Hair Removal – Overview

Posts Tagged ‘electrolysis’

Readers of this blog may not have heard of machines that can perform intense pulsed light hair removal at home. These devices are actually quicker and much more efficient than expensive appointments with a hair removal specialist.

There are three popular brands of machines for intense pulsed light hair removal. Shoppers should try to find the Remington i-Light first, because it lasts the longest out of all the light pulse machines.

For anyone who hasn’t heard about intense pulsed light hair removal, also known as IPL hair removal, the process is similar to that of laser hair removal. The pulse device uses light energy to damage parts of the hair follicle, so that the hair is less likely to grow back. Most devices works best on light people with dark hair, because the light texture of the skin’s melanin is less likely to absorb heat from the pulse. Unlike lasers, the intense light pulse emits a pulse of light at specific wavelengths to further reduce any possible damage to the skin.

The Remington is one of the few unisex devices that will work for both men and women. It is also more suitable for people with light shades of skin. Keep in mind that even though the i-Light works with dark skin, it is more likely to cause damage to the skin because the dark pigment of the melanin tends to absorb more heat.

The Remington i-Light also will not remove hair permanently. This may disappoint people who are looking for a quicker and less painful way to keep the hair from growing. However, it still removes hair for about three to four weeks before the hair grows back again. This is a much longer duration than machines in other countries, such as the Boots Smooth Skin iPulse and the Phillips Lumea. The hair also looks thinner and less noticeable than it would if the person shaved it off.

The iLight is the least expense IPL light devices that is currently for sale in America, costing only $250. There are quite a few competing brands with intense pulsed light machines, but these devices have not been approved by the FDA thus far. The iLight’s light bulb is also more reasonably priced than bulbs for other machines. Currently, replacement bulbs cost only $25, which is much cheaper than the $40 to $50 bulbs for competing brands.

The only significant problem with the i-Light is that the bulb covers a smaller surface area than other IPL devices. So far, the device will only remove hair from an area of two square centimeters of skin. Thus, hair removal will take much longer for larger areas of skin, such as the legs or the chest. The bulb also will only last for about 1,500 pulse flashes. Also keep in mind that the machine tends to overheat very quickly.

In spite of these problems, the Remington i-Light is currently the best IPL machine that is specially designed for at-home use. Most of the other machines on the market look like unwieldy computer machines in a science lab. The i-Light, on the other hand, has a sleek, curved design and an attractive metallic finish. It is surprisingly inexpensive, making it very attractive for consumers who are looking for long-lasting hair removal on a fairly tight budget. This device is currently on sale at amazon.com, so shoppers may want to look into owning an i-Light.

Recently, manufacturers of beauty products started advertising hair removal pads that gently caress the skin. In various infomercials, they have claimed that these mittens can remove the hair painlessly, allowing legs to become silky smooth.

In a nutshell, pads provide pain-free hair removal, but don’t expect them to ever replace other essential shavers or epilators.

There are about two brands of pads that are currently the most popular. The most reputable one, the Smooth Away hair removal pad, contains what the company calls “superfine” crystals. These tiny crystals lightly rub off hair from the follicles.

Technically, it works in a manner similar to sandpaper. By rubbing the rough surface with very little pressure, the pads removes the hair from the legs and other areas where hair growth is relatively thin.

The Smooth Away mitten will not provide consistent results on the bikini line or the underarms. Women will have to take several passes to remove the hair from these areas. In fact, one reviewer reported that the shaving was more suitable for these areas, because of the extra effort required to rub these hairs off.

Despite the problems of these micro-crystal mitts, they make for somewhat effective tools. A stroke with a Smooth Away can exfoliate dull, flaky skin from the body. Women should try not to rub too vigorously. Putting too much pressure on the skin could cause it to redden quickly.

Still, most women are probably buying this product to remove the darker, coarse hairs from their legs. For most women, Smooth Away is a mediocre solution. Most customers criticized this product because it didn’t remove their hair. In fact, many people stated that the mitts only exfoliated the skin. They were only able to remove the hair after showering their legs.

The Smooth Away kit also comes with a mini mitt to remove facial hair. This tool can get rid of nasty peach fuzz hair very easily, but it probably cannot remove the thicker hairs that women want to remove. This is a very disconcerting product that raises women’s hopes, only to disappoint them when they actually try them out.

There are also other brands of mitts for customers to test, such as the Trademark Ultra Smooth hair removal and exfoliating system. Unfortunately, these mitts are also ineffective products. As often as women try to buff off the hairs with the pads, Trademark is just as unreliable as the Smooth Away.

Although this is ultimately a rip-off item, most mitt kits only cost about $5 each. Thus, women probably will not have to break the bank to purchase these simple mitts. Unfortunately, this product probably will not keep women happy unless someone finds a miraculous way to make the system produce more substantial results. If anything, the Smooth Away and the Trademark Ultra Smooth mitts are trendy novelty items that will go out of style in a few years or so.