IPL works, and at home

Hair Removal Tips Laser and Flash Lamp (IPL) Referrals
#1

New to the forum and wanted to let all know the wonderful success I have experienced with my new IPL toy. I cautiously and hesitantly purchased a IPL600 and it works. I had a budget and this fit into it and figured with some past IPL experiences and other hair removal expenditures I would give it a shot. I have always despised body hair and while waxing and after waxing I still had to live with the pain and that rrrrr feeling. After using this IPL600 unit just once the results and hair density and thickness are reduced immeasurably. I have treated my entire body (I do mean entire) all but my hair on my head and eyebrows. I have had IPL done on the face (beard) a few years ago at a expensive professional establishment with great results and was amazed with the results and this technology. However the cost was as much as this unit is just for one year of traetment, I had to make appointments, and forget about affording the whole body.

My expectations of this unit were cautious optimism BUT I honestly can tell you at this moment it works. I am a patient, determined individual and as far as me taking the time to zap portions of areas a couple hours a day is nothing for me. I would say on setting 3 which is 3 pulses (you don’t need anymore than 5) I completed full legs, full arms, chest, torso, behind, face, and privates in around 6 hours moving carefully on setting 3. In my own private home with no wax I patiently worked and before I knew it I was done. Ever try waxing privates and behind by yourself? I have, WOW! Call it a fetish, call it hate of hair I don’t care and I don’t want it and don’t need it. I am a Type III skin type with black hair so I am a great candidate and I understand the process going in with reasonable expectations of clearing of areas. My only question was could this unit actually work? YES. Let me tell you that it was the difference in FEELING of the skin and hair growth below the skin I cannot put into words. I mean the follicles felt and feel dead. I also experienced NO capillary bruising or burns at all. For 800.00 buy one and zap away, I swear it works. BTW I don’t even benefit from the anti-andrgenic female hormones as women do, being male, so I can only imagine how this works on females. Do the math and calculate pulses for lamps of som other less expensive models and you will find this unit cannot be beat. Will I get 1 million pulses out of a bulb? probably not but will use 1 million pulses? hope not. Also at about 30 jules per pulse and a perfect nm range the unit is great for hair removal.

#2

So you signed up on this forum today just to post how happy you are with a home laser device? And you have no ties to the device? The fact you said you got results from 1 session pretty much prove you probably work for the company that makes this. Even the best professional laser like GentleLASE isn’t going to give results after 1 session.

#3

I resent that accusation. I am trying to “inform” folks in here of a cost effective way to remove hair of which hair removal I take very seriously. I am just a regular everyday person and NOT affiliated with this company. I originally did not register at hairtell but I have kept an eye on this site and was actually using it before I bought this unit but only found one post on this IPL unit so I thought it was a good idea to share the risk I took in buying it to help others out. Yeah genius, RISK. Meaning I went in blindly with not much info other manufacturer claims and we all know how those can turn out. I have other hobbies (hair removal has become sort of a hobbie)and are a member of other forums and are a person of integrity. I HAVE RESULTS FROM ONE TREATMENT. Who are you to question? People like you in a forum are actually the reason I sign up and if the forum is worth it and does a service to others I WILL SUPPORT MONETARILY. Again everything I described was truthful and for 800.00 I feel very confident I will have continued success. Maybe I should have also stated I will update following treatments BUT in the meantime I was excited and wanted to make anyone else out there aware.

Hate to stoop to your level but I bet your a salon owner or peddle your IPL or laser unit and find my post a threat in some way. Well, hey sorry but us average folks who want total body hair removal can only afford so much and the salon prices are nuts so who needs it when a person can go this route and in the privacy of their own home. Think before you open your mouth.

Also my first IPL type experience a few years back I to went to HTGT in the Illinois area and got results to my beard from one treatment so you don’t know what your talking about. Did It clear the area permanently with one treatment? No, duh but it was the beginning of “progressively permanent hair removal”. Either way anything is better than endless waxing or shaving, or electrolysis

#4

Oh how funny your post is!!! If you actually think you got results from one treatment then you’re a moron and know nothing about hair removal. It’s physically impossible to get results from 1 treatment even with electrolysis. IF you knew anything about hair removal you would know that hair grows in cycles, so it’s not possible to get results from just one treatment.

It’s also impossible to tell your results from one session as well because even if the hair sheds it does not mean it’s permanent, any device can make hair shed but it doesn’t mean it’s powerful enough to kill it. No home device is powerful enough for permanent results, it wouldn’t be allowed by the FDA.

