Last Updated on 6th March 2024 by Sarah Sarsby
In today’s review, I’m going to be sharing my honest experience with the expensive IPL hair removal device Sensica Sensilight PRO.
Hair removal devices have become increasingly popular in the beauty community. With multiple COVID lockdowns over the past 3 years, people weren’t able to access beauty salons for long periods of time to receive a hair laser removal treatment. People turned to at-home machines to help reduce the growth of unwanted hair on their bodies.
But I appreciate that £375 is a lot to spend on a hair removal machine. However, compared to the cost of having a professional treatment in clinics, these devices are more affordable. Also, the intention is to completely remove hair and stop it from ever growing back in the long term, so that means no more money on shaving or waxing after your treatment is complete.
But is Sensica Sensilight PRO worth the expensive price tag? In this review, I talk about what IPL is, how this hair removal device works, my personal experience, the pros and cons of this machine, and whether I recommend it. Keep reading for my in-depth review.
** This post contains some affiliate links. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn some commission if you purchase a product through my link. All thoughts are my own, though, as always. If you want to find out more, visit my affiliate disclosure page **
What is Sensica?
Sensica is a medical aesthetics specialist that creates professional and innovative devices for personal use. Its technologies range from hair removal, wrinkle reduction, lifting, exfoliation, and cellulite reduction.
How does IPL hair removal technology work?
Intense pulsed light (IPL) for hair removal uses pulsing light energy to accurately target and remove hair follicles. Using a handheld device, you target multiple wavelengths of light at hair follicles to damage the root and help break the cycle of regrowth.
Over time, hair grows back less frequently and less hair grows back each time. With continued use, hair is permanently removed. Although results vary for each person, IPL brands will often cite that it can take around one year to achieve permanent hair removal.
IPL for darker skin tones
Typically, IPL devices don’t work for deeper complexions. IPL works by targeting darker pigment – i.e. the hair follicles. When the hair colour is similar to the skin tone, it’s difficult for IPL devices to pick up a contrast between the hair and skin, making the machines ineffective and potentially dangerous. The heat energy can incorrectly transfer to the skin and lead to a burn.
For people who are wondering whether Sensica Sensilight PRO will work for their complexion, Sensica uses the Fitzpatrick skin chart to determine whether you can use the machine. According to the brand, Sensilight PRO will work on all skin tones except for type VI (the deepest complexion).
For reassurance and peace of mind, Sensica Sensilight PRO has a built-in skin tone sensor. If the skin is too dark for safe treatment, the smart safety feature disables the device so you can’t use it.
LookFantastic offers returns on items that are no longer wanted or do not work.
It’s a shame that many at-home IPL devices don’t work for deeper complexions. However, darker skins can get laser hair removal at a clinic by a licensed professional to remove any unwanted hair, so there are other options for my melanin-rich readers out there.
What comes with the Sensica Sensilight PRO?
Sensica Sensilight PROlarger surface areas
Sensica Sensilight PRO claims
An FDA-cleared machine, Sensica Sensilight PRO promises to give you permanently smooth and silky skin on your face and body.
This device builds on IPL technology with advanced reactive pulsed light (RPL) technology. RPL, according to Sensica, takes IPL technology one step further with unique sensors that constantly react to your skin’s specific needs with every single flash, ensuring a safe, fast and effective treatment.
Sensilight PRO claims to give you professional spa results, taking just 15 minutes to treat your lower legs. There’s also a unique energy recommendation setting, which advises the best level for your skin tone, so you don’t have to think about it!
Although it can take about 3-4 treatments before you start seeing results, Sensica says that as you progress through the treatment, hair will naturally and gradually fall out. The speed of this process varies from person to person.
Preliminary testing
You’re strongly advised to do a preliminary test before using Sensilight PRO for a large treatment area to determine your skin’s reaction to the device and to select the best energy level. Perform the preliminary test on each area you intend to treat 48 hours before the first full use.
I can’t recommend doing one of these tests enough. The last thing you want is to go ahead and treat your arms, for example, only to have a severe reaction, which could result in a trip to the doctor and pain, irritation, swelling, and discomfort. Avoid any potential problems with a preliminary test for safety and peace of mind.
To do a preliminary test, follow these steps:
- Use the energy recommendation button to automatically detect the optimal energy level for each treatment area. Make sure this energy level feels comfortable before continuing
- Alternatively, select the lowest energy level. Deliver a pulse on the selected area and continue like this, increasing one energy level at a time for as long as it feels comfortable
- Stop the test immediately if you don’t feel comfortable with a particular energy level or experience adverse effects like severe redness or blistering
- Wait 48 hours to examine the area(s). If the skin appears normal or if there is a mild response (mild redness), you can proceed with a full treatment at the highest comfortable energy level tested. If there is an adverse reaction, even on the low energy settings, do not carry out the full treatment in that area
Skin prep
After fully charging Sensica Sensilight PRO (it takes about 2.5 hours) and doing a preliminary test, you can get started.
