I just yesterday completed my 4th session which is recommended as the final Treatment before reducing treatments to every four weeks and entering ‘maintenance’ phase. I have been treating my underarms, lower legs & bikini area, my upper legs only ever grow fine blonde hair so no need & isn’t ideal for the treatment to work anyway!
After my 2nd session, I saw a noticeable difference in my underarms. I usually have to shave my underarms every day/every other day but the regrowth was much slower. After the 3rd session I noticed the regrowth was patchy & slower so a big difference & am hopeful after my 4th that the results get even better! (Have attached a photo which is the regrowth after 1 week of shaving at this stage). I have noticed the hairs on my lower legs are growing back much finer & I even think they may have changed colour slightly and are not as dark! The regrowth is definitely slower here too! My bikini area still had all of the hairs growing back so not a massive change although & I do think the regrowth is slower than before IPL! I have done some reading and because the hairs are generally tougher/thicker here, more treatments might be needed before seeing a strong change! Which makes sense.
FYI - After my 4th session yesterday, my legs have come out in a bumpy rash which initially worried me but after some research this can be a normal reaction. Have attached a photo for reference!
The device itself is easy to use (I’d only wish that the ‘flash window’ was a little bigger or could be adjusted to be bigger for treatment of the legs-it takes a while to do just my lower legs and it’s difficult to see/know if you’ve treated the whole area!! I use my finger to mark it all out but still find it difficult. For anyone treating their upper legs too it would take a long time I think). The instructions are fairly straightforward and the app is a fab way to track treatments and give you advice for pre treatment, during treatment and after treatment! I do all of my treatments in one go on a Sunday & I have noticed that the device sort of shuts down/goes into standby which I can only imagine is due to it overheating & switching off and leaving to cool seems to fix it! Really frustrating when you’re midway through an area and you don’t want to lose track of where you have treated so I’d recommend splitting your treatments up!
Overall, I wasn’t expecting miracles and I understand that it’s not a permanent hair removal method! I do think the device is quite expensive & it does take some time to treat all areas so it’s only worth the money if you stick to the schedule & are willing to invest that time! Also, salon IPL is so much more expensive! I am more than happy with the purchase, I am confident that by continuing the treatment every 2 weeks for another 1/2 sessions will mean I will be shaving less & that’s a bonus right? Especially for holidays when I’m usually shaving daily causing razor irritation!