In total, some 10-20 years ago, women all over the world used hair removal tools that were not far from medieval methods. Endless pulling and shaving - that was all the beauty industry could offer the ladies. But the emerging photoepilation technology gave hope not only for painless, but also final hair removal. And the opportunity to buy a photoepilator for home brought this dream closer for many women.
What is photoepilation?
As often happens, the idea of photoepilation was suggested by nature itself: in those places on our planet where the sun shines more intensively and for the longest time, say, in Africa, people have much less hair on their bodies, for example, men often do not even grow a mustache. This is due to the fact that melanin, which is in the structure of the hair (namely, melanin is responsible for its color - the more it is, the darker the hair), absorbs the energy of light and converts it into heat. The heat inside the hair follicle gradually destroys it and atrophies. But in nature, this process takes a lot of time. For people living close to the equator to become less hairy, it is necessary that the sun affect them for more than one generation.
In photoepilation, this principle of exposure to light is repeatedly strengthened to obtain a quick result. The light flash created by a professional photoepilator raises the temperature inside the follicle to 80 degrees Celsius, which much more quickly leads to blood coagulation in the capillaries. Naturally, without nutrition, the hair sac will die soon, and the hair will fall out of it and will not grow back.
However, it is impossible to get rid of all hair in one procedure, and here's why: all hair follicles on the human body can stay in one of the phases:
- active when the follicle allows hair to grow;
- in the phase of sleep, when the hair does not grow.
A light flash affects only active hair bags, they are no more than 30% of the total, but after 3 or 5 weeks, sleeping follicles will begin to wake up and give new hair growth. Therefore, the procedure will have to be repeated in order to destroy them. On average, it will take from 3 to 5 such procedures to completely get rid of hair in the desired area.
The subtleties of the procedure
Everyone who plans to do photoepilation needs to know certain nuances regarding this procedure so as not to be disappointed later.
Despite the fact that the advertisement says about the complete disposal of unwanted hair once and for all, after about 5 years you will have to undergo a full course of hair removal again. During this period, new viable follicles will form, which will give a new hairline. Supportive procedures that need to be done about once every six months are important.
It is also worth considering that far from any hair can be removed using photoepilation. As already noted, the main role in the absorption of light is played by melatonin, and the more it is, the more heat is generated in the pouch. Therefore, dark hair is removed easier and faster than, say, blond. But completely light or gray in this way to remove, alas, is impossible.
Remember that before epilation, you can not sunbathe for at least 3 weeks - on fair skin, hair is removed much better. By the way, after the procedure it is better to refrain from sunbathing for at least a couple of weeks. The same amount of cosmetics (if facial hair was removed ) and antiperspirants (if there was armpit hair removal) cannot be used. Also, preparing for the procedure, remove the hairs only with a razor and do not resort to methods based on pulling (epilator, tweezers, shugaring, wax, etc.).
Do not forget to study, before buying a photoepilator, the reviews of doctors and advice on whether you have any contraindications to the procedure.
Pros of the procedure
Of course, this method has a lot of advantages. And the most significant is painlessness. This is confirmed by numerous reviews. This is especially pleasing when it comes to the bikini area or armpits, because hair removal in these places, for example, with wax or sugar, is not a procedure for the faint of heart. Even the use of a laser causes significant discomfort, while the photo is not felt in any way.
The second plus is the quick effect, which, according to experts, is noticeable after the first procedure. And of course, the good news is that the effect lasts for years. No other means of hair removal can be compared with this method, because only flashes of light can permanently destroy hair follicles.
Another advantage is the absence of irritation, redness, damage to the skin, which happens so often after shugaring or waxing, let alone shaving machines. There is also no problem of ingrown hair after photoepilation, which often happens after an electric epilator.
Minuses
True, there are enough minuses for photoepilation, for example, it is helpless with swarthy and tanned skin or with very light and thin hairs. The disadvantages include the need for several expensive procedures, as well as their periodic repetition.
