At the end of January I began a trial of the Smoothskin gold IPL device.
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| Image from www.smoothskin.com |
It’s a hand held tool, which uses pulsed light to achieve a permanent reduction in unwanted body hair.
How does IPL work?
Light energy is pulsed out of the small letterbox style window directly onto the area being treated. The light is absorbed by the melanin in the hair shaft.
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| Image from www.smoothskin.com |
The hair follicle is heated and the hair growth cycle is disrupted. Over time, the hair follicle is disabled and further hair growth is reduced. The hairs that have been treated will gradually fall out over the course of the next week to two weeks.
It is recommended to use the IPL device once a week for 12 weeks to notice a significant hair reduction.
Which areas can be treated?
All areas of the body and is also safe to use on the face.
Smooth skin is suitable for most people however the light sensor will not pulse when in contact with a deeper skin tone. This is because darker skin tones contain more melanin and therefore absorbs more of the light energy than recommended.
How do you use it?
The Smoothskin gold itself is a little bulky so although you could transport it easily, you would probably want to choose a smaller device if it’s something you plan on travelling with (they have the Smoothskin bare if you're looking for something smaller). It’s not heavy at all and it is molded into an easy to hold scanner style shape. It plugs into the mains via a long lead so it allows you to move it around your body without dragging the plug behind you.
There are three buttons situated on the top of the device. One is the on button, one is the trigger button for the light and there is another button which has a feather symbol. If you feel like the pulse is a little too intense you can press the feather button and reduce the amount of light energy being transmitted.
Some IPL treatment devices require you to set the skin tone level of the area being treated however the Smooth Gold has a light bar along the side which detects the skin tone and automatically adjusts. When you press the device to the skin you will see the light bar illuminate.
The more lights that are lit indicate that the skin tone has been detected and the energy level has been adjusted. If an unsuitable skin tone has been detected then the light will not fire and will illuminate red.
Once you are ready to pulse the light you simply press the trigger button and a flash of light will be omitted. You can then move the device along to the next area and pulse again.
For small areas such as the bikini line or under arm it’s great to be able to pulse manually once you are in position but if you are treating a large area such as the legs then you can hold down the trigger button and just keep moving the device up the leg. It will pulse automatically every second.
Does it hurt?
Not really. The best comparison I have is an elastic band being flicked against the skin, but it’s not even as bad as that. It’s just a lick of heat really.
I found that the most painful areas were the bikini area inside the thigh and around the ankles. You totally get used to it after a minute and it treats the area so fast that it’s all over in no time.
I found I could do both my underarms in 5 minutes, my bikini area in 10 minutes and both legs in 20 minutes. It just takes a bit of time to get the angles correct and I found the legs were a little tricky as the curve of the leg meant that the light window wasn’t always in full contact with the skin.
Has it worked?
Absolutely. It has become my Friday night routine treatment. I put the TV on, have a cup of tea and get using this. I can do it one handed and watch the television all within the comfort of my living room, it’s great! You can also then do the areas you may normally feel a little embarrassed about asking to be treated in the salon.
You need to make sure you have shaved the areas to be treated first so that the follicle is easy for the light to penetrate.
After around 6 weeks of using I started to notice the hair on my bikini line and underarms had began to appear patchy. The hair also felt less coarse and the greyish shadow that I could always notice in my armpits had gone.
I have now been using for 13 weeks and there is a significant reduction in the hair. The hair hasn’t totally ceased growing but I think with continued use (they recommend a monthly treatment after the initial 12 weeks) I will be hair free within 6 months-9 months.
The Smoothskin IPL is not a cheap one but if you have been contemplating having laser treatment in a salon then you will be paying a lot less for this device. If you have a sibling who may also be interested in using this maybe you could share the cost and both use it!
The Smooth Skin Gold IPL is £299 but currently has a discount applied and is £249 when purchased here.
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