Why do people confuse them?
Because both deliver light into the skin and both are offered at the same clinics. The similarity ends there. IPL is broad-spectrum: many wavelengths at once, shaped by filters. A hair-removal laser is a single wavelength, chosen because it reaches the pigment at the hair root efficiently. One is a floodlight with filters; the other is a spotlight.
What is each one actually for?
IPL is for what sits in the skin: sun-related spots, uneven tone, visible small vessels, persistent redness. Laser hair removal is for the hair root, full stop. If your goal is fewer dark spots, IPL is the relevant conversation; if your goal is less hair, the laser is. Asking one machine to do the other’s job will not produce disappointment at full price.
Can IPL remove hair too?
At S.D., IPL skin care and laser hair removal are separate service listings. If you are unsure which listing to use, describe whether your question is about unwanted hair or a skin concern when contacting the clinic.
Do they share the same rules?
The important ones, yes. Both read pigment, so both care about your skin tone, both dislike fresh tans, and both require settings chosen for you rather than defaults. Both are courses rather than single visits. This shared logic is why the same assessment covers you for either path.
Deciding is the easy part, in person.
Bring the goal, not the machine name. “I want this patch of tone evened out” or “I want less hair here” is all the assessment needs; matching the tool is our job. The consultation is $75, credited to any treatment you complete within 30 days.