The 5 Best At-Home IPL Hair Removal Devices in 2024 - Women's Health Australia (2024)

Body hair removal techniques like waxing, shaving, threading, (and apparently sugaring), have been around for a pretty long time. They all, of course, have their pros and cons, but also work better for specific parts of the body.
But if, like me, you’re sick of having to jump in the shower and shave every other day, IPL might be the better option for you.

Different to laser hair removal, “the light that comes out of an IPL device is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, causing a buildup of energy which turns to heat (think of a black T-shirt on a sunny day),” facialist and laser specialist Debbie Thomas tells Harpers Bazaar. “The heat travels down the hair and disables or destroys the cells that make new ones.”

While IPL hair removal is a treatment offered in clinics up and down the country, there are now a plethora of at-home IPL devices advanced enough to compete with the professional options on offer. Here, our fave picks.

The best IPL hair removal devices

If you prefer the convenience – and cost benefits – of removing your hair at home, there are plenty of good options for at-home use, and many can deliver brilliant results. However, they also vary wildly in terms of price, performance and usability, so it pays to do your research beforehand. When choosing a device you should consider:

1. Lifespan: Consider the number of ‘flashes’ your device will emit. The cheapest models on the market may only last you a few years before requiring replacing, but a good IPL device will deliver decades of regular use.

2. The power: Many IPL devices come with varying levels of intensity, meaning you can treat hair on various parts of your body effectively. Some pricier options even come with a smart sensor and auto-adjust to the correct intensity for your skin tone and hair colour on contact.

3. The speed: The speed between each flash can mean the difference between a slow, laborious treatment, or a quick IPL sesh.

4. The treatment heads: The best IPL machines will come with various heads to fit your under-arms, legs, bikini areas and even your upper lip.

The best IPL devices on the market now

What is IPL?

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light technology. The hair removal process uses very gentle pulses of light to the hair root. This makes the hair go into its resting phase: the hair you have falls out, and gradually your body grows less hair in that area.

How does it differ from laser?

Put simply, IPL produces a broad bandwith of light wavelengths, whereas laser produces a single band of light – making it more specific to a given target. “The key difference between IPL and Laser is the type of light. Laser light is monochromatic, non-divergent and targets very specific concerns. IPL produces a broadband spectrum of white light, producing a mixture of many different colours. These colours can be controlled using filters,” say the team at Lynton Clinic.

If you want fewer, more targeted treatments, or need major resurfacing, laser may be the better option. IPL is a better option for less downtime and gentler treatment but you will definitely need more sessions.

What are the benefits of IPL?

Unlike waxing and shaving, IPL permanently reduces your hair regrowth. Yes, you still have to keep up with a maintenance treatment about once a year to keep a great result, but the idea is that IPL prevents hair growth at the follicle so you do don’t have to worry about shaving every other day. Other benefits of IPL include permanent prevention of ingrown hairs, and the reduction of redness, blemishes, brown spots and scarring.

How to prep for IPL hair removal

Whether you’re prepping for an in-office treatment or trying IPL hair removal at home, you should take some important precautions. If you have a deep skin tone, check in with a dermatologist or certified practitioner before using an IPL device to ensure that you don’t burn your skin—if you aren’t able to consult with a professional, you should avoid trying an at-home device altogether, as the risk of damaging your skin isn’t worth it.

About two weeks before your in-office procedure or at-home hair removal session, be sure not to lay out in the sun or in a tanning bed — UV light exposure can decrease the contrast between your skin and hair and increase skin sensitivity. You shouldn’t use retinoids or exfoliants in the week before the IPL treatment either, since both can cause irritation, but you should shave before your IPL session to prevent any hair above the skin’s surface from getting burned during the treatment—which could damage the surrounding skin.

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