AIBU to ask if Philips Lumea IPL machines are worth buying?

[Emergencycake]

Are Phillips lumea IPL machines worth the money? I’ve read soo many different reviews, but want real people who haven’t been paid to review to say if they work as it feels like such an expense I want to be sure before I put down good money down which is a massive outlay for me. Thanks

It all depends on how consistent you are with using it/ how dark your hair is( it works better on darker hair) and whether your hair growth is driven by extra hormones.I have a cheap version… it works on my legs and armpits but chin is hit and miss

It works brilliantly for me...I have dark hair and pale skin which apparently is what it works best on.. Barely have to use it at all now! Although as pp said didn't work well on facial hair, but great for legs and underarm

agree with pp's - great for armpits and legs if you use it consistently, completely useless for facial hair, even with the special adaptor designed for it, and being pale with dark hair and using the most up to date model.

Agree with pp. Results on legs are amazing really... Wouldn't hesitate to buy it again! I am consistent with it, and noticed when I wasn't as consistent hair growth slowly creeps back.

After initial treatments it's only once a month and I can easily do both legs in under an hour now.

My legs and armpits have been hair free for 2 years now. It takes a few sessions but well worth it. Just get the odd straggler now and again.

Ha I'm literally using mine now to get hair free for my holiday next week. As others have said they work on dark hair only, I'm dark haired with very light skin. It has been a game changer for my facial hair and easy to keep on top of. I've not been consistent with leg hair as quite frankly its a ball ache and gets very hot. So I tend to start treatment a few weeks before holiday and that sorts it. You need to keep on top of it to keep hair free. You start off with treatments every two weeks and then move to monthly top ups. I think it's worth it personally.

Has anyone tried one of the cheap ones on Amazon?

Does the Lumea work well on bikini area?

It's great. I need to start all over again though, as I'm lazy.

Yes

It did for me

Ive got one. It was quite expensive. Ive had it for a few years. Hardly ever use it. I dont think I 'd recommend them. They'rd ok but not really worth the money., Too much messing about recharging and holding it at the right zngle. It's a pain tbh.

I think it works everywhere, it’s just that facial hair takes forever. I did two solid years as recommended and it was brilliant for feet, legs and stomach, pretty good for underarms, and very slow for facial hair, but it definitely reduced the heavy beard I had. I then stopped again for several years. I’ve only just restarted on my face and it is making a very subtle difference again. I’ll just keep going with it.

So I take it the hair grows back eventually?

I’ve a cheap version. I’ve had laser done on bikini, underarms and legs but still needed a top up every 6-12 months so decided I’d try one and see if any use. I’ve found it fantastic. I’ve found hair on bikini always came back first and was told by laser tech that this can be the most stubborn due to hormones. I’ve been using since Jan and am completely hair free. I’ve used on my face and arms as well and it’s working brilliantly. In my case any fine hair literally stopped growing from the first use

I have one but it's difficult to know for definite. I did, many years ago have IPL at a salon and that's why.

After that I bought the Lumea. I do find my armpits in particular much less hairy and hardly have to shave there. It does, as they say, reduce hair but not get rid of it completely. I still have to shave every few weeks.

I'd say in order of best to not as good areas where I've noticed hair has reduced: armpits, legs, upper lip, bikini. They are the places where I do IPL.

From my understanding medical grade lasers like in a clinic can permanently remove 90% of hair. After laser my underarms have never grown back but my bikini line would beep tops ups. An ipl isn’t as strong and recommendation with the device I have is once hair is gone you need to use approx once per month to keep it up

mine has worked brilliantly on bikini line.
im also dark hair/pale skin

@PermanentTemporary so.whats the expectation ? It stops growth for a while or reduces growth ? People stop using and everything goes back to normal ?

It's not permanent. You do it frequently at first, then it spaces out. I can't think now what the minimum recommended intervals are, but the app pings to let you know you're due.

Total game changer for me: wish wish wish I could afford one when I was in my 20s when I cared more about what I looked like and had more sex! I got the Phillips one a few years back and used it a fair few times over the first few months.
I barely shave my legs or bikini line these days, I’ll maybe shave them ever couple of months or do an ipl treatment couple of times a year before a holiday whilst watching the iPad. Have some downy fine hairs and that’s it. it’s never grown back as thick - I used to be tortured by stubble and rash and goosebumps and a sore bikini line.

I would add I am actually very inconsistent with it and it still worked

It's annoying having to shave bikini line though, before using IPL, at first.

Yes my DD used it for this in particular as she had some thick hairs that would become ingrown hairs often. After initial use she just had to maintain every few weeks.

I've found LPL in general (both salon and the Lumea use) has permanently got rid of some hair even when I don't use it for months. Most hair on my armpits has never grew back.

But given any area, there will generally be 25% of hairs there that will always be there and never gets reduced. I've read something like that anyway and seems consistent with what I've experienced.