I must have to get my genes from my dad when it comes to hair. My mum has smooth skin and hardly any hair on her arms or legs, whereas I am the opposite! Hairy arms and of course hair legs… I hardly used razors but mostly laser, epilator or wax, as they provide long-lasting results rather than a day or two hairless days after shaving. The laser is great, however, it is really costly. Epilator and wax provide good results, but they can be quite a time consuming so finding a solution that would provide visible hair reduction, long-lasting effect and help me save money in the long-run has always been a dream! Thanks to Savvy Circles, I got the opportunity to try Braun Silk-expert Pro IPL 5 in the comfort of my home!
What is IPL? IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and IPL devices can be used to achieve permanent hair reduction of unwanted hair. How does IPL device work? The light from the IPL device targets the melanin in the hair follicle. Via the melanin, the IPL light reaches the root of the hair and this stimulation inhibits the hair regrowth after a few regular IPL treatment sessions.
There are quite a few IPL devices on the market, however, the one that always got my attention was Braun as I read countless positive reviews about it! When I was chosen to try Braun Silk-expert Pro IPL 5, I was over the moon and of course, I started using it as soon as I received it!
Braun Silk-expert Pro IPL 5 Review
What comes with the box?
Starter kit includes;
- Starter Kit Newsletter
- The Braun Silk-expert Pro IPL 5
- Precision head
- Venus razor
- Premium carry pouch
How to use it?
- Remove all visible hair using the Venus razor provided
- Select the intensity level – There are 3 that you can select
- Press the treatment window firmly against the area to be treated – it will only work if it has full contact with the skin
- Press the treatment button – the device will flash and a warm sensation should be felt
- Glide it across your skin whilst holding down the treatment button for fast treatment – you can either glide it across or chose to apply it on smaller patches
- Continue the treatment every week for 12 weeks and adjust the treatment gap according to the hair growth speed
Results
I completed 6 sessions on my legs, bikini area, armpits and a small area on my arm (I was scared to shave off all the hair on my arms so thought I would try it on a small area before going all-in :)).
Legs
The hair growth has definitely slowed down. There are patches of hair, however, it is nothing like you get after a few days of shaving. If you used a laser before, you would know that the hair falls after the treatment. After using the IPL, it is the same for some hair. I could even pull it and it just falls so I can see that it is working. I still have 6 weekly sessions and I will carry on the sessions according to the hair growth.
- Intensity – I started with 2nd intensity level and increased it to the highest one after the first session. It can give tingling feeling on sensitive areas. I am quite used to epilator and laser that it doesn’t bother me. If you have sensitive skin and can’t cope with pain, it is best to start with the lowest one.
Bikini area
IPL has been more effective on my legs than the bikini area, it might be due to the thickness of the hair. I could see the difference, I just need to carry on with the treatment. Even the results after 5 sessions are quite promising.
- Intensity – I mostly use the second intensity level.
Arm
As I said before, I just tried it on a small area to see if I could get some results and I wish I had used it on my whole arm! After 2 sessions, the hair growth on that area was absolutely minimum and after 5 sessions, even though I could see some black dots on the hair follicles, there was nothing to be shaved off. I still shave (just in case there is a missed hair) and carry on with the treatment.
- Intensity – I started with the lowest intensity and it kind of hurt at the beginning (inner arm), however, now I am ok with the highest one.
Armpits
After 6 sessions, the hair growth is really minimal on that area as well and I started to get less hair after 2-3 sessions. Same applies as the arms, I just shave and carry on with the treatment and will do that until at least 12 sessions are complete.
- Intensity – I started with the second intensity level and after a few sessions, I started using the highest one.
After completing the sessions, it is important to clean the IPL device as soon as possible. I always miss a hair or two and when the IPL burns the hair, it ends sticking to the mirrors and the light section of the device and if you don’t clean it, it can leave marks (you can also smell the hair burn). After every session, I wet the earbud and clean it with it then dry it afterwards. This way Braun Silk-expert Pro IPL 5 is ready for the next use.
As I mentioned before, there is 3 intensity level and whichever you use depends on how you can cope with the pain. It doesn’t hurt, however, sometimes if you apply it to a sensitive area (for instance; behind the knee where the skin is really soft), you can feel uncomfortable. The more you use it, the more you will be ok with feeling.
So far I am really with my IPL journey. I could definitely see change on the hair growth as well as the hair thickness. Apart from that, it feels like my legs feel smoother and definitely shinier than before (hate having chicken skin…)!
I look forward to sharing my journey of getting long-lasting smooth skin.
What is your favourite method of removing unwanted hair? Have you tried laser or IPL before?
