IPL hair removal at home.

[picklemewalnuts]

I've just acquired one of those home laser things to remove hair. I'm a bit sceptical- it's a lot of time and effort to put in, and will take ages to see if it's worked.

How has anyone else found it? I tried on one leg, but quickly got bored. Covering my leg 2 inches at a time, a second per time, three times per session, three times a week for 12 weeks.... I don't have the staying power! And the flash is alarming!

How quickly would I see results? I'm thinking of starting with under arms as that's smaller. If it does work, I'll be motivated to move on to legs. What do you think?

Also, my son is telling cheap Chinese lasers are lethal, which is putting me off!

Does anyone else understand how it works and if it's worth persevering?

is it the philips lumea? it does work but it takes time. still quicker per leg than waxing.

I used one reasonably regularly about 10 years ago and could really do with restarting it. I have had lasting results with it though.

It's a cheap knock off one, is the problem maybe.

Good to know they worked though. I generally haven't bothered with hair removal, so for me it's an investment in looking better rather than a time saver!

How did you decide what setting was working? I'm afraid to go too high, but then think if it's too low it won't do anything.

And was there any sign of something happening, while you use it? Apart from the flash!

You're wasting time with a knock off one. And I usually love a copy.

The Lumea is amazing. I can do both legs, underarms and bikini in less than 25 minutes, and it's once a week, for something like 7 weeks, then every other week then tapers down to as and when.

It's a total game changer if you've the correct hair and skin type.

So I'm fair with dark body hair and Im now very lazy about it, but some parts are hair free for literal weeks, and even my bikini line is nearly gone and has seriously reduced regrowth.

That's interesting. Do you turn it up until you start to feel something?

I have fair skin, but most of may hair is light. I know it probably won't work on that. Will be good on under arms, though. They are dark! My legs are just fluffy.

If you are the correct skin tone and hair colour (light skin, dark hair) then it will work but you do have to be strict with using it or it won’t work properly. if anything it definitely slowed down the hair growth which is ideal for holidays!

Thank you. I guess I'll just do my under arms, and see if it's effective. It's less of a time investment than trying to do my legs!

I love mine, I used one consistently for about 6 months, about 10 years ago, and now I'm virtually hair free. I top up occasionally. For reference, I'm olive skinned with dark hair. I used to have horrible itchy legs every time I shaved with ingrowing hairs. That's a thing of the past.
I originally used a Boots own brand one. When that was knackered I bought a Lumea.

I have the Braun one. It's very good.

It's quick to use and the instructions are to use it once a week after removing hair. After 10 weeks use most of the hair should be gone. I saw a definite reduction after about 5 sessions.

3 times a week is a lot and are you saying you have to do it 3 times each session?

I'd be a bit nervous using a Chinese knock off. If you experience any discomfort stop using it. There shouldn't be any pain or burning. I experience just a mild warm feeling when using it which is actually quite nice. No discomfort at all during or afterwards.

As you know the best results are dark hair and light skin.

It's been an absolute game changer for me. I wish I'd used it decades ago.

That's really helpful, Lindy, knowing how it should feel!

The instructions said to cover each area three times at each sitting. To repeat the treatments two or three times a week. Then after several weeks drop to weekly/monthly maintenance sessions.

I can't remember the exact numbers, just enough to make my heart sink!

It was free on the Amazon vine programme, it's not something i'd have gone looking for, to be honest.

I got one from Aldi less than £100. I am in my third one now. I am just using it to zap the odd sprout on legs bl and armpit. Now using it on chin and upper lip. I found that it seemed to be having no effect whatsoever and then it seemed all of a sudden there was lots less hair.

from a bit of research I did I think hair grows in cycles of active growth resting (in the follicle) and dormancy where there is no hair at all.

these machines only act on hairs in the active growing phase. And these aren’t always the majority of hairs you see as most will be resting.

so the first few times you use the devices you treat the active hairs, the resting hairs will follow their normal phase ie fall out and go dormant and some of the dormant hairs will start to regrow. So the next time you treats the newly growing hair. Then the next time you treat previously dormant hair that is regrowing.

this goes on for a few cycles over a couple of months and then all of a sudden there are less and less dormant hairs to regrow.

I had a couple of professional laser /ipl sessions and have since used these home devices.

I have just treated my underarm as I have about a dozen hairs there, my bikini line used to go down the inside of my thighs almost to my knees and around the back of my thighs and I can honestly say I have next to no hairs there now.

I zapped 4 or 5 hairs on my shins the other day.

i am lucky (I suppose) as I had quite thick dark hair on my body and these devices work very well on that type of hair. I haven’t had any side effects from them. I would say that the hair reduction everywhere apart from chin and neck (thank you menopause) is permanent.

I would say I have paid about £250 or less for these devices which I could have spent on a couple of salon treatments or a more expensive device. My advice is stick with it - don’t do treatments more frequently than once every couple of weeks though.

Very interesting thread & following! I used one of the old school 1st gen home laser machines with success on toes and face, think it was a Rio or Braun, a bit slow but worked eventually. Tempted to buy a Lumea, sounds like they've improved the technology & they're faster? Do you have to trim hairs down until they're fairly short or do they zap longer hairs? Tia.

Mine says use after shaving. Which I find problematic!

I got a finness skin 5 for 40quid, 2 years ago. It's been brilliant!

I used it consistently for a few months last year and by around 13 weeks I just did it once a week but never shaved in between. I then stopped maintenance zaps and hair growth eventually went back to normal.

I've started again this year and at the.moment am on week 9. I did 4 weeks of 3 times a week, 4 weeks on twice a week and am now on once a week. I still have a couple of tiny areas where the odd hair pops up on my legs but nothing else on legs.

Underarms taking slightly longer to respond but hair growth def slower and more sparse so will prob continue twice a week for another couple.

I do have perfect dark hair/fair skin combo for it but totally feel like I lucked out

I don’t bother particularly now I’m just zapping odd hairs if I shaved them I would never find them again but that’s not the case if you’re just starting off.
I think there may be a couple of issues though if you don’t shave the hairs before treating.
some of the energy of the pulsed light will go up the hair shaft not down to the root - I’m not sure if that reduces the efficiency. Also the hair above the surface of the skin will absorb energy get hot and it might feel more uncomfortable /feel like burning.

I've got one from Amazon. It took a few months, using once a week to notice slower regrowth. It's time consuming but I hate shaving. I haven't kept it up for a long time but the regrowth is still slower.

Thanks Bertha! (Had a boyfriend from Merthyr, years ago)

My lumea changed my life! Dramatic much eh?! But really as a pale skinned, dark haired person it has been amazing. I got it 10 years ago. Used it once every couple of months. After about a year I saw results. Such a test of delayed gratification, especially considering I am normally such a cheapskate.

Mine is still going strong (I think). I do my legs, bikini, underarms, even arms (about once a year now!) I used to be so painfully self conscious about my body hair. I would have to plan swimming a month in advance. Now I can literally jump in my togs with no notice. And general hair removal - the odd strand - takes seconds to deal with. Stick with it!