Your suitability for IPL treatments

Is IPL suitable for me?
IPL is safe and effective for use on most skin tones but there are several instances where we don’t recommend the use of IPL treatment.

Firstly, IPL is unsuitable for treating grey, red or very light blonde (white) hair. Very fair and grey hair doesn’t contain enough melanin to absorb the light energy in the follicle, whilst red hair contains a different form of melanin altogether which isn’t responsive to IPL. It is possible to see results when treating darker blonde hair, but you may need a few extra treatments to get the same standard of hair reduction.
IPL is also unsuitable for use on very dark skin, or Fitzpatrick skin tone VI. This is all down to the way in which the technology itself works. Dark skin contains a high amount of pigment (melanin) and so will absorb more light, which, in extreme cases, can result in potential burns, discolouration or even scarring. All SmoothSkin devices are fitted with safety sensors to ensure that they don’t activate on unsuitable skin tones, but before you order a SmoothSkin product, please make sure you’re suitable for IPL treatment using the below chart and once purchased, remember to complete a patch test before treatment.
Remember, the skin tone in the areas you wish to treat may be lighter than those often exposed to sunlight, such as your arms or your legs, so please consider this when checking your skin tone suitability.

Finally, IPL is not recommended in individuals:

• with skin cancer
• with Skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis
• with medical conditions including diabetes or epilepsy,
• taking medications that can cause sensitivity to light including some acne treatments and anti-depressants;
• with a number of tattoos or moles in the area they wish to treat.