Are you tired of ongoing salon visits and costs? Have you ever thought of maintaining your hair removal routine in the comfort of your home instead? Let us introduce you to IPL...
What is IPL?
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and when used correctly, this revolutionary technology provides long-term hair reduction. Basically, the melanin in your hair follicle absorbs the light from the IPL device and heats up, which then disables the hair follicle, preventing regrowth.
IPL is different to laser in terms of treatment area size, intensity, pain levels and safety. A laser generally has a smaller treatment area compared to an IPL device and emits a single wavelength of light. IPL devices produce a wide range of wavelengths (colours) of light to produce a single white flash of light.
Will it work for me?
At-home IPL is suitable for people aged 18 and over, depending on your hair and skin colour~. IPL is not suitable if you are undergoing a self-tanning regime (artificial or natural). There may be photosensitive properties in the self-tan moisturisers that could affect your skin’s reaction to IPL or your skin may be extra sensitive following sun exposure. So if you’re going to do at home IPL, best to put the bottle down and/or stay out of the sun for at least four weeks prior.
~Always read the instructions and use only as directed. Not suitable for red, light blonde, white/grey hair or even dark skin.
What device best suits me?
There are many questions to ask yourself before purchasing an IPL device - what areas do you want to treat? What's your hair type? Do you require a fast treatment or do you have more time to spend on a treatment? What's your budget? We've listed some of our top picks to get your started on options.
The Philips Lumea Advanced is a safe, gentle yet effective device which claims at least 85% hair reduction in as little as three treatments^. Requiring no gels or oils for treatment, you can get treat most body areas including arms, legs, legs, underarms, belly and bikini. It's not recommended for facial hair removal but a great option for those whose main concern is reducing body hair.
^Measured on legs, 67% out of 45 women reach 85% or higher results.
A five star best seller, the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 has been a popular choice with its ability to treat most body areas as well your face with a precision head attachment included to target smaller areas. Braun claims the Pro 5 can permanently reduce hair in just four weeks¹, plus it has three comfort modes to suit your preference from normal, gentle or extra gentle. Not only will you get a safe and effective treatment, it will also be time saving with it's glide and stamp mode to treat larger body areas quickly.
¹ Assessed on lower leg, armpits & bikini, following the treatment schedule. Individual results may vary. Efficiency based on the combination of window size, speed and energy. Safety technology shared with Cyden.
Last but not least, the SmoothSkin Pure is another powerful IPL system which is known to be ultra fast. With unlimited flashes, you can complete a full body treatment including lower and upper legs, bikini line and underarms in as little as 10 minutes (depending on what mode you are treating in), you can even treat your face. With SmoothSkin being the number one hair removal brand, they claim the Pure to be their most advanced to date.
Top tips for at-home IPL
1. Before you get started, make sure you shave the treatment area first - do NOT wax, pluck or epilate. You want the hair follicles intact in order for the device to detect and eliminate.
2. Stay out of the sun as your skin is a lot more susceptible to getting burnt. If you do need to go outside, we recommend you slap on some sunscreen or cover up your treated areas.
3. It is advisable to wear loose clothing to allow the area to breathe and avoid irritation.
4. Within the first day or so after treatment, you skin may look or feel irritated which is normal. Use a soothing lotion if irritation occurs or see your GP if symptoms persist.
5. Don’t pluck or wax the hair which comes through after the treatment, manage the growth by shaving until your next application.
6. Stagger your treatments once per week for 12 weeks, then top up as required, around once every four to eight weeks.
To view our entire IPL range, click here.
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