HoMedics IPL Hair Removal Duo Lux Silk Edition – 3-in-1 Trimmer Set, Lady Shaver, Fast & Pain-Free, Face, Legs, Underarm, Bikini Line, Rechargeable, Ideal for Home Use, Sensitive Skin, Professional Grooming

Worth the investment I’m a fan of Homedics products, I’ve always found them well made and good quality, and this hair removal IPL device is as good as I hoped it would be.This kit comes with a bundle including the main IPL device, with an added accessory for facial hair removal, and a small hair shaver/trimmer with lots of different heads to shave or trim every area of your body you may so choose! The IPL device needs plugging in to use, rather than being rechargeable, and I assume that it because the IPL process itself uses high energy light beams that couldn’t be provided through a rechargeable device. The shaver/trimmer is battery powered and it comes with a Duracell battery included, which is always a plus.Using the IPL unit, is simple and straight-forward, but if you’ve never used an IPL device on your skin before, you will need to do a test patch and wait 48 hours before a treatment, to ensure there is no adverse reaction. The device automatically detects your skin colour when you put the device next to your skin (very clever!), you then manually switch the device to the first setting (1) and press the flash button, and then increase until you’re up to your maximum level according to the automatic detector. You will feel some warmth and tingling as the level increases.So once you’ve done your test, 48 hours later you can start your first treatment. The IPL device has two ways of working and how you use it will depend on your skin colour. I’m quite pale skinned and it measured a 3 on the unit (it goes up to 5), which means that I can use the device up to twice per week to get the desired results. If your skin is a 4 or 5 then it’s every 2 weeks for treatment. It’s worth noting here that IPL isn’t for all skin or hair colours, if you’re a red head, light blonde or silver grey or very dark skinned, it’s not recommended.For the treatment itself you need to shave first (either use the supplied shaver (though it’s a bit small for large areas) or use your own razor/shaver – hair needs to be no more than 0.5 mm long. You’re then ready to go! For the IPL process you need to hold the light treatment window to your leg (or any other part of the body you’re treating) and then continually press the flash button on the unit, which releases a flash of light, and you hear a small pop and have a mild warm and tingling sensation, so you can’t miss it happening! For skin types 1 to 3 you can then slowly glide the device over your body, keeping contact with the skin and the device will regularly fire as you go (as long as you’re keeping the button pressed). Sometimes it didn’t fire, and then I just repositioned the device, taking my finger off the flash button and re-pressed and it continues again. It does have a safety feature, so the light window needs to be fully in contact with the skin before it will flash to ensure safe use. For skin types 4 and 5 you don’t use the glide feature, instead you lift and reposition after each flash, pressing the flash button each time. If you find that when using it either way the intensity of the treatment using the automatic skin detection system is too much for you, you can also choose the intensity manually, by pressing the button below the skin indicators to reduce the intensity if so desired. One thing I want to mention is that you do have to be careful with certain medical conditions, especially ones where you are photo-sensitive, such as epilepsy (see photo for list of medical conditions it’s not recommended for). But, I have photo-sensitive migraines and I have been fine, but I did take precautions by wearing sunglasses and always looking away from the light flashes (not that anyone should be looking at them directly anyway!) and have managed OK with it. The process of IPL removal isn’t quick if you want good results, you have to invest the time to get good coverage, but it’s worth the effort and can save you many hundreds of pounds over time doing it at home rather than going to a salon (and just think how much time that takes!), so though it’s quite a costly initial investment, it pays for itself many times over, especially as you can treat nearly your entire body over time. The shaver/trimmer that’s bundled with it is also a nice and useful added extra. Both devices come with storage bags and comprehensive instructions.Overall this is a great home treatment beauty product that works well and can be shared easily with family members for maximum value and is highly recommended. 3 people found this helpful