IPL machines with FHR technology

In January 2013 a new technology emerged in the field of IPL hair removal systems. Called FHR, which stands for “Rapid Hair Removal”, this new technology replaces the E-Light with the new F-Light. The main difference between these technologies is how the photons of light are transmitted to the chromophore.

Before we dive deeper into this new technology, a brief history of IPL and how it has advanced. Most people know that IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. IPL is exactly that, very intense white light. The wavelengths of light required for the desired treatment are filtered out, leaving you with the exact color you need.

IPL is a very flexible platform as it replaces the need for multiple laser systems doing the same job. Lasers are focused beams of specific color, IPL is the full spectrum of light and you just select the one you want by using filters.

E-light replaced IPL some years ago as a more effective platform. E-Light combines light and RF, which is also part of the electromagnetic spectrum, to deliver a more focused and gentle treatment. IPL can be a bit painful on fair skin, but on dark skin, some treatments are simply not possible due to burning and pain. E-Light provided the means to painlessly treat darker skin by intensifying the results of the chromophore without intensifying the power of the light.

Suddenly, hair removal and other treatments became possible for even the darkest skin, opening up a whole new and enthusiastic market for the beauty industry.

Recently, SHR technology was introduced as a faster way to deliver treatments, but SHR is not without its risks. SHR stands for “Super Hair Removal” and what it effectively does is pulse a number of times from 1 to 5 when you press the switch. The main problem with this is security. It’s easy to burn your client if you don’t move the handpiece fast enough. It’s also hard to judge where you’ve treated due to the fast movements, which also means you can miss areas. To use SHR, the therapist needs special training and anyone who disagrees with this faces problems and possible lawsuits.

Enter FSR or F-light. F-light does the job of speeding up the process by focusing the RF photons more precisely than E-Light. E-Light uses a dispersed approach and is effective, but F-Light has the precision of a laser, which means greater efficacy, better results and faster treatment times. All of this adds up to a safer treatment regimen and more benefit to the clinic.

So F-Light is a bit softer than E-Light, much safer and more effective than SHR and doesn’t cost the premium that SHR seems to attract. SHR is certainly a hot topic and heavily marketed, but F-Light is the safest and most effective way to go. There is also no need for specialized training in addition to the normal IPL training required for F-Light.