I am not a salon owner, I’m a consumer with a LOT of money and time invested in my treatments, if you read any of my posts you would see that. I’m an educated consumer that knows what I’m talking about, I’m not just some random person that joins this sign and starts pushing a machine from China on unsuspecting people just to sell it.

IPL is not as good as laser, and should never be used on the face. How can you say you got results from 1 treatment on your beard? What did you use to judge this effectiveness? The only way to judge anything is to have a treatment, and then wait 6 months to see if any hair grows back. There’s way too much hair especially on the face to have any noticeable results from 1 treatment.

If this machine works then that’s fabulous since who wouldn’t want a home hair removal system that works. It’s the fact you’re telling people it works based on one treatment that is the misleading part. There’s no hair removal technology in the world that can give results from just one treatment let alone an IPL that you use at home.

Lastly, the company’s claims are totally false if you watch the videos on their site. First they say their device is used by professionals in clinics around the world, ummm sure. Secondly they say it’s BETTER than laser because it uses all light spectrums and not just one like laser. That’s the whole reason why IPL is WORSE than laser because it’s not specific. I quote “Laser is a single color of light, which means all the rays are the same wavelength. Intense Pulsed Light is broad spectrum light, made up of a range of wavelengths and colors. This range means one can treat more hair types effectively, with more consistent results”. Next it says you can also use it for tattoo removal!?? Lastly, it comes with carbon dye which they say dyes blond hairs so it can be removed which has already been proven to be ineffective.

#5

Reading comprehension is a real problem for you. Did I ever say permanent clearing of a treated area and did ever say my expectations were as ridiculous and unrealistic as yours are. My goal is slow and steady and methodical with a tight budget knuckle head. Anything is better than waxing, anything, in my opinion especially when I have to do myself. My thought process is based on “progressively permanenet hair removal” and yes I see and feel results from one treatment. If you read my post I also mention the expensive ‘Hair Today Gone Tommorrow’ sessions I had for treatment on my beard years ago with great results. Was it “permanent”? NO, and I knew it going in. Was my beard and facial hair growth permanently altered and reduced? you better believe it, even on the lip and chin. I cannot grow a full beard and I stiil shave maybe twice a week. No evening shadows, folliclitus acne like I had. Pay attention now! HTGT uses a “IPL” unit on the face and they are staffed with so called trained professional technicians! WOW I am so impressed. FDA approved? This goverment? Are you kidding me. Can you measure the techinal specs of the instruments being used on you while your getting raped at your “professional treatments”. Sounds like to me your jealous because you have married yourself emotionally and financially to people (alleged proffessionals techs) that are dedicated to making a living off of you. These folks have shared their knowledge with you of hair removal and your now their committed willing slave. You worship at that alter, not me. I am not anyones cabana boy or payday. Beleive me I respect private free enterprise and a person making a living going out to lease an expensive top notch laser/IPL unit and a suite space to then make a profit, great, but realize your paying for that overhead and maybe getting your alleged permanent results but for me I am content with private slow and steady independent methods to eventually reduce and hopefully clear my body of unwanted hair. Call me a cowboy, desperate, foolish but from my research the IPL energy and technical specs of this IPL 600 unit will give me the results I am looking for especially with my type 3 skin type. I beleive there is many individuals out there would risk (as I said in OP) and put themselves out there for this unit considering the reward. I did already take a risk and simply wanted to let everyone know about it in comparison to greatly under powered home units that may seem initially cheaper at 400.00 but with expensive lamp replacements that may last 500 pulses if lucky. Again like I said will my lamp last the claimed 1 million pulses probably not but if it lasts 10,000 pulses I am still ahead and without a doubt, using your energy measuring methods, I have delivered must more energy per treatment to the foollicle.

Also please do not underestimate being male and being cursed with high levels of testosterone and androgens that have stimulated our follicles since puberty (if you ever had one) and though it varies person to person we have hair more so than the normal females. I have been blessed without hair on my shoulders and back and actually not much on my behind either. But my legs arms hands feet face chest are male pattern dark hair. Waxing has been a nightmare and the mess was insane. Shaving is generally easy but foolish on privates or upper thighs and chests with all the irritation.

