IPL At Home And Safety Glasses

Many people ask about wearing safety glasses or goggles when doing IPL treatment at home. There is a logical base for their worries, as bright flashes of light can be disturbing and IPL is connected to laser hair removal, which may cause some to mix them together.

The truth is that LASER is dangerous to the eyes, because the beam is very intense and the energy is focused. A glimpse of laser may cause eye damage and sight damage. This is why if you buy a home laser hair removal system (like the TRIA Laser) it is recommended to buy a pair of safety glasses as protective eyewear.

IPL is a different type of light. Though it is a bright flash, the light wavelength is not like a laser beam, and the wide spectrum, means it carries less energy per cm². The light spreads like a camera flash. Most IPL have a wide spectrum of 450 nanometer to 1200 nanometer.

Basic Eye Safety Feature

Both laser or IPL should not be pulsed toward the eyes, and all the online hair removal devices have a special safety sensor, which locks them unless the applicator is firmly pressed at the skin. Only when the treatment window is fully covered only then the beam will be emitted.

As you will see below ALL the systems have their skin contact sensor, at the tip of the device. If the sensor is not pressed at the skin, the device will not pulse light. This prevents accidental pulsing toward the eyes.

When doing IPL there is a flash o flight every few seconds. Though the skin is covered a flash will be seen from the sides of the applicator treatment window, where it touches the skin.

Some people may find the repeated flashes uncomfortable. For them there are some solutions.

Some prefer to close the eyes when treating, at each pulse. This is not comfortable and exhausting.

You may want to wear dark glasses, like sunglasses which will absorb some of the light, and will ease the effect. There are special protective eyeglasses with dark film cover, which can be a relief. Protect your eyes from expose of harmful light beams that range from 600nm to 1100nm.

You can get laser safety eyewear, which will filter specific wavelengths from reaching your eyes. These are not dark goggles, so you will notice the flash, but they cover the eyes and filter the incoming light.

Conclusion

You do not need the most expensive safety goggles, but when it comes to eye safety, I would not want to get the cheapest ones either.