation. Please also let your technician know of any changes to your medications when you come in for your IPL sessions. Some medications can make your skin more sensitive to IPL treatment.

Let Us Know of Any Skin Conditions

If you have eczema, injuries or skin inflammation in the areas to be treated, please let us know.

What Happens During the IPL Treatment?

We’ll start your appointment by thoroughly cleaning the area to be treated and then applying a cooling gel to ensure your comfort throughout your appointment. You will also be given protective eyewear during your IPL session. All you have to do now is relax!

Our trained technician will use a hand-held device to target the hair follicles in the areas you want treated. You may feel a slight warming in the treated areas, but most people feel little or no discomfort during treatment. We can complete most sessions in about 30 minutes although the time may vary slightly depending on the areas being treated.

At the end of your appointment, we will give you instructions for aftercare. We may recommend a gel to moisturize treated areas and soothe any discomfort. Immediately after treatment, you should avoid applying any perfumed products to your skin. Wait until any irritation disappears before getting into a hot bath or swimming pool.

What to Expect After Treatment

Since IPL treatment targets the hair follicles themselves and not just the surface hair, you will see the results over a period of time, rather than immediately after the appointment. The actively growing hair in the treated areas will drop out in a few weeks.

Follicles that were in a transitional or dormant phase may sprout hair as they enter the next growth phase. These will be treated at your next IPL session. You may shave between sessions, but please do not wax. Waxing disrupts the growth cycles and may make your IPL sessions less effective.

You will notice after a few sessions that you see less and less hair. Along with permanent hair reduction, you may also find that any hair that is growing is thinner, paler, and less visible than before. It will also grow much more slowly. While individual results vary, most patients achieve permanent hair loss in treated areas in an average of six to eight sessions.

If some hair follicles continue to grow hair, you can schedule touch-up treatments as needed or annually.

Why You Should Choose Professional IPL Treatment

If you’re looking for permanent hair removal methods, you may have come across IPL devices that can be used at home. While these devices may seem convenient, there are many benefits to having professional treatment by trained technicians.

Safety First

The most important consideration is safety. The advanced equipment we use is more precise than at-home versions, and our technicians are experienced in using these devices. If you’re thinking of using a home device, you must be sure that you have read the manual thoroughly and fully understand the directions and safety precautions. At ARR Medical Group, your safety and comfort are our highest priority.

Efficiency

Professional equipment is both more powerful and more precise. The IPL head we use is larger and can cover larger areas of the body more quickly and effectively.

Targeting Difficult-to-Reach Areas

If you have mobility issues or if you are trying to treat areas such as your back, you may have difficulty in positioning the device correctly and safely. Our experienced professionals ensure that the IPL treatment is safely delivered to every spot from which you want to remove unwanted hair.

Learn more

Contact Dr. Rosa and the ARR Medical Group in San Juan to schedule a consultation about professional IPL hair removal treatments. We will develop a personalized treatment plan for you, ensuring your safety and comfort as we help you look your best. We look forward to serving you!