salon laser hair removal or invest in a lumea?

[gingerparkin]

2016 is the year of hair removal! After 43 years trying to control the feistest of body hair, I am going to try laser treatment. I can't decide whether its better to go to a salon or invest in something like the Lumea and do it at home. Cost is an incentive obviously in terms of the DIY approach but also thinking about the likelihood of needing to do this on an ongoing basis.
Interested to hear others experiences. I have pale skin and dark hair so hopefully a candidate for success!

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Looking for advice before buying an at-home IPL device? You’ve come to the right place. Check out our guide to buying and using a Philips Lumea - complete with FAQS, tips, and recommendations from the most discerning shoppers out there: Mumsnetters. MNHQ.

Me too, no helpful advice but you have posted what I was going to so I'm shamelessly posting so I can see replies. Sorry

I've had both. The salon treatment worked to an extent but I've had excellent results with the lumea.

For example, I had 8 salon sessions on my armpits and it basically came back as before. After a few months with the lumea I have practically no hair. I now do a zap every few weeks to keep it up.

I would try the lumea and keep at it for a few months.

Just ordered a lumea! As I read even with salon lasering, you still need 1-2 treatments a year

i dont have a lumea but a remington one and i say just get it
when i was looking into getting one people had been saying salon treatments still needed to be topped up so i decided to get the at home one as it would still work out cheaper

Going against the grain here - I bought a Lumea and it has made NO difference at all to my hair growth. I have pale skin and dark hair, so a good candidate on paper but my hair is very "strong" iykwim? yeti Night after night I have spent flashing that stupid light on my legs and I still look like a hedgehog.

Never tried a salon treatment, but just be aware that the laser treatment may not work for you...

Research that at the salon you are getting laser and not IPL

They are different.

Laser is far more effective.
Your at home machine is IPL

Sorry Dung is right - I meant IPL may not work

I have had salon laser( - over 10 years ago, and more recently IPL. The laser did work - and years later there is still a significant reduction in my bikini line and underarm hair. Enough to not worry about it bar pre-holiday when a light run over with my epilator shifts it.

I had sessions of IPL a couple of years ago to try and get rid of the regrowth - but it was crap. Made no difference at all.

I'd be interested in the Lumea - but it's quite pricey isn't it? Perhaps for my leg hair - although that is quite fair ?

I've been tempted by the Lumea, but reading this thread it makes me worry if it would work; I didn't realise that some hair types reacted better than others. I have very pale skin and very thin, blonde hairs; I'm aware that this is great but it is also really annoying as waxing doesn't work (the hairs are so fine that the wax had trouble attaching to them). I epilate every few weeks but would love something more long term. Do you think the Lumea would work for me or should I look more into lazer treatment?

There is a huge difference between laser treatment and IPL, both offered in salons, but IPL is often advertised as "laser" which it technically is not. The Lumea is an IPL machine. Genuine laser treatment in a salon is more expensive but much more powerful and effective then IPL.

I have had 3 laser treatments on legs and bikini line and hair growth is drastically reduced, I will need another 2-3 to effectively be hair free.

The people you hear saying that laser treatment hasn't worked for them have almost certainly actually had IPL not laser treatment. IPL does work for some but the effects are not as guaranteed or long lasting than laser.

Laser treatment in a proper hair removal clinic has worked for me . I have wiry dark hair and light skin . Can see the results after only a couple of sessions.so far I have had armpits and navel line done, have just started a course for bikini line. It's not cheap for example I paid £300 for course of 8 sessions for armpits but completely worth it. They do say you might need a top up session at some time but I haven't needed that yet. I found it painful but everyone's threshold is different. I just decided I wasn't going to live like a yeti for the rest of my life and feel better about myself in summer when it's time to get the vests, shorts and bikini out.