OPT, SHR and IPL machines compared
OPT, SHR, and IPL are three light-based hair removal approaches that buyers often compare together. This guide compares them in general terms. It does not present any unit from this company as an OPT, SHR, or IPL model, because the company's own website lists all three families at family level only.
In general terms: IPL delivers pulsed light in pulses applied to an area; SHR is described as a sliding, in-motion technique; OPT is described as a pulsed-light mode with controlled pulse output. Those are general descriptions of the classes, not claims about specific units.
How the three approaches differ
The described difference is the pulse method: stationary pulses for IPL in general terms, sliding application for SHR, and controlled pulse output for OPT. A buyer should ask the supplier which method a given unit uses, and ask for the answer in writing.
A unit can also combine approaches. The shop-listed SHR IPL unit, for example, is described as combining IPL working modes with an SHR sliding technique. Ask the supplier to confirm, for the unit on an order, which modes it provides.
What the comparison does not settle
A general comparison does not settle which unit suits a given salon. That depends on the unit's specification, its included parts, and its support terms — all of which should be confirmed in writing.
This guide does not state a wavelength, a power figure, or a result for any approach, because no such figure is evidenced for a company model in the material used for this site.
Questions to ask before ordering
- Ask the supplier to name the exact model and to confirm its working method in writing.
- Ask which modes the unit provides, and ask for the mode list in writing.
- Ask what handpieces and cooling parts are included, and ask for the list in writing.
- Ask how after-sales support is arranged, and ask for the terms in writing before payment.