IPL is a type of light therapy that works by sending pulses of light into your second layer of skin, known as the dermis. During this process, it avoids damaging the upper layer of your skin, called the epidermis. Pigment in the skin and hair absorbs the light in a process similar to the way a black shirt attracts sunlight and generates heat on a sunny day. The pulses of light target pigment cells, which generates heat and destroys pigment irregularities. For hair removal, heat is used to kill the hair follicle.