Hair removal has been an increasingly lively issue for some time in the daily lives of men and women of the third millennium. Electric razors, depilatory creams, waxes, and epilators are just some of the often painful or not very functional findings in the fight against excess hair.
It is no coincidence that many turn to specialists, such as beauty centers, and specialized in the removal – even permanent – of unwanted hair. One of the most successful methods is pulsed light (IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light).
But if until a few years ago, pulsed light was a treatment reserved for specialized centers, and with considerable costs, today, there are also pulsed light epilators on the market for use at home.
Does the pulsed light epilator work? And how do you use it? What are the opinions of those who use it?
Table of Contents
What is the pulsed light epilator?
Pulsed light hair removal, once intended for specialized studies, is permanent and gradual hair removal. It works by weakening and drying out the hair bulb, striking it with a light beam that burns it.
The area to be hit is identified by color: the instrument recognizes the black area and hits it; if we have very light skin and dark hair, the method in question will have excellent efficacy and will not cause pain.
The pulses of light penetrate inside the skin, hitting the hair bulb, an impact that transforms light energy into heat.
IPL technology is used for many cosmetic treatments, such as eliminating skin spots and acne; it is good to consider the considerable impact of such an instrument on our body-safe it is used.
In particularly dark skin or robust hairs, you may feel some pain due to the heat, similar to a pinch or pain you feel during a tattoo session.
Being a type of definitive hair removal, one cannot expect immediate results. In essence, the weakening and elimination of hair will take place gradually. Only on average, after a couple of weeks of treatment, do you begin to glimpse the effects of the operation.
Where do you start for effective IPL hair removal?
Understanding how it works, knowing what precautions to take before using a pulsed light epilator at home is good.
- Make sure that our skin is suitable to be treated with the appliance in question. A dark area will be identified by the epilator lamp as a point to be eliminated. This also applies to moles, tattoos, and skin blemishes. From this point of view, if we have particularly irregular skin, the use of the pulsed light epilator could prove frustrating and ineffective.
- Shave the areas to be treated: preparation for the use of the IPL must be scrupulous. First, the hairs must be shaved (waxing must not be used, as this extirpates the hair’s root, the element on which the epilator will act) and must not exceed 1 millimeter in length.
- Properly treat the area in question: any wounds, blisters, or injuries must be covered before undergoing treatment; the same goes for moles and spots, including birthmarks. To cover the smallest moles, a white pencil that uniforms the skin color will be fine.
- Please read the instruction booklet of our appliance carefully: epilators of this type are complex objects and have very different uses and functions based on price range and brand. So it will be good to know our tool to get good results.
There are various energy levels in pulsed light epilators, different flashes that can be supplied, different lamps, and various accessories such as area selection windows and protective glasses.
Success also depends on the tool.
With such a boundless market offer, it is often helpful to read and evaluate the opinions of those who have already purchased a pulsed light epilator and can testify to its advantages and defects.
From consumers’ opinions on the pulsed light epilator and its use, some factors emerge to keep in mind when considering a purchase. In addition, from the same sources, we can draw important information about the appliance’s functionality.
- Features can be very different from one tool to another. According to the reviews, it is good to prefer machines that allow you to select the energy level, adjusted according to the skin phototype. The flash can also be continuous or single: while the first is suitable for treating large body areas, the single flash is suitable for precision interventions. The lamp’s quality is part of the factors to be evaluated and the functionality, as it is important to opt for a lamp that can last longer.
- Ease of use is an essential element in choosing a pulsed light epilator. First of all, there are ergonomic models and others that are more uncomfortable to hold; some look like a large PC mouse, others remember the electric razor’s shape. However, according to the most widespread opinion among consumers, ergonomic models are more manageable and easier to use. Also important for ease of use is the power supply: it is good to make sure that the cable is long enough, among other things. Another factor that conditions the use is the intermittent or single flash mode mentioned above, allowing you to use the epilator exactly like a razor, passing it on the skin.
- The presence of accessories: one of the most appreciated accessories by those who use a pulsed light epilator is the provision of lamp reduction windows, i.e., those frames that allow you to select a specific area of skin to be treated. Having multiple windows available and of different shapes will allow easier and more precise hair removal. Another important accessory to consider is the protective eyewear: epilators today have a safety sensor that prevents the lamp from working if it is not resting correctly on the skin. But it is good not to risk when it comes to such an intense light, which could seriously affect our eyes’ health: a complete kit will also have protective goggles, according to the most quoted opinions.
How to get a perfect result?
We have seen that the pulsed light epilator works definitively by weakening and removing hair. However, the results will not be immediate, as the treatment is gradual and must have a precise development.
Must mark the sessions according to precise precepts, and it is important not to forget the treatment sessions. Even more important is not to intensify the epilation with the hope of obtaining better results. In essence, a similar practice can weaken or even damage the skin, in addition to not allowing a better or faster epilation.
Generally, in the first months, two or three monthly treatments are recommended, after which the sessions should be spaced. After that, the maintenance phase involves one session per month and a subsequent further decrease in treatments.
As we have said, there are many models of pulsed light epilators on the market today (see here), and also, the way of use will depend in part on the characteristics and functionality of the appliance we have at home.
The domestic use of pulsed light hair removal allows a considerable saving compared to the beautician’s sessions giving the sensation of perfect hair removal. Certainly, a treatment performed by specialized personnel will have more precise results, but this depends on our individual qualities! If you feel confident enough to perform permanent hair removal on yourself, try not to harm yourself.
Buy it or not?
In consumer opinion, it’s sporadic to find bad reviews or reasons to regret buying a pulsed light epilator. However, almost all users find many advantages and very few defects in using this type of epilator. Definitive hair removal is undoubtedly advantageous in the sense that it allows you to permanently eliminate a problem that otherwise – in one way or another – takes up a lot of time in a woman’s life.
We have seen specific differences among the many appliances on the market, but this does not affect a definitive epilation’s satisfaction.
Rather, an important factor, such as the adequacy of our skin to a similar treatment, will influence the choice: dark skin, with many moles or many tattoos, or with the presence of many cravings, will not be suitable for pulsed light at all. Thus, poor satisfaction will result, even in the presence of a well-thought-out epilator.
It is also good to consider that the initial investment, although extremely advantageous compared to a cycle of sessions by a professional, can be quite burdensome. In essence, the price for feeling beautiful oscillates between £40 and £200.