Photoepilator - which is better to choose?

Now, probably, there is no person who would not face the removal of unwanted hair on the body. Some struggle with excess body hair at home, while others solve this problem in salons, undergoing expensive procedures. A common method of hair removal is photoepilation - with its help you can forget about their growth for a long time. This procedure can be carried out not only in salons, but also at home. A photoepilator will come to the rescue. Which is better to choose for home use, what to look for when buying, as well as the rating of photoepilators for the home, we will consider in this article.

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Photoepilation: what is it and how does it work?

Photoepilation is a method of hair removal using intense pulsed light (IPL). Photoepilators work on the principle of photothermolysis. This principle is based on the fact that high-frequency flashes of light strongly heat the hair shaft, while the hair follicle is destroyed, and thereby hair growth stops.

Important! It should be noted that only active follicles are destroyed, those that are in the stage of hair growth. But in the thickness of the skin there are still sleeping follicles, from which the hair does not temporarily grow. Therefore, to get the desired result, you need to go through a whole course of procedures.

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Advantages and disadvantages of home photoepilators

Before buying a home photoepilator, it is recommended to go through this procedure in the cabin. This is necessary in order to understand whether this method of hair removal is suitable for your type of hair and skin or not.

If the procedure suits you, then you will get a lot of advantages from holding it at home:

• Time saving. At any time convenient for you, you can carry out the procedure at home, without wasting time on the road to the clinic or salon. Also, you do not have to sign up for the procedure in a salon or clinic with regrowth of hair.
• Saving money. When processing large areas of skin (legs, back), the device pays for itself through several procedures.
• The help of strangers is not required, which is especially important for hair removal in the intimate zone.
• Lightness and compactness of the device. Light weight allows you to work for a long time, while the hand does not get tired.
• The effect is comparable to a salon procedure. A home photoepilator has less power, but this does not affect the result.
• The quality of the procedure. When carrying out the procedure for removing hair on your body, you will not save the resources of the device.
• Possibility of individual customization. By adjusting the strength of the light pulse, you can make the procedure less painful.

Important! Disadvantages:

• Lack of professional advice. When customizing the photoepilator, you need to consider the type of skin and hair color. And for some people, photoepilation may be generally contraindicated.
• Less effect compared to professional devices. Home appliances produce less powerful so as not to harm themselves when used.

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Contraindications when using a photoepilator

When using the device, even the best photoepilator can be harmful to health. Cases in which you cannot use the device:

• Fresh scars on the skin.
• Women during pregnancy and lactation.
• Benign and malignant skin changes.
• Phlebeurysm.
• Diabetes.
• The period of exacerbation of hypertension.
• Mental illness.
• Inflammation of the skin - burns, irritations, eczema, psoriasis.
• Children under 14 years old.
• Vascular mesh.
• Increased photosensitivity.

Important! When taking medications, you should consult with your doctor about the possibility of photoepilation.

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How to choose a photoepilator for home?

Consider the main characteristics that you should pay attention to when choosing a photoepilator for home use.

Power

Power is the main parameter that you should pay attention to when buying a device, since the effect of the procedure directly depends on it - the higher the power, the better the process of hair removal.

The best photoepilator has a power of 10 J per square centimeter. Even better, if there is the possibility of regulating the power of the light flux, this will reduce the power when processing especially sensitive parts of the body.

Important! When setting a high power value, it is possible to get a skin burn, so you need to be especially careful.

Processing area (light flash)

The speed of the procedure depends on this parameter - the larger the area, the faster you will process the skin. The greatest value that home photoepilators have is 6 square centimeters.

Skin type sensor

The safest to use are models that have a skin type sensor.

Important! When choosing a device, remember that gray and light hairs are difficult to photoepilation, so you should choose models where light and electric energy are combined.

If you have dark skin, there is a risk of pigmentation during the procedure, so choose models that suit your skin type.

Lamp life

An important characteristic that you should pay attention to when choosing a device:

• The minimum value is 750 flashes.
• Maximum - can reach hundreds of thousands of flashes.

Inexpensive models are equipped with lamps with a minimum flash rate, so during operation they require a lot of money to replace the lamps.

Important! If initially it is planned to remove hair from large areas of the body - the chest, abdomen, back, etc. in men, then it is better not to save and buy a model with a long lamp life.

Type of food

On sale there are devices with two types of power:

• from the network;
• batteries.

Rechargeable photoepilators are more convenient during operation, but there are disadvantages:

• batteries are not always able to provide the necessary power;
• There is the possibility of a break in the procedure for charging the battery.

Safety of use

Pay attention to the presence of a function blocking the possibility of directing radiation into the eyes, and also, if you have children, the presence of a child protection function.