But the main reason to doubt is, of course, the high price. Indeed, one procedure, for example, on feet can cost 10-12 thousand rubles. You will have to pay at least 20 thousand rubles for the device itself - that’s how much home photoepilation will cost you.
Contraindications and consequences
Since the photoepilation procedure is an effect on the skin of a powerful beam of light, you should not do it for those who have problems with the skin. This, for example, eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis. Contraindication is the presence of a birthmark, a large mole or tattoo in the place where the photoepilation is planned.
Contraindications and consequences should be of particular interest to those with sensitive skin. In this case, it is better to make a test outbreak on one part of the body and observe the reaction for 24 hours. If, in addition to slight redness, no unpleasant symptoms appear, the procedure can be done without fear.
It is not recommended to undergo a course for pregnant and lactating women because of their unstable hormonal background. However, according to experts, a photoepilator cannot do any harm to a mother or child. Doctors' reviews are a direct confirmation of this. Nevertheless, consultation is necessary.
An absolute contraindication is such serious diseases as cancer, insulin-dependent diabetes, severe damage to the cardiovascular system, keloid disease.
Unlike other types of hair removal
When studying a new technology for the first time, one cannot but compare it with the usual ones. The closest thing to photoepilation is laser hair removal. This method appeared a little earlier, but its essence is about the same. The main difference is that when the photo uses light waves of different lengths, and with a laser - only one. This means that the laser does not have the ability to customize, while a professional photoepilator allows you to choose the power for each type of skin, hair and area of exposure.
An alternative and most modern method of hair removal is the ELOS system, in which radio-frequency radiation is added to light pulses, that is, in fact, this is an advanced photo-hair removal system. This is an even safer and faster method of hardware hair removal.
If we compare photos and traditional mechanical methods, such as shugaring, wax, the use of epilators or creams, we can conclude that they lose to modern technologies. Firstly, almost all of them (with the exception of razors and creams) are extremely painful, provoke ingrown hair and can lead to serious skin problems. Creams and razors cause irritation and are very poorly tolerated by sensitive skin. Not to mention the permanent procedures, because even complete removal of hair with the root needs to be done every 3-4 weeks.
The only plus is their cheapness compared to the photo, however, in the long run, constant salon procedures for shugaring or spending on creams and high-quality razors come out incomparably more expensive than several photoepilation procedures or buying an apparatus for it.
At home or in the cabin?
A few years ago, the photoepilation procedure was available only to customers of beauty salons, but today a large number of photoepilators designed for home use are available on the market.
Their difference is that the salon unit has the function of adjusting the power of light rays, so that the master can choose the right one depending on the type of hair and skin of the client. Therefore, the maximum power of such devices can be very high. But for home devices, this figure cannot exceed 19 kJ, which will protect an inexperienced user from getting burns or other skin injuries.
Fine tuning of the apparatus is especially important if it is necessary to treat areas with delicate and thin skin, for example, in a deep bikini area, or if a face photoepilator is used. Careless handling of the device or too strong an impulse can make the procedure painful, which is why doctors recommend taking a course in the salon, moreover, by a qualified and experienced craftsman.
However, modern photoepilators designed for home use are more and more like professional ones and more and more they remove hair. In addition, buying a home device is more profitable than going through several sessions in a good salon. And if you want to get rid of hair all over your body, salon services will fly into a pretty penny. But dermatologists and professional masters nevertheless claim that home appliances are good only to maintain the effect, and the epilation itself needs to be done in a salon where the equipment is more powerful and advanced.
And now we will discuss what professionals and their clients say about such a device as a photoepilator.
Reviews of doctors, clients and buyers
Many are concerned about the safety of such a procedure in which flashes of light are used. Especially when it comes to the bikini zone and armpits. Can a photoepilator harm the mammary glands or the reproductive system?
