Philips Lumea Advanced SC1996 Faq page 4

-If your skin is sensitive to light and easily develops a rash or an allergic reaction.
-If you have infections, eczema, burns, inflammation of hair follicles, open lacerations, abrasions, herpes
simplex, wounds or lesions and haematomas in the areas to be treated.
-If you have diabetes, lupus erythematodes, porphyria or congestive heart disease.
Never use the device on the following areas:
-On warts, tattoos or permanent make-up. This can result in a burn and a change in skin color.
Note: This list is not exhaustive. If you are not sure whether you can use the device, we advise you to
consult a doctor.
Why can't IPL be used on dark skin?
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) reduces the re-growth of hair by applying pulses of light to the
hair follicle beneath the skin. The pulses of light are absorbed by the hair's melanin (color
pigment), so effectiveness depends on the level of melanin in the hair. (Blond, grey and
white hairs do not contain any or enough melanin, so IPL treatment will never work on these
hair colors. Red hair contains a different type of melanin which is not responsive to IPL).
Furthermore, IPL requires a low level of melanin in the skin so that the skin will not attract the light. Dark
and very dark skin tones are more prone to absorb the light, which can cause skin damage such as burns,
blisters or discoloring. You can assess your skin tone in the skin tone/hair color chart in the user manual and
online. (Please note: Lumea models SC2004, SC2005, SC2006, SC2007, SC2008, SC2009, BRI950, BRI953,
BRI954 BRI956, BRI959 are suitable for dark skin tones, none of the Lumea models are suitable for very
dark skin tones).
Philips Lumea comes with a skin tone sensor on models BRI860, BRI861, BRI862, BRI863, BRI864, BRI950,
BRI953, BRI954, BRI956, BRI959, SC1981-SC1985, SC1996, SC1997, SC1999; this sensor ensures that a
pulse will be emitted only on suitable skin tones.