IPL/RF?

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

hello, and thanks for this very informative site.

i’m looking for information about IPL/RF technology - i did try to find some previous threads on it, but haven’t located anything.

my situation is: my skin type is II, and all my life i’ve had light hair on my upper lip; it never bothered me until the last year or so, when some of it has started coming in darker (i guess it’s one of them Menopause Things.) i’m not happy tweezing, so i’m seeking a more permanent type of solution.

i felt like i’d prefer electrolysis, but the only place in my town that does it told me the hairs are too fine for that, and they said i should try IPL/RF instead. that place doesn’t have that technology, but i’ve located one that does (again there’s only one in my town). before i take the plunge i’d like to hear your input about how IPL/RF differs from plain IPL - what i should expect, whether there are any particular risks, whether it’s right that IPL/RF would be effective on hair that’s been deemed too light for plain IPL/laser and too fine for electrolysis, but dark enough to bother me.

or am i better off continuing to tweeze after all?

thanks for any insights - and/or if there older threads about this i’d be grateful for links to them. i have read your Laser FAQ sheet, but unless i’m missing something, it doesn’t go into what makes IPL/RF different from “plain old” IPL.

della

#2

How can I say this politely? This is crapola! They are being untruthful. Do not give them one dime or any of your time. There is no light-based system out there (IPL/RF, IPL or LASER) that can affect light colored, thin hair. NONE!!

You need electrolysis. A good electrologist with THAT CAN SEE WELL with the magnification aid that she/he has chosen that can see all those fine blond hairs. I personally do a lot of accelerated light colored hairs on female faces. I use custom-made surgical glasses and the faster, more comfortable forms of electrolysis, which are called MicroFlash and/or PicoFlash thermolysis depending on the epilator one uses . I can get a first clearance on most upper lips for all the noticeable hair in less than an hour. The middle part requires more sessions of thinning because there is a lot of hair in this area and due to the ouchiness factor for the middle upper lip, we can only work there so long. With the better technology that the upper brand epilators offer, one need not limit the upper lip sessions to 15 -20 minutes. I have worked for 45-60 minutes on an upper lip with no problem at all. Healing goes well. Client is pleased.

If you can’t find anyone you are willing to travel to to get good electrolysis care, then tweezing would be cheaper than IPL with a RF scanning feature. This IPL/RF will not make you happy in the end. We don’t recommend repeated tweezing of an upper lip, so I would look far and wide to find a well-trained or re-trained electrologist who uses the better trianglar sources of tool, which are: surgical magnification, halogen or LED light source, computerized epilator such as the higher end Apilus’s, Silhouet Tone VMC. I don’t know much about other brands, but truly look for skill and very close to that is equipment.

Dee

#3

thank you for taking an interest, and for your clear reply.

what this electrologist said was that the needle is larger than most of my hairs - and to be fair, she didn’t ask for a dime or any of my time. she simply said she couldn’t help me and suggested i look for someone who offers IPL/RF.

it may be that she doesn’t have up-to-date equipment, but since they’re the only place in town that seems to offer electrolysis at all, i guess i’m stuck. (i’m not in North America, and if there’s any organization or licensing body here that could help me locate someone else, i haven’t been able to find them.)

thanks again for taking an interest.

#4

What that person told you is not only untrue, it’s the OPPOSITE. Electrolysis works on all types of hair and is the ONLY option for fine hair. Laser and IPL on the other hand ONLY works on COARSE dense hair.

You can ONLY do electrolysis. There are dozens of different probe sizes that fit any type of hair, no matter how fine. Whoever you went to doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

Where are you located?

Shaving is better than tweezing btw. It’s the only temporary method that doesn’t change the structure of your hair and won’t make it worse.

#5

thanks LAgirl. i’m located in Poland.

and i wouldn’t know how to shave just the hairs that bug me - the ones that are dark enough to bug me are very much in the minority, but … well, they do bug me!

so if this electrologist was clueless … sigh! okay, i will go back to hunting for a clueful one. after reading Dee’s post, i’ve located the company that distributes Apilus equipment in Poland - maybe they can at least direct me to someone nearby who owns the Right Stuff.

thanks very much for taking an interest.

#6

You can clip the individual troublesome hairs. Tweezerman makes my favorite facial hair scissors.

#7

>> Tweezerman makes my favorite facial hair scissors. <<

i will look for those if my further hunt for a clueful electrologist within traveling distance fails to pan out.

thank you for taking an interest.