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If you have unwanted body hair, TikTok says the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 should be your new bestie. At the time of publish, the widely-hyped beauty gadget had received over 32.1 million views on the social media platform with users touting it as "the best purchase ever" and "a game-changer."

As someone who tests hundreds of beauty products per year, I had to give it a try to see the results for myself. And since I also happen to have relatively fair skin, plenty of dark hair, a tight budget, and limited time, I felt like I was the perfect candidate for this handy little device.

But would it actually work? Ahead, my full review and the final verdict on whether or not it's worth the buy.

Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5

$430 at Amazon

Credit: Amazon

Pros

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  Easy to use

• 

  Comes with multiple attachments and a carrying case

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  Mostly pain-free

Cons

• 

  May not work on some skin and hair tones

What makes the Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5 so cool

Though a relatively sophisticated beauty gadget, the overall design of the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 is sleek and simple. The white and gold handheld device is surprisingly attractive and has just two buttons to master.

The +/- button toggles through three sensitivity modes, the lower of which is the least powerful and a larger button that triggers the light. On the side of the device, there's a "SensoAdapt" indicator that continuously and automatically reads your skin tone and adjusts the energy setting for safety and efficacy.

Because the device is electric, you do need access to an outlet to plug it in. But the cord is very long for flexibility. The device does have some weight to it, but it's ergonomically-designed to fit easily within the palm of your hand.

How to use the Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5

The Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5 uses intense pulsed light (aka IPL), which is a type of light therapy, or laser, that's used to treat unwanted body hair. Each time the device flashes, light energy is transferred through the skin's surface and is absorbed by the melanin in the hair shaft. That absorbed light is then converted to heat energy below the skin's surface, working to disable the hair follicle and prevent it from growing future hairs.

While it sounds pretty complex, the device couldn't be simpler to use. You simply shave any present hair, then position the window of the tool flush with skin and click the button. For large areas, like legs, you can hold the button down and glide the device over your skin for continuous pulses—a definite time-saver. Repeat once per week for the first four to 12 weeks, then scale back to once every one to two months for maintenance.

While it may be annoying to shave first, it's important not to skip this step. If you don't shave first, the light energy may not reach all hair follicles, leading to inconsistent results. It can also cause unwanted side effects like ingrown hairs and razor burn.

Does the Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5 actually work?

To get a really solid sense of whether or not the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 actually works, I opted to only treat one leg during testing. This way, I'd have a clear visual of any differences in how quickly my hair grew back.

I've only been able to sneak in four weeks of treatments—on the early side for a full before and after—but I'm really impressed with what a difference the IPL has made already. The leg that's been treated has significantly less hair than the one that hasn't been treated, and the hair that did grow back is much shorter than it is on the other leg.

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Does the Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5 hurt?

This was something I was really worried about. I braced myself for pain the first time I tried the device, but was pleasantly surprised when I didn't really feel much of anything. (I'd describe my general pain tolerance as medium.) Every once in a while, I'd feel an ever-so-slight twinge, but nothing I'd describe as something that necessarily hurt.

What surprised me, though? After treatments, my leg does feel like it has a very slight sunburn—almost like you can feel the heat radiating a bit, causing a minor burning sensation. The good news: It completely dissipated within an hour and seems to be less and less prevalent with each use.

Is the Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5 worth the money?

Considering similar in-office treatments by dermatologists can run thousands of dollars, the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 offers unbeatable value. It's by no means cheap, but it's a significant savings from professional options. Plus, whether you're attempting to eradicate leg hair, arm hair, or pubic hair (yep, it's safe!), you can get the job done from the comfort of your home. You'll always have the device for touch-ups, too. According to the brand, the device has a usable lifetime of 400,000 flashes, which translates to over 20 years of salon-quality hair removal.

The bottom line: Should you buy the Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5?

If you can afford it and you have fair to medium skin and darker hair (it won't work on very dark skin tones or very fair hair), the Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5 is worth the investment. It’s incredibly easy to use, doesn't require much of a time commitment, and really does eradicate body hair for good—for a fraction of the price of in-office treatments. The added attachments, included razor, and convenient carrying case seal the deal.

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Brigitt Earley

Contributing Writer

Brigitt is a writer, editor and craft stylist with nearly 15 years of experience. She specializes in lifestyle topics, including home, health, parenting, beauty, style, food, entertaining, travel and weddings. She has written for Glamour, People, Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, The Spruce, and more.

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