Medically Reviewed by Dr. Lisa Hartford, MD
These days there are seemingly endless ways to get rid of unwanted body hair from the comfort of your own home. Here at Evenskyn, we believe you should be able to use premium beauty treatments without having to book appointments and drive downtown to get them. And when it comes to hair removal, at-home IPL devices are one of the best alternatives to professional care.
But how does IPL stack up against the most popular hair removal methods? In past articles, we’ve discussed how IPL compares to shaving and waxing, and today we’re going to do the same with epilating. Epilators have been used for some years now, and have grown more popular over time. So which hair removal method is the best choice for you: IPL, or epilation?
First: will IPL even work on you?
This is the question to settle before comparing anything else, because IPL is the one method here with a hard biological limit. IPL works by sending light into the hair, where pigment (melanin) absorbs it and converts it to heat that damages the follicle. That means it needs dark hair against lighter skin. Very dark skin absorbs too much of the light itself, which is a burn risk rather than a hair-removal result; blonde, red, grey and white hair contain too little pigment to absorb enough energy at all. Epilation has no such limit — it is mechanical, so it works on any colour combination.
| Your hair | Light to medium skin | Deep or very deep skin |
|---|---|---|
| Dark brown / black | Best case for IPL — this is the combination home devices are built around | Not suitable for home IPL. Ask a professional about long-pulse Nd:YAG laser, which is designed for deeper skin tones |
| Medium to light brown | Usually works, often needs more sessions and more patience | Not suitable for home IPL |
| Blonde, red, grey or white | IPL will not work. Not a brand problem — there is not enough pigment for any IPL device to target | IPL will not work |
If any cell above says IPL will not work for you, epilation is the better of these two methods — it removes hair regardless of colour, and the rest of this article will help you decide whether the trade-off in comfort is worth it. Electrolysis is the only method considered permanent for light or grey hair, and it is done professionally.
Benefits of Epilation
An epilator is an electric device with a rotating wheel at the head. This wheel holds a series of small tweezers that move across the skin, plucking out multiple hairs at a time from the root. The benefits and drawbacks of this method include:
- Results last longer than shaving or hair removal cream, as hairs are pulled out from the root. Depending on your cycles of hair growth, it can take between 2-4 weeks before regrowth starts to show.
- Compared to waxing, where hair needs to be grown out for treatment to be effective, epilation is much better at removing short hairs. Epilators can remove hairs as short as 0.5 mm, meaning you barely have to wait between sessions.
- Though epilation is not a permanent hair removal solution, most hairs will grow back softer and finer compared to regrowth from shaving, as the hairs are removed from the root.
Drawbacks of Epilation:
- Epilators are painful. Just think of the twinges of pain you feel when tweezing stray hairs, and multiply that by 10! Though the pain will reduce as you become more used to the treatment, there's no denying that the first few sessions will be a struggle.
- Unfortunately, epilation can cause ingrown hairs, one of the ugliest side effects of many hair removal methods.
- A common side effect of epilating is red skin in the treated area. This is only a superficial issue, but you may want to avoid epilation immediately before leaving the house.
- Though they can technically be used on any part of the body, these devices are not ideal for sensitive areas. Because epilating can be so painful it is often too difficult to use on the bikini area, underarms, and face.
- Epilators are not a catch-all, and it’s quite common for these devices to miss hairs the first time around. They can also break hairs off rather than uprooting them cleanly, resulting in stubbly regrowth. Getting every hair may take longer than expected, or you may need to do repeat sessions in the following days.
Benefits of IPL:
IPL (intense pulsed light) is a treatment that emits varying wavelengths of light in short bursts. These bursts of light target the pigment in your hair follicles, damaging the roots of your hair and reducing hair regrowth over time. Benefits of IPL include:
- This treatment is minimally painful, and the sensation is often compared to a rubber band being flicked against the skin.
- IPL use will get rid of ingrown hairs permanently since it reduces hair growth at the root of the follicle.
- There is a minimal chance it will damage the skin through hyperpigmentation or scarring, compared to laser. There is also no chance of razor burn which can occur with shaving.
- IPL treatment is generally quick and easy and takes approximately 15-30 minutes at a time. It can be even quicker if used on small areas such as the armpits or upper lip.
- After only a few treatments you should notice a significant reduction in hair growth, and for many these results are permanent.
- Results last much longer than shaving, and after a number of sessions, your skin can remain smooth for as long as 8 weeks at a time.
