Since the 2000s , the pulsed light continues to grow popular , being a real revolution in the world of hair removal. A promise of regrowth more and more spaced out until there is almost no more hair . Indefinitely. How? Thanks to the concentrated beam of light which, thanks to the heat emanating from it, will destroy the bulb hair. What if, initially, you had to go to your dermatologist to be able to benefit from this technique , today, there is nothing. In beauty salon or at home, pulsed light has become an ultra accessible method . What worries ANSES (national health security agency).
“There is above all a risk of burns , because it is a thermal effect that is not fully controlled. You can even see second degree burns . The second is an eye hazard . Treating near the eyebrows exposes you to a risk for the retina for example, even when the eyes are well protected” explained dermatologist Jean-Michel Mazer in a press release. "It is necessary to better supervise the device market and the use of this technology to limit adverse effects », completed Rémi Poirier , an official from the National Health Security Agency (ANSES).
But then, what would be the side effects? In addition to the possibility of burns and eye damage, IPL hair removal can be hiding cancer . "IPL hair removal can also distort color of precancerous lesions, and could lead to a delay in the diagnosis of skin cancer” . In this sense, according to Rémi Poirier, it is essential to pay very particular attention to the tests to be carried out upstream :“Manufacturers should be required to carry out studies tolerance tests prior to their placing on the market as rigorous as those carried out for medical devices , in order to control health risks”.
