Paradoxical Hypertrichosis: What Happens When IPL Backfires?

Recently, I had a client diagnosed with PCOS who bought an at-home IPL laser kit. She used it once, and that was enough to cause her fine dark hair to grow in coarser, darker, and denser. This is called paradoxical hypertrichosis. As she said, "It’s not ethical or fair for laser companies to target people like me, who have a hormone imbalance, when they know full well their product can cause this issue for us!"

Like lasers, at-home IPL devices heat the hair pigment (melanin) with intense pulsed light. But if you're aiming for permanent hair removal, here's the critical detail: most of the stem cells responsible for hair growth are located at the very bottom of the follicle, often deeper than what laser and IPL devices can reach. Here are 6 essential things to know about IPL devices, such as Nood, Silk’n, ULike, Iluminage, Smoothskin Currentbody, Skin i-Expert, XSoul, and others, so you can confidently decide if they’re right for you.

6 Must-Knows About At-Home IPLs

1. IPLs target multiple hair colors, using polychromatic light, BUT…

2. Blonde, gray, red, or white hair will not respond because of the lack of pigment in the hair. This is the same limitation you would face if you went to a salon that offered laser. For laser to work, it needs dark hair, rich in dark pigment, and it needs to be coarse (it doesn't work on fine hair).

3. At-home IPLs struggle with coarser, deeper hair. Hair on areas like the bikini line, underarms, and chin tends to be deeper and coarser. IPLs often don’t penetrate as deeply as electrolysis or professional lasers.

4. Caution for those who have darker skin tones. If you have melanin-rich (dark) skin, moles, birthmarks, tattoos or artificial tan, be cautious. Like lasers, IPLs are attracted to pigment and can cause burns, especially if you have tattoos, dark or even dark-tanned skin. 

5. IPL is semi-permanent, not permanent. IPLs only slow hair growth. They don’t reach the stem cells that are often deeper in the skin, meaning your problem hair will return, even with regular use.

6. There's an up to 10% chance that laser will stimulate hair growth (higher if you have a hormone imbalance, such as PCOS), It's called paradoxical hypertrichosis. Imagine having a 50 whiskers on your chin, using laser and now you have a full beard because of paradoxical hypertrichosis? Is IPL laser worth the risk?

Is an IPL device worth buying? The answer isn’t as simple as a yes or no. If you have fair skin and darker hair, like brown or black, devices such as Nood or ULike might work (temporarily) for you. However, they tend to perform best on areas where the hair is both darker and not too deep. For example, many people who leave glowing reviews on Amazon about their Iluminage device often note that it worked well on their arms and legs, but wasn’t as effective in other areas. That’s because arm and leg hair is typically shallower and easier for IPL devices to target.

Now you know why there are so many mixed reviews on at home IPL devices - from "I can't believe how well it works" to "I didn't see any results" - or "I have more hair now than when I started using it".

What You Should Expect

If you've already purchased an at-home IPL device, focus your efforts on legs or arms first. Avoid using it on your face. Many companies offer a 90-day return window, giving you enough time to test whether it’s working for you. If it’s effective, you’ll see hair shedding within the first month of consistent treatment. If you don’t notice results within 3–4 weeks, it’s likely that your hair is too deep, or your skin and hair color combo isn't ideal for IPL. In that case, don’t hesitate to initiate a return!

At Razor Free Electrolysis, we’re all about empowering you to make informed decisions. That’s why we offer no-pressure, free consultations before starting any hair removal treatment. Our goal is to help you understand how and why your hair grows and to find the best options for achieving your goals.

By the way, just in case you’re wondering which method works for all hair colors, skin tones, and hair depths—and is the only 100% permanent solution recognized by the FDA—we’ll let you in on the secret: It’s electrolysis!

We look forward to welcoming you to our clinic soon!