To prepare your skin for use, ensure all jewellery is removed and that the hair in the treatment area is trimmed or shaved. The skin should be free from any residue of creams, gels, makeup, powders, antiperspirants or deodorants. Between treatments, you can shave, but not wax or pluck the hair.
Don’t use flammable liquids like alcohol or acetone to clean the skin for one hour before use, as it could cause the skin to burn.
How to use Sensilight PRO
Once your skin is prepped, here’s how to use the Sensilight PRO:
- Turn the device on and either manually choose an energy level or use the energy recommendation setting
- Place the Sensilight PRO treatment window on the intended treatment area, ensuring it’s in full contact with the skin
- Press the trigger button to release a single light pulse. Following each pulse, move the device to the next spot
- You can either do these pulses manually, or you can choose the glide mode. To use the glide mode, begin the treatment in the standard pulse mode. After 3 consecutive pulses without releasing the trigger button, the device will automatically enter glide mode, releasing continuous pulses every 1-3 seconds, as long as there is proper contact with the skin and the skin tone is viable for IPL usage. Glide mode automatically stops when the device is not in full contact with the skin
- Finish treatment and turn the device off
During the treatment, try not to overlap pulses, as repeated overlapping could cause burning through overexposure. Also, don’t treat the same area of skin more than once per treatment, as this could cause irritation.
For body hair, the first 1-4 hair removal treatments should be roughly 2 weeks apart. The next 5-7 hair removal treatments should be 4 weeks apart.
For facial hair, the first 1-5 hair removal treatments should be about 2 weeks apart. The next 6-8 hair removal treatments should be 4 weeks apart. Treatments 8+ should be as needed until desired results are achieved.
The full user manual is included with your Sensica Sensilight PRO purchase for further details.
Honest Sensica Sensilight PRO review
I’m impressed with the Sensica Sensilight PRO so far. I’ve used it twice now on my lower legs – my first ever time and 2 weeks later. And I’ve already started to notice some results.
A quick disclaimer, I’m not particularly hairy. My hair isn’t dark, thick or fast-growing, but of course, I still have some hair on my legs. Don’t we all! So I want to target my lower legs in particular, as it’ll be amazing to one day not have to think about shaving them.
Since using my at-home IPL machine, my hair is already growing back more slowly. I’ve not noticed any hairs falling out yet, but I’m pretty confident that will happen.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I had some skepticism as to how well this device would work because I’m not very hairy. However, my hair is already growing back less frequently, and that’s just after 2 uses! I can’t wait to see what happens after my next 4 treatments.
It took me about 5-7 minutes to do my lower legs. I didn’t treat the back of my lower legs, as no hair really grows there. Sensica’s claim to do a lower leg treatment in 15 minutes is likely very accurate if you were to do your calves too.
I love the minimal chic bronze and white packaging. It looks very modern and perfect for an aesthetic Insta feed. The fact that Sensilight PRO is cordless (you only plug a cord into the device to charge it) is super convenient. It means you can use the RPL machine anywhere – literally anywhere – without worrying about whether the cord will be long enough for you to relax on the sofa or bed.
The device is noisier than I expected. It makes quite a loud clicking sound with each pulse. This doesn’t bother me, but it’s something to keep in mind. The pulses are bright, but not so bright that you need to wear protective goggles.
While using the machine, my skin felt slightly warm and a little sensitive. But I didn’t experience any redness or irritation. The whole experience was simple, straightforward and comfortable.
I’m very impressed with the results so far. I can’t wait to keep you posted on how I’m getting on with this IPL device in 6 months!
Pros
- Cordless for convenience
- Easy and intuitive to use
- Helpful built-in energy level setting recommendation
- Smart skin tone sensor for safe and effective use
- Hairs grow back more slowly
- Permanent hair removal in the long term
- Works out to be more cost-effective than shaving or waxing
- Hairs fall out gradually in between sessions
Cons
- Expensive
- Doesn’t work on deep complexions
- A bit noisy
Where to buy
Retailing for £375, you can purchase Sensica Sensilight Pro from LookFantastic. I’m aware that this is a lot of money to spend, but it’s a great investment if you think about how much it costs to buy shaving or waxing products over your lifetime. It’s also great because one day, unwanted hair is going to stop growing, so you never have to think about it again, saving you precious time and effort!
Do I recommend this £375 hair removal machine?
Definitely! I’ve already experienced my hair growing back more slowly after just 2 uses. Results are going to vary from person to person, but I’m impressed with my results so far.
Rating: 5 stars
If you never want to think about unwanted hair again, then you need to check out Sensica Sensilight PRO!
Are you interested in at-home IPL hair removal devices? I’m keen to hear your opinions below
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Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 5 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.
