Yahoo Lifestyle I’ve Thwarted Every Hair-Removal Technique Created, But These At-Home Lasers Actually Worked
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You name a hair removal device or technique, my facial hair has defied it. Electrolysis, electrical shocks delivered hair by hair: painful and futile. Professional laser treatments: expensive and futile. Wax, chemicals, epilators, threading, a weird spring with handles: futile. Each treatment only made my hair stronger, a mutant removal-resistant strain. So when I was given the chance to try IPL (infrared pulsed laser, sometimes called at-home laser hair removal), I wasn’t optimistic. But after doing battle, I was really surprised.
I put two devices to the test, the Ulike Air 10 ($299, regularly $399) and RoseSkinCo’s Lumi ($161 with code LABORDAY). The Ulike I used on my left armpit and side of my face, the Lumi on the right. Out of the box, the Ulike Air was significantly bulkier, the size of an old corded phone, with a two-part cord. It came with foldable sunglasses to protect your eyes (as I learned, the flashes are quite bright), and a tiny disposable razor (shaving before IPL is a must). The Lumi was much more compact, roughly the size and weight of an orange, without any bonuses in the box.
Both devices operate on the same scientific principle. IPL uses a specific wavelength of light that damages hair follicles so they produce finer hair (or none at all). This technology does have limitations: because the lightwave needs to be absorbed by the hair and reflected by skin (so as not to damage it), it only works on hair and skintones with high contrast—basically, light skin and dark hair. Darker skin could absorb too much heat and get burned; lighter hair may not absorb enough light to be effective. And because the sweet-spot wavelength is red-toned, the device is also ineffective on red hair.
The Ulike has four modes; fast, normal, high, and SHR (super hair removal). The Lumi has six levels of progressively stronger power. Both recommend eventually using the highest level you can tolerate, but working your way up to it. I tested the Lumi on a 4 and felt absolutely nothing, to the extent I was worried it wasn’t working. The Ulike has built-in cooling to counteract any errant heat, so no matter what mode I used, all I felt was Very, Very Cold. After making sure my skin didn’t react (some bumpy texture can be expected with IPL treatment), I cranked both devices up to maximum for the remainder of the test—I knew my facial hair was going to require the big guns.
Both devices have built-in safety measures: the devices won’t activate if not fully in contact with skin, likely so you don’t accidentally blind a pet or partner. Even so, I’d recommend not using around others—the spill-over flash is still quite bright.
I used the devices every other day (OK, sometimes every third day) for about eight weeks—results take a minimum of six weeks to notice, so it’s a long game. Treating my whole face and armpits only took about ten minutes, even with switching out devices half way through. At no point did I feel pain, but if I did a sub-par job shaving, I could sometimes feel heat and smell that unmistakable burned-hair scent. As with so many things, consistency is rewarded—even after you reach your desired level of hair removal, both brands recommend slowing down, but not stopping, your treatment pace to maintain results.
At the end of six weeks, I am shocked to say: there’s a noticeable difference. My armpits have had the biggest change—hair grows in soft and sparse, so I can stretch the window between shaving further (and it’s less itchy when it does grow back).
My facial hair is weakened, but not vanquished. When I started, the time between facial hair removal was best measured in hours—if I bleached, shaved, or tweezed in the morning, I’d want to make sure to do a quick touch-up before heading out for an evening event. Like I said, mutant hair. After IPL, there were whole days I’d skip doing anything at all with my hair (albeit these were not days I was planning on leaving the house). The impact wasn’t just on my hair; because the regrowth is softer and less dense, my skin is smoother and less irritated by the constant cycle of growth and removal.
Comparing my science experiments, the Ulike did a more effective job than the Lumi: the hair on the left side of my face is growing in slower and more sparsely than the right. The bulkier size and higher pricetag show in the results, but I’d recommend the Lumi for travel or anyone with limited hand mobility—the more compact size was much easier to navigate, and I think you’d get comparable results given time.
I’ll be continuing with the Ulike and plan to expand treatment areas to my legs, arms, and bikini area (wish me luck and flexibility!).
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