Shaving my legs has to be one of the most annoying and irritating tasks I do. One good thing about winter and cold weather means my legs see even less daylight than they do any other time of the year, but I still can't stand hairy legs. Having tried quite a few different IPL devices so far, this time, I have been using the SmoothSkin bare UltraFast IPL Hair Removal Device since November and I thought I had used it for long enough to share my thoughts.
Having used two or three different IPL devices, the one thing that hasn't convinced me to keep using them is the amount of time it takes to use them. One particular brand took up almost an hour of my time each time I wanted to use the device, including waiting for it to be warmed up ready enough. So when compared to how much quicker it was to shave my legs instead, the razor definitely won that race.
SmoothSkin Bare IPL Hair Removal device is designed to help break the hair cycle and prevent regrowth. Light energy is transferred through the skin' surface and is absorbed by melanin present in the hair shaft. That light energy is converted to heat energy (below the surface of the skin), which stops the hairs from growing back. It uses 100 flashes per minute which is where the name 'Ultrafast' comes from within the name because it is the fastest IPL device currently on the market and you can use it on your whole body (lower and upper leg, under arm and bikini line) in less than 10 minutes. This being the reason I was really excited to give this device a try and ultimately for me, what made it really stand out.
It comes with quite an extensive manual to read and whilst it is fairly uncomplicated to use, I would always recommened reading any literature that comes with these devices. This IPL device has just one button, it is the most uncomplicated device I have used and you also don't need to use any specialist gels or lotions when using it. Instead, you plug it in and go. When using this device, it does cleverly check your skin tone before each flash and it will only activate if it is safe to do so, meaning that as well as using it on your legs, arms, underarms, bikini line you can also use it to remove unwanted facial hair: upper lips, jaw line, and even side burns.
Ergonomically designed, this device fits perfectly into my hand and because it isn't heavy, I can use the device with one hand, and not two. One device I have used was so awkwardly designed, I almost asked my hubby to help me hold it because it was almost as big as my hairdryer.
To use all you need to do is press the handset firmly against the area to be treated and the indicators around the activation button will illuminate white when the device is ready to flash. Then you simply press the activation button, the device will flash, and you will feel a slight warming sensation which isn't uncomfortable at all. Then once you have done that chosen area, you simply move the handset to the next area to be treated and repeat the entire process.
So does it work? Well I have used it on my underarm and my legs and the biggest difference I have seen is on my upper legs which has seen the hair literally not return at all now having used this device for the last 5 months and on my underarm, I barely notice the hair there too. It definitely grows back much less frequently than it ever had done before. On my lower leg, there are patches of hair, where it was at its thinnest which again grows back very very slowly and towards my shin, I find it is also now taking weeks to appear back, whereas before, I would feel the need to shave my legs 2-3 times a week, I now use this device twice a month, which is down from once a week.
As you can probably tell, I absolutely love this device, it is by far the easiest one I have ever used, most convenient and the most successful and slowing down the rate at which hair returns and in some cases, so much so that there are places (thighs) where the hair just hasn't returned. You can find this device, which is currently on offer for £179.99 at AllBeauty, as well as Boots, Argos, John Lewis and Amazon.
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