The reviews of doctors (for example, gynecologists and dermatologists) allow us to conclude that specialists generally do not scold photoepilation, however, they note that this procedure should be carried out only by experienced cosmetologists who have the necessary knowledge. Otherwise, burns and skin injuries cannot be avoided. On the other hand, complex, powerful devices can only be bought for a beauty salon, while home models are completely safe.
The reviews of those who tried photoepilation are contradictory. This is largely due to the fact that the success of the procedure depends on the initial conditions - such as hair and skin. Light-skinned people with dark hair remove the latter easier and faster. The entire course will consist of only 3-4 sessions, and they are completely painless. However, there are those to whom photoepilation did not help to get rid of all hair, so their reviews, of course, are negative.
As for home photoepilators, many users admit that a full cycle of procedures can take much longer than in a salon. It is also true that it is very difficult to do self-hair removal in large areas, for example, on the legs, since a large number of flashes are needed that need to be treated on the entire surface, and this is very tiring. However, those who succeeded, were satisfied, despite the rather big cost of the device of 20-30 thousand rubles.
How to choose your photoepilator
Surely when you first studied the market of photoepilators, you were confused by the variety of models. How do you know which photoepilator is better?
First, pay attention to power. It is measured in kilojoules, and the higher these numbers, the more effective the device. It will also be nice to have the ability to customize the settings and an integrated skin type sensor.
In addition, one of the important characteristics of the device is the lamp life, i.e., how many flashes will last for its operation. Pay attention to the size of the window through which the light passes. If it is large, it will be convenient to treat the legs or back with the device, but it will not be possible to do hair removal on the face or in the zone of a deep bikini. Although there are universal devices with different nozzles for all parts of the body, such as, for example, Remington Pro Face & Body, HPLight Silk'n Pro, Philips Lumea photoepilator. The reviews of numerous consumers confirm the convenience of using these devices in different zones.
Home Use Models
Perhaps we’ll start our review of popular models with the Braun Silk Expert BD 5001. The Brown epilator boasts a good resource of 120 thousand flashes (up to 6 years of operation), a skin tone sensor for power correction and a glide system that allows fewer flashes and do not miss a single site. And what do consumers say about the products of this brand? Photoepilator “Brown” collected positive reviews. According to consumers, it really helps get rid of most unwanted hair.
Another representative of the well-known cosmetic brand is the universal Remington Pro Face & Body for face and body with a skin sensor and 65 thousand flashes. It is quite popular, like other products of the company.
Good assembled and photoepilator Philips Lumea reviews. It is actively advertised and due to this is quite popular. The brand offers several models - from the simplest to the most modern. The most expensive - Prestige SC2007 - is suitable for processing the face and body, runs on battery power, weighs only 700 grams and allows you to make up to 250 thousand flashes. Reviews about it are contradictory - from enthusiastic to neutral or even negative, because, according to some dissatisfied consumers, they could not get completely smooth skin. Of the minuses, they call the duration of the procedure, which is often not enough battery power, and the inability to replace the lamp at the expense of the specified number of flashes.
Photoepilator Homedics Duo is a product of the American brand, the advantages of which include a low price, a lamp for 50 thousand flashes and power settings. Since the device costs within 10 thousand rubles, it will pay off in just 2 sessions in the cabin.
A good result can be obtained if you use the Israeli Silk Glide photoepilator. Despite the small (compared to analogs) lamp life of 30 thousand flashes, it is able to remove hair, if not forever, but for a long period. In addition, it is compact and lightweight.
Photoepilator BaByliss G932E Homelight 50 has a resource of only 50 thousand flashes, but boasts five power modes. However, even the strongest regimen does not cope well with red and blond hair and does not provide 90% hair removal, as the advertisement promises.
Instead of an afterword
Obviously, the future is behind photoepilation, because today on the market there is a wide variety of both salon procedures and home appliances for performing them. Many years of experience in their application proves that this is a safe and easy way to get rid of unwanted vegetation on the body, if not forever, but for a long time.