By Laura
Updated: June 16, 2024
5 minutes
Many people now opt for IPL hair removal because of its long-lasting results. It works well for the whole body, so you will not have to try different hair removal methods for various body areas. It has reduced the need to get hair removal done every other day.
Furthermore, the development of FDA-cleared at-home IPL devices has made the treatment more accessible to everyone. Are you one of the IPL users, but it is not working the same for you? Are you confused about why IPL is not working on pubic hair? Let’s find the possible reasons!
Table of Contents:
Part 1: How Does IPL Hair Removal Work?
IPL devices emit polychromatic, intense pulsed light that works on the principle of selective photothermolysis. Our body has a pigment called melanin, which gives our skin, hair, and eyes color. The higher the concentration of this pigment in the body, the darker the color.
Why are we suddenly discussing a pigment? Because the IPL light enters our body through absorption by this melanin pigment in the hair follicles. Through the follicles, it travels down to the root of the hair, turns into heat, and damages the hair follicles, thus stopping hair regrowth.
Therefore, its effectiveness depends mainly on the skin and hair colors. It is similarly effective for all body areas. You just need to be careful about using it on delicate areas since it can cause burns.
Part 2: Why is IPL Not Working on Pubic Hair?
Hair Color
The absorption of IPL depends upon the concentration of melanin in the hair. Darker hair colors have more melanin, so the light can easily travel down the roots. In contrast, red, blonde, or gray hairs have little melanin.
This means the IPL light finds no pathway to get absorbed into the hair, rendering it ineffective. So, if your hair color lies in any of these categories, then IPL hair removal on pubic hair or any other body part will not suit you.
Skin Tone and Pigmentation
If you have a dark skin tone that matches your hair color, the IPL device will not be able to differentiate between the hair and skin. It will not affect your pubic hair but only cause burns down there.
If you have a lighter skin tone but IPL still does not work, it can be due to pigmentation. Since the thickness of the pubic area changes over time, the skin can become thin and darker. So, IPL will not be very efficient in any case of dark skin tone.
Hormonal Influences
Hormonal imbalance can also explain why IPL is not working on your pubic hair. This hormonal imbalance causes excessive hair growth. One such example is PCOS, in which the level of androgens is higher in the body. This leads to faster and thicker hair growth.
As a result, IPL will not work very effectively on these hairs. You might need more than the usual treatments to see any results.
Hair Thickness and Texture
The pubic hair is mostly thicker and coarser, so IPL hair removal can be quite effective for this area. However, if your hair is finer or lighter, the amount of IPL energy reaching the hair follicles might not be enough to burn them.
So, IPL hair removal highly depends upon the thickness and texture of your hair. They should neither be too thin and short nor too thick or long to cause pain during hair removal.
Insufficient Treatment Sessions
IPL devices cannot give you results within a single treatment session or just one day of use. Everyone requires multiple sessions, depending on the efficiency of the devices and the type of skin and hair you have. Therefore, if you are expecting complete pubic hair removal and retardation of regrowth just after one use, then it is not going to happen.
However, you can surely get quicker results using highly efficient devices like the Ulike Air 10 IPL hair removal handset. It can show you visible results within one to two weeks.
Insufficient Energy Output
If the device has insufficient energy output, it might not be effective enough to work on the coarse pubic hair. Therefore, buy a device with high energy outputs to achieve desirable results.
One such device is the Ulike Air 10, which has 26J energy output and 4 full-body modes. The SHR mode works well for stubborn hair, while the high mode can also be used for thicker hair. A normal body can be used for fine hair removal.
Improper Device Contact
An IPL device needs to be in proper contact with your skin to detect pigments, produce flashes, and work correctly. If the device is not in proper contact, it will not flash or emit energy.
As a result, it will not affect the pubic hair even after being used multiple times. So, ensure you use the device correctly before expecting any results.
Device Quality and Age
The quality of a device and its age can be a deciding factor in the efficiency of IPL devices for eliminating pubic hair. Higher-quality devices usually have more advanced features and better components to target the hair more precisely.
In comparison, low-quality devices do not have enough energy output or features to work well against coarse pubic hair. However, if you use a very old device, its components might have degraded over time.
Skin Conditions like Tattoos or Moles
Any tattoos or moles around the target area can affect the working of an IPL device. Since these are darker in color than other areas of the skin, the IPL device can mistake them for excessive melanin and burn the whole area.
Therefore, an IPL device must not be used in such areas. The treatment will not only be unsuccessful but may also damage your skin.
Medical Conditions or Medications
Certain medical conditions or medications can also hinder the normal operation of IPL devices. These can cause excess hair growth or stimulate new hair growth, making the previous session completely useless.
The medications include anabolic steroids, cyclosporine, glucocorticoids, and phenytoin. In addition, disorders of the pituitary gland, ovary tumors, or insulin resistance can affect hormone production, resulting in excess hair growth.
Conclusion
IPL hair removal usually works equally well for all areas of the body. However, if it does not work for a particular area, it might be due to the wrong hair removal technique. There is a possibility that the device might be too told to work efficiently now.
In addition, hormonal imbalance, medications, and some medical conditions like ovary tumors can also be deciding factors for the efficiency of IPL. So, before using IPL, ensure that your skin tone and hair color are compatible with this technology and that you are using it correctly.
