What is the difference between BBL and IPL?
Today there are many different methods of hair removal on the body and face. New methods are also emerging as it becomes increasingly popular to be able to permanently remove body hair. There is a great demand to remove unwanted hair but at the same time avoid unsustainable razors, irritated areas after hair removal and having to continuously remove hair where you don't want it.
Recently, a relatively new hair removal treatment has entered the market, BBL. This method has many similarities with IPL, but what exactly is the difference between the two hair removal methods?
What is BBL?
In this context, BBL should not be confused with "Brazilian Butt Lift", which the abbreviation can also stand for. BBL is a treatment for hair removal that has not yet really become popular in Sweden, but occurs more often in other countries, for example the USA.
BBL stands for BroadBand Light and is a gentle treatment that uses light to make the skin look younger and fresher, but also to remove hair. The method works by directing light rays at the skin that penetrate the skin layers and are absorbed by the hair follicles. The light used in BBL treats the pigment in the hair follicle. The light damages the hair follicle and causes the hair to fall out.
Repeated BBL treatments can result in up to 80% reduction in hair. The number of treatments required for permanent hair removal is individual as it depends on the person's skin type and the amount of hair to be treated. After several treatments, the hair usually becomes lighter, thinner and more manageable.
Is BBL laser?
BBL is not the same as laser. A difference between BBL and laser is that laser reaches a certain depth into the skin, while BBL (and also IPL) can penetrate the skin at different levels. Lasers can penetrate the skin deeper, which makes the method more aggressive and the treatment can be more uncomfortable.
Difference between BBL and IPL
Both BBL and IPL are treatments that are based on light treatments, and not laser treatments. Both BBL and IPL thus eliminate unwanted hair with the help of light and not laser. As mentioned above, light has different wavelengths, while lasers only have one.
The difference between IPL and BBL is that BBL is usually a bit faster and has a more convenient process. BBL has a slightly more specific treatment method. In addition, BBL is a more suitable treatment for those with darker skin tones, as BBL technology has a higher safety and effectiveness on darker skin tones.
Hair removal treatments with BBL take place in a salon. BBL treatments have not become common in Sweden, at least not yet. The advantage of IPL is that it is much more common in Sweden and you can easily perform the treatments on yourself from home, with largely the same results.
