Looking for good advice about home laser hair thingies

[pocketandsweet]

I have now spent so long researching this that I am back at the beginning. For me this represents a scary amount of money to spend ( hence my paralysis). Please I would welcome any advice from those who have already taken the plunge. I have quite fair skin and have dark blonde/mousy brown hair (although leg hair is definitely brown).

There was a thread about home IPL not long ago.

I have similar colouring to you and have been using the Philips Lumea (original model) for a few years now. I love it and would highly recommend it.

I had tried shaving, creams, waxing, sugaring and epilation and always had ingrown hairs, this keeps me permanently hair free as long as I remember to use it now and then.

I've invested in the Philips Lumea after umming and arring for months .... I cant review properly as I'm still on first trials.

Its was the Philips or the Rio, and reviews prompted me to go with the Rio.

..... reviews prompted me to go with the Lumea....... why did i hit return?

Another vote for lumea, I'm blonde but not too fair skinned (think join up the freckles makes me look slightly tanned ) had worked amazingly for me. Underarms have been least successful, legs the most.

Not used for while as 38 weeks pregnant, hardly shaved my legs the whole time. Before anyone faints in horror at that mental image, the hair is very soft now and when I gave shaved they keep that smooth feeling fur about two/three weeks -really!!

Whilst I'm into TMI territory, my fair is very very thick so if previously had legs etc waxed for a holiday after about three/four days I would need to shave. My lively hairdresser used to despair at drying my fair when it was long took so long and gave him arm ache

Hi I also did loads of research & decided on the "memy elos" from boots

300gbp, not cheap. 50gbp for a new cartridge.

I followed the instructions to the letter- twice.
Used on legs, uarms, bline.
Made v little difference. Very very disappointed!

I brought it back (unit & the extra head) & got all my money back.
So boots customer service was excellent, but v disappointed with the result.

And I have the ideal skin- v white with v dark hair (Irish colouring)

So I think I would rule this brand out, if I were you. (And when I was doing my research I hadn't discovered mumsnet! I only had beauty blogs to go on, which I don't really trust)

I bout a memyelos is the hqhair sale in January, I think it was nearly half price so a good deal. I've used it every week for 6 weeks, going over the skin 3 times in each treatment and shaving just before each treatment. I did my legs and the hair has grown probably 1-2 mm in a few patches in the 4 weeks since I stopped the treatment (I can feel the hair regrowth but can't see any iykwim). I will do another treatment in a week or so as I'm not at home at the moment.

I love this and wish I'd known about it sooner. I'm medium skin tone with dark hair.

Milktraylady you sound like you have perfect coloring for ipl so I don't know any it didn't work for you but good that you were refunded.

Sorry for typos ....

I have the Philips lumea too and it's allriiiiiight but not fab. I am paleish and dark blond and I've used it exactly as recommended for six months and I still shave my legs every other day.

Celtic colouring but fine hair, Philips Lumea.

Good results on some areas. I haven't shaved much inbetween as I want to see the effect. My legs have patchy bits and areas of no growth, underarms are proving surprisingly unresnsive but bikini line is where most improvement was wanted and seen.

I've only used it about four times so I need to persevere but am happy so far.

I f ancy one too - but they are so expensive.

I did have laser hair removal in a salon years ago - bikini line and underarms. However it is starting to creep back - not badly, but definitely more each year.

It is sparse enough to leave alone and whip off with a wax strip once every couple of months or so - or if I am feeling brave I get my epilator on the job.

Would be good to just re do the bikini line before the summer.

Hi, can I join in with the questions please? I too have been thinking about buying one of these for ages but keep dithering because of cost.

For those that have a lumea that you're happy with, can I ask which one as there seem to be so many?

Also, has anyone had to return a lumea because they weren't happy with it and managed to get a refund? If so who was it from?

If I'm fairly confident of a good returns policy I might finally convince myself to take the plunge! Thanks.

My chin hairs are extending to sideburns of late. Would one of these devices be any good for that?

It would have to be a really good returns policy though, as you have to use it for weeks (memyelos is 7 weeks) before hair is gone, you wouldn't see much difference after a couple of weeks IMHO..... I imagine lumea is the same as it uses the same technology...?

You have to shave every time you use ipl, otherwise you won't get good results (the light needs to be targeted down the hair shaft to the root) and it will take longer to be hair free.....

I have the Lumea prescision....and the smaller head is definitely needed to attain contact, therefore the thing will flash, on underarms and bikini. Model is 2011 version from Boots.

I had read on the Philips website that they aren't doing the 60day not happy refund policy thing when I bought in Nov 2012. However Boots were still giving me the flyer and advising me that they were...so not sure if it would be honoured.

You have to do it every 2 weeks to start with, so 60 days would be enough time to see if it works. I always assumed I would have to do it regularly every month and it wouldn't be a permanent thing s am happy with the results I have had..I do it sporadically (bad idea) as hair growth is cyclical and so not seeing optimal results.

Should also say that I do shave before using it....then wait and see for the regrowth.
Fascinating for me, DH not so fascinated.

Thanks ygritte, that's really helpful, I'll have a look at the website and see if I can find out more.

You really need to go into somewhere like Boots and have a look at the skin tone chart for the Lumea before buying. How well it will work depends completely on your skin tone and hair colouring. I have medium skin and very dark body hair and it's excellent for me. If you are pale and blond it won't work as well and it can't be used on certain skin/hair combinations at all. There are quite a few contraindications so you would def need to check before buying.

I would buy from Boots or Argos as they are usually very good with returns if there's a fault. Not sure if Philips still offer the 60 day money back thing.

If you only need it for body hair the original model would be fine and is quite a lot cheaper. If mine ever does break or run out I would definitely replace it.

I've just seen on Argos that it's excluded from their money back guarantee which is a bit crap! Will check Boots too, but the precision one is currently on offer for £300 on Amazon, reduced from £400. It looks like this one is for facial hair too so this could be the one for you BobblyGussets