You can’t win the arguement because it is apples and oranges comparison. You goal in the expensive grail of unrealistic permanent quick results you have packaged and sold, mine is the affordable relistic progressively permanent removal and altering of my hair growth. Sadly in the end you will end up where I am already at as you watch you hair grow back even with your treatments and though permanently altered and forever changed you will still grow hair on your body and have spent a fortune. Your Technician God’s will have betrayed you and I will laugh and say " HA HA, I told you so"!

#6

Just to make it clear I had five (5)treatments to my beard/face over a 6 month span at HTGT. Just wanted to clear up any confusion you may have because you are at times easily confused. Also I did want to say that you without a doubt have great knowledge of hair removal and despite being Canadian are probably a decent, honest and intelligent person. But come on what the hell isn’t made in China anymore? Not that it makes it right.

#7

There is no need for namecalling on this forum, especially if you call yourself a “decent, honest and intelligent person”.

I don’t really understand your reference to “progressively permanent hair removal”. If the parameters on the machine are not able to heat up the hair enough to disable them permanently, it doesn’t matter how many times you apply it to your skin. Trying to cut with a dull knife over and over again is not going to magically cut after a certain number of tries.

Settings and parameters can be high enough to induce shedding, but not heat up the hair enough to disable it permanently. You really need to wait at least 6-12 months after your very last treatment and see what happens.

Hair grows in cycles, so you only affected at most 30% of all the hair you have with just one treatment. You’ll need to have at least 4 before you stop, wait and see what happens.

#8

Thanks LAGirl finally someone else chiming in on this. To answer the above poster, I’m not brainwashed by technicians in any way shape or form. Half the time I know more about hair removal than they do. I’m not trying to sound full of myself, the fact of the matter is that it’s really not that hard of a concept if you just do some research on it. It’s all about using high enough settings to permanently kill the hair follicle so that it can never grow back. Many clinics don’t want to burn people or have lawsuits so they use low settings, or they use low settings so people have to keep coming back. It blows my mind how many times you’ll go to a new clinic that will use one type of laser, and you’ll mention GentleLASE or LightSheer etc and they have NEVER heard of it before. How can you work in this industry and not know the different types of laser?The home hair removal devices do not provide enough energy to kill the hair permanently.

You can say what you want but the problem with your statements is that this isn’t permanent and that hair will come back. That is completely untrue, that would only happen with weak treatments, which you get from IPL whether at home or in a salon. This is the reason we tell people to avoid IPL as it’s not permanent. Being treated with a permanent laser or electrolysis is permanent. You may get hair back but this is your body developing new hair it’s not the hair that was removed coming back.

I’m hardly jealous, I don’t know what I’ve paid total for treatment but it’s not a lot, my clinic is very reasonable. You can’t honestly compare a tiny little unit from eBay with a professional laser that’s 50 times bigger and actually expect the same results. You sound like you have buyers remorse on spending so much on this unit. Either way I’m done arguing with you, you can say what you want but I have a bit more creditability on here than you do, just signing up and having your first message boasting about a home IPL you bought online.

#9

LA Girl read this reply quote and direct you ire at the person calling names here. Correct me from wrong, but does it not take treatment after treatment of “professional” sessions at a salon to allegedly clear an area (along with so-called touch ups)of which we all know never trult clears an area anyway. Laser or IPL may or may not be “permanent” hair removal and I doubt this holy grail can be achieved. I guess a person has to spend $12,000.00 at a salon to find this out though, but hey at least someone made money. Progressively permanent hair removal is actually what is sold to a client that comes to your salon because your teatments take time and several of them over years to clear an area. If you do not market that way than I would say you have to check yourself. There is several at home units sold that work so don’t look now but folks will wise up and realize.

#10

You are very ill informed, many people on here including myself and LAGirl have got permanent results. Laser is permanent so I’m not sure why you keep on about it not being permanent and being progressive. You sound like something that’s had a poor experience and now is against laser. Yes it takes treatment after treatment to get full results, but we’re talking 6-8 not treatments forever. You shouldn’t even need touchups unless your technician misses spots. Not sure where you get $12k from either. The clinic I go to is $60 for underarms, and I have a group buy package of 6 full legs sessions for $1000. If you’re paying $12k then you’re being ripped off hardcore. I’m just confused though because who here has ever said that it’s not a progressive treatment that takes years??

