By ULIKEBEAUTY
Updated: November 2, 2023
7 minutes
In recent years, IPL hair removal technology has emerged as one of the most popular methods to remove unwanted hair. From cosmetologists to dermatologists, everyone is raving about this safe and effective method of eliminating and slowing down hair regrowth.
The best part about this hype is the numerous handheld IPL devices that have flooded the market. These pack a punch of intuitive features that make removing hair at home safe for anyone.
This article will discuss the benefits of IPL hair removal at home, prep, after care and our recommendation for 10 cool IPL devices for you.
1. Benefits of IPL hair removal at home
IPL hair removal method has several benefits to its name. These advantages include but are not limited to:
Convenience: Scheduling a salon session amidst your busy work schedule isn’t always feasible. IPL devices offer the freedom to remove hair anytime at home. You can even carry them along when traveling for that quick touch-up if needed.
Nearly painless: IPL hair removal at home is comparatively less painful than a few other hair removal methods, such as plucking, waxing, etc.
Economical: Advanced IPL devices are made to last at least 2-3 decades, if not less, making them an intelligent investment.
Saves time: An IPL device can remove your pesky hair quickly and effectively. The gliding technology makes the process super fast.
Long-lasting results: These compact devices ensure hair elimination for a long time. And when they appear, a few touch-up sessions are sufficient to keep them non-visible again.
2. How to Prepare for IPL hair removal at home?
In the run down to your home IPL session, it is vital to prep your skin to achieve the desired results. These preparatory points are given below:
- Stay out of the sun for at least two weeks before the scheduled IPL hair removal at home.
- Do not wax your skin; however, shaving is safe. Note that the right time to shave is before you begin your IPL session and not a day before. Make sure there is no visible hair, as any hair left may get burned during the treatment.
- Stop using retinol-based products (if you are) on your skin one week before the treatment.
- Avoid any physical or chemical exfoliant for a week as it may irritate your skin.
- Conduct a patch test 24-48 hours before the IPL treatment.
3. Best 10 IPL hair removal at home devices
IPL devices for hair removal are a safe bet. Below are some of our best picks:
Ulike Sapphire Air3
Ulike Sapphire Air3, a compact home IPL device, promises to remove unwanted hair in 7 minutes from the face, arms, underarms, legs and the bikini area. The procedure is nearly painless as the device is packed with a patented ice-cooling technology that maintains temperature at 50°F. People with skin types ranging from type I to IV on the Fitzpatrick Scale can use it without fear using five adjustable power settings.
Price: $329
Feedback from Customers: Many users were impressed by the premium build of the device. The device may skip the first few flashes; however, on regular use, it’s nearly painless, even for dense hair.
SmoothSkin Bare Plus Ultrafast
SmoothSkin Bare Plus Ultrafast is a lightweight device that can remove full-body hair in no more than 10 minutes. Users can glide it over their lower and upper legs, bikini lines, and underarms with 2x more power. The device releases a flash every 0.6 seconds, making it one of the fastest handheld IPL hair removal at home devices for men and women with light to medium skin tones and dark hair. No cooling gadgets are needed as it comes with patented Active Air Cooling Technology.
Price: $139
Feedback from Customers: Buyers reviewed the product to be compact and easy to hold with an adequate pulse rate. They needed to use it consistently as the results took a bit longer than advertised.
Braun Silk Expert Pro 5
The Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 IPL with SensoAdapt sensor is safe for light to medium skin tones and dark hair. It is excellent in eliminating unwanted hair from the legs, underarms, bikini line, face, and chest using 10 intensity levels that help customize the treatment to your needs. Along with 3 comfort modes: normal, gentle, and extra gentle, Braun Silk Pro can treat a large area quickly with 0.5 shots per second. There is also a precision head provided to cater to smaller areas.
Price: $429.99
Feedback from Customers: Several customers were happy with how the product worked on coarse hair and was gentle on sensitive skin. Although, some areas required more sessions.
Sensica SensiLight Pro
The Sensica SensiLight Pro suits most skin tones (except type IV) and hair colors. Integrated with 1 flash per second and 6 adjustable power settings, hair removal from the legs, arms, stomach, back, shoulders, bikini area, underarms, and face is really quick. The device is cordless and has several other notable features, including a skin tone sensor, a contact sensor, and a large treatment window to make at home IPL treatment effective.
Price: $375
Feedback from Customers: Buyers were thrilled with the cordless design and quick results.
