Hair Removal History
Hair removal, "epilation", or "depilation", has a long history:
Evolution already made surviving human less hair millions of years ago. Without thick hair as our close relatives on the evolution chain, we seem to run faster and live longer.
It's said Alexander the Great demanded his soldiers to remove their hair in order not to give the enemy things to grab. In Ancient Greece and Rome, people remove their hair to show their status. In Ancient China, women use cotton threads to drag out their hair roots.
In modern days, civilized population began to resort to razors, tweezers, cream, powder and waxing. Later, new methods like electrolysis and light source are introduced.
Depilatories or epilatories?
Shaving and chemical creams remove hair above the skin. They are depilatories. The problem about depilatories is that the hair can always grow back because its root is unhurt. And it grows faster and stronger the next time.
Normal epilation like tweezing and waxing do remove hair from its root. Besides a little pain, you can remain hair-free for a few days. Still, the hair will come back.
The ultimate problem is hair follicle. Electrolysis essentially destroys the follicle to reach permanent hair removal in the true sense. It comes with great pain and potential damage to the skin. Light source, mostly lasers, through selective photothermolysis, meaning turning light into heat, reaches similar result virtually pain-free.
What are IPL, E-light and laser hair removal?
IPL stands for Intensive Pulsed Light. IPL is not a laser. IPL and various kinds of lasers are now considered the most effective method to remove hair with minimum pain.
IPL and lasers both are light sources. They beam light into the hair follicle and heat it up. Melanin absorbs the heat mostly and are slowly damaged. Without melanin, the hair follicle withers and no longer provides nutrition for the hair to regrow. Thus, hair growth cycle is gradually destroyed.
Elight is IPL with the help of RF( Radio Frequency). RF makes IPL treat better. But neither has been not well applied to people with dark skin. Lasers are the better choice with better results.