#11

I never knocked laser as you knock IPL. The time table of clearing a particular area has many variables but again you are still comparing apples to oranges. Your unrealistic high expensive expectations are much different than mine. One popular home IPL that uses replacement bulbs at 50.00 a pop and must be changed at 500-750 pulses only administers 5jules per pulse with a max 5 pulses at one time, per manufacturer specs. My unit is 30jules per pulse with a max of 7 pulses at one time and believe me you do not need 7 pulses with this unit. It’s total effectiveness I will update you as time goes by. It is the type of unit that is also simple and fun to use especially comparing to the nightmare of waxing.

I would like to clear the air here and say your first reply got me started and we were off. I without a doubt respect your knowledge and experience and actually am going to look into the laser treatments for IF there is problem areas or areas my IPL ends up not being effective with. I never close my mind and one can’t especially with technology and hair removal(I know laser has been around). Consider I am alone in this venture, also one of my reasons for joining Hairtell. I never paid 12,000.00 for hair removal but Hair Today Gone Tommorrow pricing is $10,000.00 for one full year of full body treatments no matter how many after “touch-up” treatments are 30% of the initial first year fee per year. I only had the beard done not the whole body, I don’t have that kind of money nor would I spend it if I did with them… My experience is with this company only so far and mostly because I heard horror stories with laser and was comfortable with the IPL method. Are all salons created equal? NO. Your experience with yours is good for you and I am glad you found the results you expected. You have my word that if my IPL unit works with the results meeting my expectations I will let you know either way. I sincerely do appreciate the debate and info you have shared with me and really hope you can understand my side, after all, we are on the same team fighting the evil Hair Follicle.

#12

You only need to learn how lasers and IPLs work in order to understand why IPLs don’t work as well for hair removal purposes as true lasers. Please read our FAQs at the link below or from another UNBIASED source online or at the library. This has to do with specs on the devices and has been proven by studies. No need for guessing as you seem to be doing.

As edokid mentioned, your assumptions on costs and time it takes to achieve results with LHR or on permanency are wrong. It takes 6-8 treatments spaced 8-12 weeks apart - this is because hair grows in cycles and this spacing and number of treatments is necessary with ANY permanent hair removal method.

Also, I don’t need anyone else to tell me laser is permanent - I have had permanent results for 5+ years and counting from both laser and electrolysis on numerous areas.

I can’t tell you what will happen in the future, but CURRENTLY there are no home laser or IPL machines that have the specs necessary to produce enough heat to destroy the follicle for good and prevent it from producing hair permanently. The currently available home machines have the ability to heat up the follicle enough to make the hair shed, but they’re not powerful enough to heat it up enough to disable it permanently. That’s what you’re missing.

Even professional machines that are not set at good aggressive settings won’t produce permanent results, which is why we have this forum with FAQs and lots of other helpful information on finding good clinics that will use good lasers at aggressive settings.

Also, full body treatments are rarely a good deal for anyone out there. Laser or IPL ONLY works on coarse dense hair. Everything else can only be removed permanently with electrolysis. Of course, unscrupulous clinics will tell you anything you want to hear to sell you their packages. If you listen to the clinics, they all have the best devices and everyone will get permanent removal on all types of skin and hair.

#13

Thank you for the info. I know, I know, I understand the hair growth cycle and the basic science of energy transfer down into the follicle and resulting cellular damage caused from heat or electricity. However as a client “progresses” through their 6 to 8 treatments it is nothing to underestimate with laser treatments or IPL for that matter. The manufacturer specs of any device or unit is all one can go off no matter what you buy and the efficacy of a unit can be measured how? and by who? and with what device? Surely not by us visiting a salon or even the tech using the unit. Well I would say the results. After 6-8 treatments with my unit I will be interested to see the results. My feelings looking at the specs and what I see so far I beleive they will be excellent. As far as permanent we will wait and see. I am starting with this unit I also am aware there is other units including laser that can be obtained by a person (not just on ebay),that may or may not even be needed ,but with more of a range of settings and pulses. I will wait and see. In the end it is quite simple when were talking about superfulous (may not have spelled that right)hairs and treating with energy. My unit is heating up the follicle and damaging cells of the follicle. The hair has shed after one treatment so far and I have NO complications such as capillary bruising or burnt hairs within the follicle. Remember there is such as a thing as too much heat also to consider that can cause injury. With my black hair and light skin color this unit will work. Because of your experience I definately am going to investigate the entire laser concept for hair removal and try to see why you feel it is superior to IPL. My understanding is that specific lasers are applicable for a specific type of use and are definately NOT idiot proof so an experienced tech or training will be required. I will also be comping the costs for treatments. Beleive me it would be quite a luxury for me to just lay down and relax to receive a treatment by others but it is a luxury I cannot afford. My original post was to make folks aware of a home alternative that cannot be compared to those other 2 costly popular greatly greatly underpowered units with ridiculously priced low pulse life lamps. Five (5) jules per pulse? come on! In that context I would agree with you LaGirl on your home unit theory but my unit provides much more than enough energy (30 jules per pulse)to very effectively heat any follicle or overheat if one is not careful when using it. What I have is NOT a toy so I have been very careful in treating areas. This is what I researched prior to buying a unit. My risk was that it is administering the spec energy amounts and the lamp life claims. We will see and if it works people need to know about it and I will tell them either way.