Iluminage Touch
The Iluminage Touch, with its FDA-cleared technology, is found to be safe and effective for all skin tones and hair colors, including blond, dark blond, and red hair. The device has 5 power settings that make removing hair from the face, underarms, legs, bikini lines, arms, back, and chest easy. The Iluminage Touch at-home device flashes every 0.9 to 1.9 seconds rate while its built-in sensor adjusts the intensity of the light automatically to match your skin tone.
Price: $499
Feedback from Customers: With prompt customer care and the ability to work in deeper skin, Iluminage was a hit among buyers.
Silk’n Infinity
The Silk’n Infinity uses eHPL technology to remove hair from most skin tones long-lastingly and works for different hair types (even the darkest ones). The device features five power settings with unlimited flashes to treat the lower legs, underarms, forearms, bikini line, and face from undesired hair growth. In addition to this, you can download the app to ensure you get all the reminders you need for scheduled hair removal sessions.
Price: $300.00
Feedback from Customers: With consistent use, the product shows results on darker skin and is ideal for delicate areas such as facial hair.
Nood The Flasher 2.0
Nood The Flasher 2.0 is designed to emit 600k flashes in its lifetime. The skin-safe technology helps most skin types and hair except blonde or red hair to reduce hair regrowth from the face, underarms, legs, and bikini line. Once you run out of the flashes, the company will replace the device for free.
Price: $174.75
Feedback from Customers: Nood the Flasher comes with a bigger ventilator for cooling, giving a nearly painless experience. Some users claimed the highest setting may get uncomfortable.
Ulike Sapphire Air+
The Ulike Sapphire AIR+ handset is an excellent option for people having light to medium skin tones and dark hair but is not recommended for people with very dark skin or blonde, gray, or white hair. Moreover, with five power settings and a flash rate of 0.7s/flash, the device shows visible results on legs, underarms, arms, chin, hands, neck, back, and bikini line in 3-4 weeks.
Price: $299.00
Feedback from Customers: Buyers liked how Ulike comes with foldable glasses and an easy glide feature.
JOVS Venus Pro II
The JOVS Venus Pro II is another IPL hair removal machine for different skin tones. It works for black to dark brown hair types, but red and light brown hair stays unaffected. The device releases 7 flashes per second, leveraging 6 modes to treat the face, arms, underarms, legs, and bikini line hair. It also features a skin sensor, cooling tip, and skin rejuvenation mode.
Price: $399
Feedback from Customers: Users reviewed the product to work in just 2-3 sessions. Even though some found the placement of the setting button may be awkward, the inclusion of razors and safety glasses was convenient.
Braun Silk Expert Pro 3
The Braun Silk Expert Pro 3 IPL is a versatile IPL handset for medium to dark skin tones and dark hair. The device features multiple heads to remove hair from head to toe, 3 power settings from low to medium strength and 60 flashes per minute to remove unwanted hair. Moreover, it has a skin tone sensor and a built-in UV filter to safeguard your skin from harmful effects.
Price: $279.99
Feedback from Customers: Reviewers found the auto-sensor for adjusting levels to be intuitive and useful.
4. Aftercare for IPL hair removal at home
Your skin needs some special care after the IPL session. After each treatment:
- Apply cold compression if the treatment leaves your skin swollen, red, or irritated.
- Exfoliate your skin with a gentle exfoliant. This aftercare removes debris left after the procedure and prevents ingrown hair.
- Slather your skin with a gentle moisturizer to calm the skin’s tenderness.
Other tips:
- Do not take a hot bath or shower on hypersensitive IPL-treated skin. Use cold water on the treated skin.
- Stay away from any strenuous physical activity.
- Do not pick the crusted skin or brown patches on a healing wound, as it may leave long-lasting scars.
- Do not use any product with fragrance, including soaps, lotions, or perfumes. Bleaching creams, retinol, and astringent is also a complete no-no.
- Do not apply makeup.
- Chlorine may also prove harmful, so no spa, sauna, or swimming.
Risks
One may experience pain and erythema (redness) after at home IPL hair removal. Also, some individuals may witness crusting, scarring, hyper/hypopigmentation, keloid formation, and leukotrichia, and the infection may happen in rare cases.
Conclusion
Home IPL hair removal is undoubtedly a safe and effective method to remove unwanted hair from your body. You can try an IPL hair removal device at home as it has several advantages, including convenience, affordability, and long-lasting results. This article reviewed the 10 best IPL hair removal devices available on the market to help you make an informed decision.
