The Benefits of IPL over Laser:  Larger areas can be treated at one time.  A typical man's back would require about 60-90 minutes with a Long Pulse Diode.  The IPL800 would do the same job in about 10 minutes.

IPL works on persons who are outside of the acceptable limit for the Fitzpatrick skin pigment grading scale.  A type 6 could be treated safely (with skin bleaching).

No hair is vaporized so there is much lower risk of pitting around the hair follicle itself (from intense heat).

IPL gives added benefits as a result of the hair removal treatment.  Improved tone, texture, and vitality of the skin is commonly noted.

How many treatments will I need?  Like laser epilation, IPL is a progressively permanent procedure.  This means that improvement will be noted over a series of treatments.  Due to hair growth cycles and a variety of other factors, an investment of 6-10 treatments over 90 days is normal.

Discomfort and Client Reaction:  Remarkably, the sensation felt with an IPL treatment is no more intense than that of a laser (although much more total energy is being delivered to the tissue).  The first two pulses from the IPL generally are not felt by the client.  The third (if the technician chooses to deliver that many) begins to feel like a snap of a rubber band (as the tissue absorbs and retains the energy). Five or more pulses in less than one second may be uncomfortable for some clients.  The use of a topical desensitizing spray or pre-treatment cold pack will alleviate most sensation. 

It is generally not necessary to deliver more than 3 pulses to a single cm2 of skin for effective hair removal treatment.

Client Pre-Qualifications:  Like laser, the best candidate for IPL hair removal has fair skin with dark terminal hairs. Skin typing for exposure to ultraviolet light can be categorized by the Fitzpatrick classification, developed by Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick of Harvard Medical School.

Skin Type I:  Never tans, always burns (extremely fair skin, blonde hair, blue/green eyes)
Skin Type II:  Occasionally tans, usually burns (fair skin, sandy to brown hair, green/brown eyes)
Skin Type III:  Often tans, sometimes burns (medium skin, brown hair, brown eyes)
Skin Type IV:  Always tan, never burns (olive skin, brown/black hair, dark brown/black eyes)
Skin Type V:  Never burns (dark brown skin, black hair, black eyes)
Skin Type VI:  (black skin, black hair, black eyes)  

Types 1 through 4 are outstanding candidates. Type 5 will have excellent results as well but care must be taken to assure that the IPL will not burn the skin.