- Philips says you can’t use its Lumea IPL if you have dark brown to dark skin tones, and its skin-tone sensor stops you treating skin that’s too dark for safe use. Source: Philips: is Lumea suitable for all skin tones and hair colours?
- Cleveland Clinic lists pigment changes as a side effect of laser hair removal, with skin lightening mainly affecting people with darker skin, especially with the wrong laser or setting. Source: Cleveland Clinic: laser hair removal
- A published case report describes second-degree burns from IPL in a patient with Fitzpatrick type IV skin. Source: Case report: second-degree burns after IPL, Fitzpatrick type IV (PMC)
- The American Academy of Dermatology says laser hair removal on skin of colour should be done by someone experienced in treating darker skin tones. Source: American Academy of Dermatology: laser hair removal overview
Our precaution: our quiz never recommends at-home IPL for the deepest skin tone; brown skin requires explicit device-specific tone labeling.
This is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, ask your doctor.