A bit disappointed with my IPL hair remover (home equivalent of laser)

[LorLorr2]

Hey
I bought Panasonic's IPL hair removal device and just tried it for the first time. I had assumed it would remove the hair/stubble and found that really exciting, I used it on one of my pre-shaved underarms but it looks the same as usual..stubbly

Did I get the wrong idea, do these things just slow down the growth of the hair rather than actually killing it off? I admit I thought I was going to have smooth looking skin for a couple of days! 🙈

They slow the rate of growth but you have to use it a few times to see results. I think it's every couple of weeks for the first 8 weeks and then every few months for maintenance. The stubble/roots don't fall out straight away, they take a few days for dead hair root to fall out. You have to do it every fortnight for 8 weeks because you need you need to catch all phases of hair growth.

Well laser hair removal is like 12 sessions isn't it? Cos it only works on the living hairs..your stubble might not all be living hairs

Mind you, i have read that IPL is great for bloodvessels and skin blemishes but not so good for hair removal

I have a Lumea and it's great. I went from being very hairy now not needing maintenance blasts often. I don't remember when is the last time I used mine, but I only use it if I see a few strands of hair, and do one at the spot. However, you do need the patience to do it for months initially. It's not going to change you overnight.

The laser penetrates the follicle so you have to wait for the hair to reach its next growth stage at which point the hair will drop out
You will probably see no difference for 7-10 days

Thanks all!! Right I will keep trying then, and see the results in a few months.

I think I expected a more visual result right away because of the price (even with the discount I got lol) as I never normally splash out on anything grooming-wise. Glad to know it's normal to need a few tries!