Unwanted body hair is a problem for many women – and men. Whatever you may think about the beauty ideal, abundant hair growth can be both frustrating and hard work. Those who wish to get rid of the roughness have many methods at their disposal: shaving, waxing and epilation. The latter two are associated with quite a bit of pain as the hairs are physically pulled out. IPL devices, on the other hand, remove the hair using light.
In terms of appearance, they look like electric razors, but instead of having a shaving head, there is a surface that emits pulses of light – not unlike a supermarket’s self-scanning handset.
Testfakta was commissioned by Procter & Gamble to test six hair removal devices that use intense pulsed light (IPL) technology. In simple terms, the technique involves the light being absorbed by the pigment in the hair. The light is converted into heat, which causes the follicle to become inactive, after which the hair falls out. Regrowth is also reduced, which leads to a smaller amount of hair reappearing. The technique should not be confused with laser treatment, which is only carried out at a beauty salon.
— The light from the IPL technology is normally completely harmless, for example to skin and eyes. The manufacturers also provide detailed instructions on how to use the product,” says Dr Bettina König, project manager at SGS Fresenius, the independent test laboratory in Austria that conducted the test.
IPL treatment can also be obtained at a beauty salon. The results then last longer, since the pulses of light are stronger than in the products for home use.
21 women were asked to perform five treatments over seven weeks. Their legs were divided up into six areas – three on each leg – in order to enable a comparison of the results. One area was also left untreated. The panel had to judge how effective the devices were, how easy they were to use and how the skin felt after the treatment. 10 specialists were also asked to test the equipment and give their comments on how well they worked.
— The IPL technology is most effective on dark hair, since it absorbs the most light,” explains Bettina König.
The ordinary consumers and the professionals were invited to give their views on both usability and practical performance, and the results were extremely consistent across the board: both groups preferred the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5.
— The instructions were easy to understand and the device simple to use,” says Bettina König.
All the products reduced hair growth by around 50 percent. The differences became apparent when assessing usability. Some were noisy, heavy and bulky, and one product, the Remington, was actually painful to use. Bettina König believes that seven weeks and five treatments are enough to make an informed assessment.
— The recommended number and frequency of treatments varies from product to product, but five treatments are sufficient to generate results on which conclusions can be based.
— It should, however, be noted that the technology does not work on blonde, red or grey hair. It also does not work on dark or suntanned skin.