There are a number of at home products:
1. Philips: Lumea (IPL)
2. Boots: Smooth Skin Ipulse (IPL)
3. Remington : I-light (IPL)
4. Tria (not sure if this is IPL or what)
Here is a description of the top three products:
Description: "Boots Smooth Skin gives permanent hair reduction in just 6-12 weeks, it is an easy to use hair removal solution at home."
Can be used on face?: Yes
Can be used by men?: Yes
Light energy level: 7 - 10 joules, depending on setting used (some studies say 7+ joules are required to be effective at disabling the hair follicle).
No. of settings: 3
Permanent?: Yes, if you've caught hairs in their active growth (Anagen) phase, the hair follicles will be disabled.
Gel required?: Yes, first tube of Activator Gel is included. Further tubes are £2.99 from Boots.
Estimated lamp lifetime: 10,000 flashes. Replacement handset costs £159.99.
Pros: iPulse Premium IPL technology has been created using unique, patented "square pulse" technology, which gives a controlled, even flash of light energy. This prevents overlapping of treatment or missing spots completely.
Cons: Hair can still grow from follicles that have been disabled if your body's hormones change. Therefore, iPulse still advise to keep the unit for top-ups every few months. No multi flash mode, so treatment sessions can be quite slow while waiting for the lamp to recharge between flashes.
*Description: "Philips Lumea IPL hair removal system uses gentle pulses of light to stimulate the hair root into a resting phase. Hair sheds naturally and regrowth is inhibited. Using it every two weeks enables you to enjoy smooth skin everyday."
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Can be used on face?: No
Can be used by men?: No
Light energy level: 2 - 6.5 joules, depending on setting used
No. of settings: 5
Permanent?: No, Philips Lumea is simply "photo epilation" where it heats up the hair and follicle, enough for the hair to fall out and the follicle to go into resting phase. The light energy is not intended to be strong enough to disable the hair follicle completely.
Gel required?: No
Estimated lamp lifetime: 40,000 flashes, after which the total unit would need to be replaced.
Pros: Cordless. No gel required. While hair reduction is not permanent, treated areas remain hair-free as long as treatments are performed every 2 weeks before follicles have a chance to become active again. Also, compared to shaving/waxing/epilating, you don't need to wait for hair to grow back before treating (thus no stubble and no ingrown hairs).
Cons: Light energy is only strong enough to put hair follicles into resting phase, and not to disable them completely, which is why treatment need to be repeated every 2 weeks to prevent hair regrowth.
*Description: "i-LIGHT safely removes hair for an ultra silky smooth feeling that can last for up to 12 weeks. Plus it’s the first home IPL with a multi-flash mode, making it one of the fastest IPL methods of long lasting hair removal."
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Can be used on face?: No
Can be used by men?: Yes
Light energy level: Up to 6 joules.
No. of settings: 5
Permanent?: No, Remington i-Light does not claim to achieve permanent hair reduction, but rather that it "stuns" follicles and thus suppresses hair regrowth for up to 3 months.
Gel required?: No
Estimated lamp lifetime: 1,500 flashes. 3 replacement bulbs are included. Further bulbs cost £24.45.
Pros: No gel required. Multi flash mode allows for continuous movement and thus faster treatment sessions. Significant results can be expected after a single session, but treatments should be repeated every 1-3 weeks until desired result is achieved (usually around 6-12 weeks). Hair is likely to grow back less dense, lighter and finer.
Cons: Once desired results are achieved, treatments are still required every 3 months whenever hair starts to reappear again. Extremely short lamp lifetime (but comes with 3 replacement bulbs and further bulbs are relatively cheap). Remington i-Light does not have the same "square pulse" technology as Boots Smooth Skin iPulse, so it has "hot spots" which means zaps are not fully even - so you end up overlapping some areas and missing others.
I've read mixed reviews of all products. I wouldn't mind getting these for touch ups once m own treatment is over.