When HTGT says whole body they mean whole body, and I do question there marketing ethics and tactics BUT that is the nature of business in this country and we all have to be careful with our money. HTGT did explain that the treatment is not effective on fine hairs or peach fuzz(for me I am ok with fuzz).

#14

Joules don’t really mean anything though that’s the problem. For example, 30 joules on GentleLASE 15mm spot size is around the same as 20 joules on the 18mm spot size. Looking at joules alone you would think that the 30 is better when it’s not. With IPL it’s even harder because spot sizes are meaningless with too many variables. The reason lasers are better is because they have 1 wavelength that is designed to kill hair. An IPL has every wavelength and needs a filter applied to it to filter out all the bad light and only use the hair removal light/wavelength which is not as effective.

Your problem is that you’re judging the effectiveness by it making the hair shed which means nothing. Even the Silk’n which I’m pretty sure is the “home IPL” device you refer to, will cause the hair to shed. It doesn’t mean you’ve killed the hair. You can hit the hair with very weak energy and it will still fall out because it’s only stunned, that’s what home IPL devices do. They don’t deliver enough energy to permanently kill the hair, they only stun and disable it.

Hopefully your machine does work. Our only issue with your statements is that you can’t say home IPL works when you haven’t proven it yet. Even a professional laser can only be judged effective if a person stops treatments for 6+ months and no hair comes back. Until you’ve done 6-8 treatments with your home IPL and then stopped all treaments for more than 6 months (which will be close to 2 years from now) we won’t know how effective it is. There’s nothing you or anyone can say to prove otherwise!

And just to add, the only reason we are going hard on threads like yours is because it happens very frequently that someone signs up for the site here, and their very first post is “OMG I just bought the TRIA and I LOVE IT” or the Silk’n or whatever, and they go on to say they’ve used it for a few days and it’s the best device they’ve ever used etc etc and it turns out they work for the company. Since 99% of the time most people don’t just join a site like this simply to boast about a machine they bought. They usually join because they have questions, so we’re trying to look out for the consumer here is all.

#15

There is nothing wrong with you trying out the device and you can believe it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Your original post, however, suggests that you are sure that this will provide permanent results when all science says otherwise (settings needed to deliver enough heat to disable the follicle permanently have been tested in order to create machines that actually provide permanent results - like the one I used).

Your post title should be “I’m going to try a home IPL device and see if it works. Wish me luck. I will report back 6 months after I’ve stopped a series of 6-8 treatments spaced 2 months apart”. Right now, you make it sound like you got results, which you haven’t.

#16

No the machine will not work, we had one in a tested it out for strength.
When we get these home IPL machines in for repair or they have not worked at all,we had one that you were talking about.
The best it would do is hair management,when we tested it for flash strength it was so weak,it would not have had the strength to send the pulse down the root of the hair.
It takes more than one visit to get rid of hair,the trouble is that people who are not engineers get ripped of by companies that make claims that are just lies about home IPL.
I do not want people to get ripped of,i am a IPL engineer.
Some of the wife’s friend come up and ask me about these machines,that you can use at home.
I explain to them its hair management,some will listen to me, others do not.
This is were we had these machine to test, and yes we did put a new lamp in.
They have all failed,sometimes i phone up and ask question to these reps, and when i ask about repetition rates, energy reading and how the hell can you get so much joules from that machine.
And when i ask for reading to be verified by a test station, they put the phone down.
They put the phone down because they know the game is up.
Its all a load of hot air.
I can get you a 500cc car that has the same energy and results has a Ferrari and for £100,000.00 less.
Would you believe a statement like that, no you would not.

#17

I bought the silkn and it did reduce the hair on my thighs but not as much as I wanted. The hair still comes out but lighter. I’ve been using it for three months. I hope it will work better in the future.