Hair removal has come a long way since the days of pungent creams, frankly terrifying whirring epilators and razors that should come with a health and safety warning. Maybe you’re still a fan of the old-school methods of defuzzing (you masochist), but for those of us in the market for a mode of depilation that doesn’t require pain, fear and near daily upkeep, allow us to introduce you to the world of IPL — intense pulsed light technology.
IPL isn’t new. IPL hair removal has been available at clinics and salons for years and there have been several iterations of at-home IPL devices that promise to blitz bodily hair. But they’ve always been a bit, well, rubbish. Expensive, time-consuming and prone to missing patches. Now, though, a new crop of at-home gadgets have entered the hair removal market and they’re rather brilliant.
First, though, an IPL refresher course. The treatment is just what the acronym suggests: intense pulsed light. Used to treat various skin issues, strong shocks of light are aimed at a target area — so far, so Star Wars — in this case at the pigment in the hair. On impact a burst of heat is emitted that kills (or at least damages) the cells that cause the hair to grow.
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So, it’s a laser? Not so fast. IPL is often misunderstood to be laser hair removal, but there is a key difference. IPL utilises multiple wavelengths rather than the single beam of a laser. The general school of thought is that laser requires fewer sessions and has longer-lasting results, while the benefits of IPL include less chance of damage to the skin. Plus there are, crucially, affordable at-home options that are still efficacious.
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If you’ve ever committed to hair removal by a machine, you’ll be all too aware that there are a lot of rules to follow. A total bore, sure, but also necessary if you want to avoid rapid regrowth, scarring, burns and hyperpigmentation. Here we present a handy list of things to know before you mow (sorry!).
Typically IPL hair removal is best suited for those with light to medium skin types and dark hair. Light brown hair can also be blasted by the right device. Not sure if you’re a suitable candidate? The pros say that for best results there should be an obvious difference between the colour of your hair and your skin. That’s the reason most experts won’t use an IPL machine on black skin or those with very fair or red hair.
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Tanning is a no go. Whether it’s a real suntan or a fake glow, altered skin colour will affect the results. The light is seeking out a dark pigment and you don’t want it to mistake your tan for the hair you’re trying to nuke.
Be patient. IPL isn’t a one-hit wonder. Repeat treatments are necessary because your hairs grow and shed at different rates, so in order to catch them all — and get rid of them permanently — you need to cover multiple cycles. Every four weeks is the usual time frame.
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The new slew of at-home IPL hair removal devices are convenient, cost-effective and deliver impressive results. Behold, the best in the business.
Best for on the go
Philips Lumea IPL 9900 Series, £489.99
In the unlikely event that the desire to prune hits you while on the move, this nifty bit of kit has you covered (or uncovered, if you will). Yes, it does resemble a Laser Quest gun, but unlike most IPL equipment this one doesn’t need to be plugged in. The portable machine holds enough charge to zap hair on multiple body parts in one session.
A “smart skin sensor” ensures that the light only starts beaming on contact with your skin, swerving any accidental blinding. There’s even a Bluetooth function that links to your phone so you can keep track of your laser schedule (what body parts you’ve done and when), plus tips and instructions for optimal use.
Our tester reported a “definite decrease” in hair growth after using this every two weeks for a couple of months. They were particularly pleased not to have to wear goggles (often a IPL prerequisite), said it was virtually pain free “even at the highest setting” and rated the ease with which it slotted into their grooming routine.
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Notable mention must go to the additional accoutrements: individual pockets handily separate the four individual attachments for face and body, there’s an electric shaver (oddly a pretreatment shave improves results, as the light beam can focus in on the hair root) and it’s deceptively quiet. Stealth shearing.
Best for full-body hair removal
Foreo Peach 2, £369
Aesthetically pleasing, yes, but its elegant ergonomics aren’t just for show. The flexible head and silicone-like material makes light work of hard-to-reach spots, flowing with the contours of your body to access areas such as the back of your legs or, erm, your nether regions (no judgment here) for seamless, and spotless, depilation.
It’s a powerful beast too. With up to 120 flashes of IPL per minute it covers even large areas rapidly. Our tester boasted that they could easily get through a full-body session in just 20 minutes.
The in-built fan is the star of the show, helping to cool skin as it glides and whipping away any of the associated sting. Slather skin in the Foreo Peach Cooling Prep Gel, £32.90, for even easier epilation.
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Five intensity settings, including an uber-precise mode for the face, cater for any sensitive patches — and weak sensibilities.
After using eight times over a period of three months our tester reported considerably less hair growth and remarked on how pain-free and easy to use it was.
Best for different skin tones
Braun IPL Silk-expert Pro 5 PL5347, £759.99
There’s a lot of hype around Braun’s beauty gadget, and it has even been TikTok approved (praise indeed), clocking in over 30 million views.
Why the buzz? Its tech credentials are impressive: 125 blasts of light per minute lends itself to record rates of removal, both legs in under five minutes, said our tester. The brand also claims that there’s a lifetime guarantee of 400,000 flashes, or 20 years of salon-quality hair removal. But it’s the skin-sensor technology that really sets the sleek white and gold apparatus apart. Hair and skin tone are scanned before it self-selects the most appropriate setting to ensure safety and efficacy. Clever.
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The most common description of the sensation of IPL is that it’s like being pinged with an elastic band and this device does deliver the odd twinge. Plus, our tester reported feeling like they had sunburn for an hour after use.
Sore legs aside, there’s a reason TikTok has declared this “a game-changer”: it works. Designed to be used weekly for 4-12 weeks (and as needed after that), it took just four rounds of use for our tester to report hair that is shorter, finer and less obvious. There’s even a precision head to target more intricate areas such as the bikini line and the upper lip.
Best for sensitive skin
Bondi Body V2 Laser @ Home, £299.00
Cute isn’t usually something we associate with hair removal, but then a tester compared this to a mini “Eve from WALL-E” and now we can’t unsee it. We digress.
Animated sci-fi aside, there’s some serious science at play here. Namely the 300,000 flashes (that’s 10 years of regular use) and the eight intensity settings that cater to different skin sensitivities. There’s a not entirely unpleasant warmth when using this, but even when fed over the face it’s not painful.
The Ray-Ban-style black sunglasses do detract from the otherwise sleek product offering. But arguably protecting your peepers from the overwhelming brightness of the flashes is more important than looking photogenic mid hair removal.
The results are prompt. The instructions say that this can be used twice weekly (more than other IPL devices), so perhaps that accounts for the fact that hair looked thinner and sparser after just three weeks. Considering this sits at the cheaper end of the hair removal spectrum, the almost immediate lack of prickly regrowth is not to be sniffed at.
