For those looking for long-lasting, cost-effective and low-maintenance hair removal, look no further. While the world of social media and tech have been advancing at warp speed (can you imagine anyone using ‘TikTok’ as a verb a few years ago?), at-home IPL machines have been ever-improving, too.
This is glorious news for anyone wanting to stay fuzz-free because it means the end of spenny, lengthy in-salon appointments, replaced instead with a routine you can do from the comfort of your own home, complete with your playlist of choice.
Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 IPL is the safest, fastest and most efficient¹ IPL machine out there right now, giving you permanent visible hair reduction for up to six months². But don’t take our word for it – we spoke to Dr Anita Sturnham, a medical doctor specialising in dermatology, to answer all our questions.
What exactly is IPL?
Dr Sturnham: IPL stands for ‘intense pulsed light’, which emits broad spectrum and multiple wavelength lights that heat up the melanin (pigmentation molecules) in your hair, causing ‘controlled photo thermal disruption’ of the hair roots. It basically breaks down the hair follicle in a very gentle way – without damaging any surrounding tissue.
Ooph, sounds intense! Does it hurt?
Dr Sturnham: It isn’t painful but you will be aware of a warm sensation as you get near more intimate areas such as your bikini line and underarms. The best way to up your comfort is to make sure you don’t have visible hairs in the area because if you haven’t shaved the area properly, you’ll be frazzling any hairs on the surface. Handily, the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 IPL includes a Venus razor.
So how do I use an IPL device?
Dr Sturnham: You can treat both legs with the standard head in about five minutes, so it’s a very low-maintenance option. Starting with the legs is a great way to get comfortable with the device because legs tend to be less sensitive than the underarm or bikini area. When you move to these areas, it’s good to switch to the smaller precision head for much more control – and use a ‘stamping’ technique for more focus.
How long until I see results?
Dr Sturnham: Best results are seen with fair skin and dark hair, so I’ll share my own personal experience: I was doing my legs first and I noticed that the hair had significantly reduced by about 60 to 70% in about four weeks².
Obviously, that's not the same for everyone, so I'd recommend you use the IPL weekly for up to 12 weeks (or until you see a significant reduction) and then move to once a month for the maintenance protocol to make sure you’re suppressing any hair growth.
If I have fair skin and fair hair, can I use IPL?
Dr Sturnham: The bigger the contrast, the better the results – for example, dark brown or black hair and fair skin. If you’ve got red, grey or very blonde hair, then you won’t be a good candidate for IPL because you need to have some melanin in the hair follicle to enable the IPL to target it, and fair hair has less than darker shades.
How about if I have dark skin and dark hair?
Dr Sturnham: If you’ve got olive skin, you could still be a good candidate for IPL but in general, the darker your skin is, the less effective it may be – and the more gentle a mode you should use on the device. If you have black skin, I wouldn’t recommend you use this device. The Braun devices come with a skin-colour and hair chart that shows you which combinations will work best for this specific form of hair removal so it's important to check that first.
Can I use IPL on my face?
Dr Sturnham: You can treat anywhere from the cheekbones down – the upper lip, chin and jawline are popular choices – just use the ‘stamping’ rather than gliding action.
What are the benefits of Braun’s IPL technology?
Dr Sturnham: Firstly, the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 IPL safety mode means the IPL will only release light energy when it’s in direct contact with your skin, which is really important. Also, its SensoAdapt technology means when you glide the device against your skin, it’s reading your skin tone in real time and adjusting the intensity of the IPL energy that is released. It also has different modes so you can choose to select the strength of the treatment according to how sensitive your skin is and how sensitive the area you’re treating is.
Try the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 IPL to enjoy up to six months of visible hair reduction³, available now at amazon.co.uk
¹ Efficiency based on the combination of window size, speed and energy. Safety technology shared with Cyden.
² Tested on lower legs, armpits & bikini, following the treatment schedule. Individual results may vary.
³ Tested on lower legs, armpits & bikini, following the treatment schedule. Individual results may vary.
