Hello folks,

I have spent some time looking online at various IPL home systems and as there are quite a few to choose between I wanted to ask if anybody here has bought such a system and if so, would they please recommend it?

I have read quite a few customer reviews of various makes and I am tempted to get one of the Phillips Lumea systems, as these do not require conductive gels or anything else in addition to the unit itself.

Whereas such systems may not result with truly permanent hair removal I have read about some people being very pleased with the results of whatever they purchased and the cost of it, maybe some £300-£450 or so, compared to what they might have paid
for so many sessions at salons over a year or something like that.

I think that there are three Lumea models and if anybody here has tried one, or maybe another type of home-based IPL hair removal/treatment system I would be very thankful to hear what you might have to say about it.

Thanks and best wishes,

Tiara x

I got taken in by "NO NO". I found it completely useless,A waste of money actually. Not recommended

Hi Tiara,

I've been using the Tria Laser for a month or so. i did try the original Boots Smooth skin for a while but to be honest I couldn't tell if it worked 'permenantly' or not! It certainly slowed things down whilst I was using it, but I got out of the habit of using it and just let the hair grow back for the summer.

The Tria actually claims to be permenant and I think it's an actual laser as opposed to a camera flash on steroids. It doesn't need any gel and runs from a rechargeable battery.

Hope this helps.
This post was edited by Nikki Onandoff at February 11, 2013 7:22 PM GMT

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for the reply. It is a shame that you got one of those before maybe reading the sort of negative reviews that I thankfully found. I was thinking of getting one of the NoNo devices myself after seeing the TV ad until I read all of those negative reviews online.

There were maybe 39 reviews or so but only 2 good ones, probably people that work for the company. It seems that the money back guarantee if you are not satisfied within
60 days is a complete lie, because many were saying that none of their emails were answered.

The NoNo is more of a thermal device than laser and some people were saying that a day after they had burns etc but didn't feel that during using the unit the day before.

2 million satisfied customers, I think not.

I don't think they should be allowed to get away with it and I am surprised that they are still allowed to advertise it after so many bad reviews.

Thanks again and I hope you find something else a lot better than that.

Best wishes,

Tiara

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Hi Nikki,

Thanks for the reply, I much appreciate it.

I had not heard about the Tria until you mentioned it.

I just read through some 15 reviews of it or so and most seem to be quite pleased with it.

One concern though is that one of the reviews say that it won't even turn on unless your skin type is suitable. Another review said that they had ideal skin and hair type but it didn't work at all with them for some reason.

Another thing is that it is supposed to be 'activated' but one review is saying that is a scam to get people to do an online survey or something like that. Another says you can unlock it yourself by pressing and holding to level 4 and then letting go, which sounds like it works from then on.

With most of these things though, even if there are quite a lot of good reviews, there may always be somebody that for some reason the device doesn't work so well and that is probably not just because of the device. It could be a combination of skin and hair types etc etc.

I think that I want to try to find a device that has a lot of good reviews, such as the Lumea and then go and get one from a high street store, not getting one online because if there are problems then I could always take it back, rather than maybe sending an email to somebody that may not be answered.

I wish it wasn't so darned complicated by so many different makes to choose between.

At this point I would be pleased to get something that would slow things down, as I think that permanent removal is probably unlikely.

In any case I'm sure that it would be a lot better than an electric shaver;)

I think that you would probably have to do it on a regular basis though to get the best results.

Thanks again and best wishes,

Tiara

Hi Tiara,

There's a small sensor on the bottom that you hold on your skin for a second until it beeps and unlocks. If the unit happens to be standing on my pale wood desk when I turn it on then it just unlocks itself! it's not a concern.

Likewise the initial activation/survey. You don't need to do this, just hold the button down until it finishes beeping.

The Tria takes 2 hours to charge for a 30 minute session. You can't run it off the mains, like the Smoothskin. This annoyed me at first, but I've got a routine now where i can do 2-3 treatments a day. I can only compare this to the Smoothskin which would chug along for half-hour or so before switching off for 5 minutes to cool itself down. With that device, I was doing marathon sessions a few times a week, which I guess eventually became too much of a chore.

I don't think there's a solution that doesn't require time, persistence and money.

I agree the reviews are generally a suspicious bunch. Like me, most of them have only been using their devices for a few weeks. I'll be able to let you know what the score is after a few months, if you can wait that long!

You could also investigate something called Carbon Dye. I bought a small bottle of it but haven't tried it out yet.

In practical terms, (and the reason that it's difficult to judge the results) you end up with a shaving routine for any area you are treating. if you're like me, it becomes an education in hair growth direction, razor blades moisturisers and the avoidance of ingrown hairs amd rashes. Good hunting!


This post was edited by Nikki Onandoff at February 13, 2013 9:24 AM GMT

Thank you Tiara. keep up your excellent work xxx

Hi Nikki,

Thanks for the reply, I much appreciate it.

I am just getting ready to go into town to have a look at the IPL systems available there.

I guess I'll be parting with about £350-£400, which is not cheap for one who doesn't work so I just hope to make the best choice really.

It is something that I imagine that I will be using quite a lot, like the constant use of an electric shaver.

I just hope it produces longer lasting results than that, which it ought to I believe, costing that much.

Like any of these devices though I think one has to try it over maybe a few months to see what it really can do.

Thanks again and all the best.

Tiara x

Having epilated for many years I looked into some of these systems last year - I was ready to blow up to £500.

I would have been content with semi-permanent removal, however upon reading more in depth I discovered that these units have a limited life span on their wand/light units. I looked at a number of manufacturers and each would require replacing after so many thousand pulses and at a three figure cost too.

In the end I spent a bit less and went for a new Braun cordless epiltor with face caps to supplement my corded one, and a Philips face and bodyshaver with cleaning station.

Alas it would have been nice to keep smooth with a lot less effort, but for the cost outlay and potential head replacements I felt better off with tried and tested methods.


This post was edited by Deleted Member at May 14, 2013 5:21 PM BST