Gadget. Philips Lumea. IPL Hair Removal System

Hello there dear fellow gadget lovers,

Today I will write about my experience with another recently acquired gadget - Philips Lumea Prestige SC2009/00 (the one with 3 light filters). I love gadgets and I love technology and when I first heard about an IPL option to remove unwanted hair, I wanted to try it. The only problem was that it was very expensive and I had to go to a beauty parlor to get the treatment done - both of which are things that make me uncomfortable.

As I am posting this photo, I realize the irony in the message behind it. ;)

When I first heard about an at-home hair removal device with IPL technology, I wanted to give it a try, but wanted to first wait for some feedback and for the price to become more accessible.
To give some context as to why I was looking into this hair removal option, I am a brunette with sensitive white skin and stubborn hair in unwanted places. I therefore feel I need a more permanent and comfortable solution than waxing, razor blades, creams and the traditional tweezer epilator - all of which at different times in the course of history have given me various severity degrees of rashes.

Before I give you my feedback on the treatment, I have to explain a little bit about the science behind it. Philips Lumea has been designed by scientists and dermatologists to help remove the hair without causing health problems.

You should take some precautions, because you cannot use the device if any of the below apply:

• you have a preexisting condition (like: epilepsy with light sensitivity, lupus erythematodes, porphyria, congestive heart disease, diabetes, immunosuppressive disease, skin cancer, collagen disorder, etc)
• are on special treatment (Accutane/Roaccutane in the past six months; AHAs, BHAs, azelaic acid, topical isotretinoin in the past week; if you are taking treatment that reduces the skin sensitivity or induces photo-alleric situations)
• have any sort of injuries on your skin (infection, eczema, burns, inflammation of hair folicles, open lacerations, abrasions, herpes simplex, wounds or lesions and haematomas)
• Last but not least, your skin is really dark - skin type VI (you rarely or never sunburn and you have very dark tanning). This is not being racist, but pure physics - the device will not be effective on dark skin color: the skin will absorb all the light and none will be left over for the hair roots to absorb (see below "How it works" for more details).
• If you are pregnant or breastfeed.
• There are other precautions, I would suggest to read the booklet before you buy or use the device

How it works:

• The light pulsates at a very high frequency and is being absorbed by the hair follicules - therefore the lighter the skin, the less light it will absorb leaving more for the hair to absorb.
• The pulses of light stimulate the hair follicule to go into a resting phase and as a consequence the hair sheds naturally.
• The device has a light setting adapted for the various colors of the skin (except really dark ones, on which it won't work, due to the reason explained above) and hair (except light blond red and gray).
• It comes with 3 attachable light filters (facial, body and bikini).

Pre-IPL treatment:

• Make sure your skin is hydrated and clean - no deodorant or skin moisturizer. It is better to use the device after the shower
• You should remove your hair with a razor blade - because immediately after that you can use the device - or with wax  - in which case you have to wait 24 hours before you use the IPL treatment.
• The idea is that the shorter the hair, the better chances of the hair root to absorb the light and the more effective the treatment.

Treatment and expectations:

• Total treatment duration is estimated at 8-10 weeks (4-5 treatments)
• Afterwards touch-up treatment phase takes about 8 weeks.
• You should have one IPL treatment every two weeks (which is the time it will take for the hairs fallout).
• Towards the middle of the treatment time frame you should already observe an improvement.
• After the first treatments, the frequency of the treatment can be increased to 4-8 weeks, more as maintenance treatments.
• But results vary from person to person.

Post-IPL treatment:

• Use moisturizer (one that will not cause further irritations, one for sensitive skin would be best) on the treated areas
• When you leave the house use an SPF 50+ product
• Don't tan 48 hours (solar or sun) before and after treatment (producer's recommendation)

My experience:

• I am a good candidate for IPL treatment, because I have very fair skin and pretty dark hair - so the hair roots will absorb most of the light.
• I am using this product for about 2 months now on legs, arms, under arms, bikini areas and face, and so far things are good.
• Lumea is really easy to use. After I select the appropriate level (from 1 to 5) I just press it on my skin and pus the button. It has a safety mechanism, unless the outer rim of the adapter is completely pressed to the skin, it won't flash. Also, the flashes are harmless to the eyes, however not looking directly at it will help.
• After 5 treatments the density is much reduced, the hairs grow much slower, without skin undergrowth, and there are areas where these are completely gone.
• The best improvement is visible on my hands.
• The hairs on my legs are still there, but not as dense and not as thick. The result of shaving them lasts much longer.
• I can't use products with lactic acid or salicylic acid in their formulation at all between all IPL sessions. This means that I use no intimate washes with lactic acid or face products with salicylic acid on the area that will be treated with Lumea.
• I did notice that after I used the treatment on my face, on that area some pores started to "clean themselves up", which means that I had to "take care of" some blackheads without any BHA or AHA ingredients, which proved to be difficult, but eventually healed with some Kiehl's Calendula toner and Daily Reviving Concentrate.
• It takes me less time to use the IPL procedure (not to mention it is much quieter) than it took me to use the traditional tweezer epilator, given I charge Lumea beforehand - it won't work if it is connected to the power socket, must be pre-charged, which takes about 40 mins. This is also due to the fact that I have quite a big area to cover (to explain, I am 1,80m, out of which 1m long are my legs).
• I use Lumea after shower on clean and dry skin and after each IPL session, my skin is slightly sensitive and I always use a hydrating product. During the day I always use SPF 50+ on my face and body. I never tan anyway, so  I am good.
• So far this hair removal method works much better than any other method I tried.

Conclusion:

• The results obtained with this tool are the closest I can get to feeling comfortable in my hairless skin (meaning no rashes and a week-long hairless skin after treatment or shaving).
• I am not naïve in believing that I use it for 16 weeks and then no more hair in unwanted places.
• I will have to use Lumea less and less frequent, but so long as I take care of the skin and protect it accordingly, it will work (as explained above in the first bullet under "Conclusion").
• At the same time, I discovered that Bucharest exploded with various IPL-products ads. As for recommendation, I am not sure I can recommend it to anyone else, due to the long list of precautions that need to be taken into consideration. I think if you want to use it, you should do your research and if you are not sure, you should consult your dermatologist.
• Oh, and in case you had any doubts. I paid for it with my own money and got it from emag.

Did you also use the IPL method to remove body hair?

What was your experience?
What hair removal technique works best for you?

Take care!

Cheers,

Alex.

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