What's the difference?

Juve's medical-grade VPL machine. Pictures supplied

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Winter is the ideal time to create healthy, radiant, even-coloured skin or target unwanted hair in preparation for a carefree summer ahead. Juve Beauty Spa managing director and para medical skin therapist Sally Wright explains the difference between Laser, IPL and VPL treatments . . .

Laser is an acronym that stands for “light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation.” Laser light is monochromatic which simply means it is light of one wavelength, which therefore appears as one colour. Lasers usually treat one chromophore (target for example melanin/pigment or haemoglobin/blood).

IPL stands for “Intense Pulsed Light” IPL devices emit a broadband, diffuse light source that is composed of visible and infrared wavelengths of light. This broadband light can treat multiple chromophores or targets with its spectrum of light.

VPL means “Variable Pulsed Light” and this allows the operator to vary the treatment to suit exactly what the client needs.

The skin colour can be chosen as well as the hair diameter. This is very useful as the hair thickness varies from one area to another — think of your upper lip hair compared to underarm hair. Also, after a couple of hair removal treatments with this light therapy hair becomes thinner, so we can adjust the settings accordingly.

At Juve, we use VPL. The machine we use is advanced technology from France and is a medical-grade machine. The operators at Juve are internationally-accredited which means you are in safe hands.

You need a consultation and a patch test before hair removal or skin rejuvenation treatments for brown spots, vascular redness or collagen stimulation and plumpness to skin.

Treatments are designed for both men and women.

It’s important to note that the beauty industry is unregulated. Anyone can purchase a machine in New Zealand and do online training or only do minimal training with a supplier of the machine. Clients need to make sure they are treated by an advanced skin therapist or a medical practitioner who has specific training in light therapy procedures.