Definition
Intense pulsed light, a registered trademark, describes the use of intense pulses of non-coherent light distributed over a range of wavelengths from 500 nm to 1200 nm, for removal of hair and other purposes. A related but distinct technique is laser hair removal; the primary difference is that laser treatment uses laser-generated coherent and monochromatic light.
Regulations governing IPL and laser hair removal vary by jurisdiction.
The two techniques are often confused. One cause of confusion is the range of names used for intense pulsed light treatments, as intense pulsed light is a registered trademark, which was strongly policed during the early days of the technology, hence the introduction of new names and trademarks for similar or identical treatments.. IPL and equivalent treatments are referred to as VPL, SPL, SPFT, SPTF, SIPL, PTF, CPL, AFT, E-Light, ELOS, M-Light, and other names.
A distinction is sometimes made between beauty-grade and medical-grade machines. Beauty-grade IPL is generally defined as having a maximum pulse energy of 50 joules, while medical-grade uses higher energies.
Read more about this topic: Intense Pulsed Light
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