Design

Photoepilators for home are available in the form of a small hairdryer or telephone. To make it most convenient for you to use the device, when choosing, pay attention to this characteristic.

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Photoepilator Review

In order to know which models to pay attention to when choosing a device, we will review the most popular models of photoepilators.

Important! When buying a photoepilator, pay attention not only to the brand, but also to the country where the device is released. The best photoepilator, for the quality of which you will not need to worry, is produced in Europe, for example, Philips - in the Netherlands, HPLight - in Germany.

Remington i-Light Pro Plus and Remington i-Light Pro Plus QUARTZ

This brand is the most popular and bought in Europe, and therefore takes the first place there in the ranking of photoepilators.

Main technical specifications:

• time between pulses - 2 seconds;
• pulse duration - 110 milliseconds;
• lamp working surface - 2 square centimeters;
• the presence of all the necessary functions and settings;
• lamp life - 1,500 flashes in the Remington i-Light Pro Plus model and 30,000 in the Remington i-Light Pro Plus QUARTZ model.

Clinical trials

After 6 months, after 3 complete procedures, the hair growth of the test participants decreased by at least 66%.Therefore, it will be necessary to re-treat the parts of the body in which the hairs grow.

Important! Both models are FDA approved and recommended by dermatologists.

Pros:

• Power - for the face 3 J / cm2, 7-8 J / cm2 - for the body.
• The number of intensity settings is 5.
• FDA approved.
• The presence of a built-in skin type sensor.
• Existence of the LED display by means of which it is possible to check indicators of the skin sensor, a condition of a lamp and light intensity.
• The presence of multi-flash function, which allows you to process large areas of the body in less time or use when processing specific areas, such as faces.

Minuses:

• Not suitable for dark skin.
• Not suitable for gray and blond hair.
• A small lamp resource for the Remington i-Light Pro Plus model.

Silk’n Flash & GO

After 4 procedures with a frequency of 2 weeks, there is a decrease in the amount of hair to 80%. In the US ratings of photoepilators, this model is in 2-4 places.

Pros:

• The presence of 5 intensity settings.
• Lamp resource: Silk’n Flash & GO model - 5000 pulses, Silk’n Flash & GO LUXX model - 120,000 flashes.
• Ability to use for processing the face, body, bikini area.
• The photoepilator is approved by the FDA.
• A sufficiently large flash window measuring 4x2 cm.
• The presence of a skin tone sensor.

Important! In comparison with similar models, low cost.

Gillette Venus Naked IPL

An excellent device for removing unwanted hair is the Gillette Venus Naked IPL photoepilator from the famous manufacturer Braun. It differs from other similar devices by its long lamp life, high power, as well as equipment with a special gel that cools and anesthetizes the skin, and also enhances the effect of light on follicles.

Pros:

• Relatively low cost.
• Famous brand.
• Lamp life - 50,000 pulses.
• The presence of a special gel in the kit.
• Power - 10 J / cm2.
• Positive reviews about the device.

Important! The skin tone sensor is not built into the device, which causes some inconvenience when using.

Philips Lumea IPL

There are many models of the famous Philips manufacturer on the market. Philips Lumea photoepilators are wireless, and with an intense pulse level, the battery lasts 27 minutes. At the same time, it takes 10 hours to fully charge the battery.

Important! Users of Philips Lumea photoepilators note a short effect and a slight decrease in hair growth.

Pros:

• Ease of use, since the photoepilator is wireless.
• The device has 5 settings for the intensity of light pulses.
• UV filter.
• Power - adjustable from 2 to 5.9 J / cm2.
• Models SC2007 and SC2009 are equipped with a more accurate filter for use on the face and lamps with resources of more than 100,000 flashes.
• Models SC2008 and SC2009 have additional filters to remove hair in the bikini area.

Minuses:

• There is no built-in skin type sensor.
• Models up to SC2004 are not designed for face and bikini.
• High price.

BaByliss G932E Homelight 50

Customer reviews of the BaByliss G932E Homelight 50 model show that the device does not cope with light, red and gray hair, and when used on dark hair gives satisfactory results. This drawback should be noted in the review of known models of photoepilators.

Pros:

• Low cost.
• Lamp life is enough for 50,000 flashes.
• Compactness.
• The presence of 5 flash modes.

Minuses:

• There is no skin type sensor.
• Low power - 4 J per 1 cm2.
• Poor performance when processing red, gray and blond hair.

Important! To remove light, gray and red hair, it is better to choose epilators using ELOS technology.

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Stock footage

We examined the main parameters that you should pay attention to when buying a device, and reviewed the popular models of photoepilators. Do not be lazy to read reviews about models - they will help you in choosing the best photoepilator that can cope with unwanted body hair.