Downsides of IPL:
- Though IPL treatment can produce a permanent reduction of regrowth, unlike laser treatment it does not permanently remove hair at the follicle.
- Some mild redness and swelling can occur after use. These side effects are superficial and painless but can last for up to 48 hours after a session.
- The initial price point for many IPL machines can be a stumbling block for some.
- Many IPL devices don’t work as well on certain skin and hair types and are often less effective on people who have darker skin or blond and light red hair.
IPL vs. epilation, side by side
| IPL | Epilation | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Light absorbed by pigment in the hair, heating and weakening the follicle | Rotating tweezers pull hairs out mechanically, from the root |
| What it does over time | Reduces how much hair grows back; maintenance sessions keep it there | Removes what is there now; hair returns on its normal cycle |
| Comfort | Mild — commonly described as a warm elastic-band flick | Genuinely uncomfortable at first, eases as you get used to it |
| Time between sessions | Weekly at the start, then far less often once growth thins out | Every 2–4 weeks, indefinitely |
| Hair and skin limits | Needs dark hair on lighter skin (see the table above) | None — works on any hair or skin colour |
| Sensitive areas | Manageable; underarms and bikini line are common uses. Never use around the eyes | Often too painful for the bikini area and face |
| Common side effects | Mild redness or warmth, usually settling within a day or two | Redness, and a real tendency toward ingrown hairs |
| Cost shape | Higher upfront for the device, then very little | Lower upfront, but it never stops being a routine |
The honest summary: epilation is the more universal method and the cheaper one to start, while IPL asks more of you upfront and only suits certain hair-and-skin combinations — but for the people it does suit, it is the one that gradually reduces the amount of hair you are dealing with at all.
Conclusion: IPL vs. Epilation
Though epilation is a good hair removal treatment for those with enough patience and high pain tolerance, in the end, we believe that IPL wins out. Not only because it’s significantly less painful, but it is also more effective in permanently reducing hair growth over time.
That means you need fewer and fewer sessions after the first 6-12 months of use, saving you time and money. At the end of the day, the best hair removal treatments are the ones that require less of your time and energy. Between these two treatments, IPL is the clear winner.
Questions people ask about IPL and epilation
Is IPL better than epilating? For dark hair on lighter skin, generally yes, because IPL reduces regrowth over time while epilation only clears what is currently there. For blonde, red, grey or white hair, or for deep skin tones, epilation is better simply because IPL will not work.
Do I shave before IPL? Yes. Shave the area up to a day before, so the light targets pigment in the follicle under the skin rather than burning hair on the surface.
Can I epilate between IPL sessions? No, and this is the most common mistake. Epilating, waxing and plucking all remove the root that IPL needs to target, which makes the next session pointless. Shaving is the only hair removal you should do during an IPL course.
Which is safer, IPL or professional laser? Home IPL is lower-powered and more forgiving, which is exactly why it is sold for home use. Professional laser is stronger, works on a wider range of hair and skin types in trained hands, and costs considerably more.
Do home IPL devices actually work, or permanently remove hair? They reduce hair growth rather than remove hair permanently. Expect gradual thinning over a course of sessions, then occasional maintenance to hold the result. Anyone promising permanent removal from a home device is overselling it.
Can I use IPL on the bikini area? Most home IPL devices are intended for the bikini line and underarms, and this is one area where IPL is markedly more comfortable than epilation. Follow your device manual for the areas it covers, go slowly at a lower intensity first, and never use IPL around the eyes or on internal areas.
Does epilation get less painful? Most people find it does over the first several sessions. Epilating just after a warm shower, and keeping hair short rather than long, both help.
Will epilation cause ingrown hairs? It can, because hairs are broken or regrow through closed follicles. Gentle exfoliation between sessions is the standard way to reduce it.
If you want to act on this
Our IPL handset is the Pulsar ($279.99, down from $349.99), with 8 intensity levels and a built-in skin sensor. Use the candidacy table at the top of this article before you buy it or any other IPL device: if you have dark hair on light-to-medium skin, IPL is a reasonable investment and ours is one option among several. If you have blonde, red, grey or white hair, or a deep skin tone, no IPL device will do the job — including ours — and a good epilator or a professional consultation is the better spend.
Last reviewed and updated August 2026. IPL suitability guidance follows standard skin-tone and hair-pigment principles; device pricing is EvenSkyn's own and current at publication.
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