Who hasn’t heard of these procedures? Your unwanted hair can be a thing of the past; all it takes is a few sessions at your closest laser clinics or a few zaps using your at-home device. And let’s be honest, we all want to be hair-free!
Just imagine waking up and knowing you can put on a cute summer dress and be confident you won’t have to shave or wax. Or those days you have to remind yourself you forgot to check your underarms and they are not ready for the dress… Remember thinking… you will only survive the day as long as you keep your arms side by side all day.
So a really good solution for permanent or long-term hair removal is definitely IPL hair removal, whether it’s an at-home device or in a laser clinic.
Now let’s be honest, if you are like me, you probably didn’t feel the most comfortable about some laser going through your precious skin. But let me tell you, it’s nowhere near as bad as you may think, and the benefits will definitely bypass the trouble. So, if you are thinking of starting your ipl sessions soon, here are a few things you will need to know:
No procedure will give you sudden magical results that you can do once and forget about. This is because hair follicles run on their own growth cycle, so you need to continue your treatment even after seeing a significant reduction of hair. So once every month or two will maximize the potential for targeting the most follicles. This is, of course, once you have finished your once per week for 10 – 12 week regime. The good news is that your hair will keep falling off the longer you have your treatment.
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See Result after Some Time
You won't see Significant Results before Two or Three Months. A lot of people get disappointed during this period, and I don't blame them. But the reality is, even though some people will see a difference after three to five sessions, some of us will see that change 2 - 3 months after the initial treatment. The good news is that after time, you will see that a lot of your body hair will stop growing back. Your skin will get smoother, and you won't have to shave so frequently, and the hair that remains will grow thinner. And it only gets better with time.
If you are using an at-home device like our Hello Silky handset, I like to get myself comfortable first on my bed or in the bathroom, occasionally with a glass of wine in hand, but that's just me, I guess. It normally takes about 20 minutes to do my legs, but my armpits and bikini normally take just a couple of minutes each.
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Works Differently for Everyone
It works differently for everyone, and it all depends on a few factors, but mainly on the hair colour and skin tone. The darker the hair, the easier it is to treat. This is because the pigment attracts the pulse light, which takes us to the skin tone topic. If the skin is too dark, the light will be attracted by the skin and will not reach the actual root of the hair. However, our machine comes with five different settings and clear instructions on which setting to pick for each skin and hair type. You can also find a handy chart, so you know if any of these devices is right for you.
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Winter: Best Time to Start
The best time to start is the winter. This is because using fake or natural tans is not recommended. You will also have the best results when the contrast between your darker hair and lighter skin is greatest. So doing laser on your legs when you know you will be tanning regularly is probably not a good idea. Armpits are fine as they are not directly exposed to the sun.
The best part is that you can continue shaving all along. DO NOT WAX before ipl sessions. Remember the laser light needs hair to target and be attracted to.
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Different Experience for Different Skin
Just like skin and hair tone would have an impact on the results, different skin types experience different levels of pain. I don't feel any pain at all. All I feel when I do my sessions is a warm zap, but in no way painful or uncomfortable. Some other people may describe it as a different sensation but no pain. The good news is that if you do feel pain, you can adjust it to one of the five lower settings and start from there.
If you have started your sessions, no plucking or waxing! Shaving is the way to go! Remember, if you don't have any hair root, the light won't do its job.
Use sunscreen after each session, as your skin may be more sensitive, so you better protect it.
For the first 24 hours after your IPL session, I'd recommend not to have a hot shower or use deodorant or perfumes. Once again, this is due to the sensitivity on the skin.
If you wonder if this process is safe, the short answer is yes. Of course, it is very important to follow the instructions on the manual at all times.
Well, it all depends on you in the end. Remember what I said about consistency? If you are consistent, eventually, your hair will be gone naturally. But it takes time. Me personally, I can go an entire month without shaving my legs now. But I was strict with my routine from the start. For our devices, we recommend doing it once a week for the first 10 weeks. You should target the same spot multiple times during a session to ensure the light reaches every single follicle. However, before flashing on the same spot again, continue doing the whole area, and once finished, you can start all over again. This will give each spot some time to rest in between flashes. Usually, over 10 seconds is fine.
Is it worth it? Definitely! I've struggled with some extra hair, and I can tell you, I wouldn't change IPL for anything. It's convenient, painless and it's a long-term solution. Now I have the freedom to wear what I want when I want without having to worry about how hairy I currently am.
I really hope you find this helpful, and some doubts you may have had are now cleared. If you have more questions, you can simply go to our FAQs page or send us an email at hello@hellosilky.com :)