Laser Epilators Philips for Mens

Try the Philips Lumea home laser hair removal tool

Laser Epilators Philips for Mens

Portable Hair Removal / May 31, 2022

If you're sick of the sight of unruly, excess body hair and dream of having silky smooth, fuzz-free skin – without having to reach for the razor or endure painful waxing treatments – it might be time to consider a home laser hair removal treatment.

With laser hair removal becoming increasingly popular, there are now advances in home treatments that mean you can blitz your unwanted body hair without having to fork out on expensive salon sessions. Designed to reduce hair growth permanently in a matter of weeks, we've put the latest Philips at-home laser hair removal device to the test, to find out if it really does give the long-lasting results it promises.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Philips Lumea IPL Precision Plus

WHAT IS IT?

Philips Lumea Precision Plus IPL hair removal system is a cordless hair removal tool that uses Intense Pulsed Light technology to prevent hair growth. This handy hair removal device emits gentle pulses of light that are applied to the hair root, which causes the hair follicle to go into a resting phase. The hair is then encouraged to shed naturally, preventing any further regrowth. It has two attachments; one larger window that can be used for larger areas of the body like legs and under arms, and one smaller attachment that's ideal for sensitive areas like the bikini line and face.

WHAT PREPARATIONS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE BEFORE YOU GET STARTED?

Apart from preparing mentally for a few short bursts of pain there's not much you have to prepare for. It's recommended to shave areas with coarser hair, as these are likely to singe during the zapping session. You'll experience an unpleasant burning smell if you don't. So for areas such as legs and under arms, ensure that these are silky smooth before you start the treatment. If you concentrate on the upper lip, the hairs in this area are particularly fine, so it's not as essential to shave before starting your treatment.

HOW WASY WAS IT TO USE THE FIRST TIME?

The device is rather large and clunky, but it's extremely easy to use on smaller areas of the body and face. It looks a little like a hair dryer, so it's easy to hold in your hand. You have to hold the tip of the device on the specific area and press down lightly. Once it's at the right angle a green light comes on indicating the laser is ready to be applied. You then simply press the button on the handle and a small burst of light is released, which zaps the hair follicle.

Underneath the arms it's fairly easy to manoeuvre, but for the legs it's a little awkward to get the device to sit at the right angle. Flat sections of the leg are easier to zap, but around the ankle, shin and knee it's much trickier. Because the attachment has to sit at a specific angle before the laser can be applied, it's quite difficult to ensure these areas are treated – but if you're willing to persevere you'll slowly but surely get the hang of it.

WAS THE TREATMENT PAINFUL?

We were pleasantly surprised at how little the treatment hurt – much less painful than waxing! The pain on the upper lip was minimal, despite setting the laser to the highest level. There was a very slight, heated tingling sensation on the face but it certainly wasn't painful. Underneath the arms, however, the skin is much more sensitive so the pain was a little harder to handle - but once we became accustomed to the sensation, it was bearable. The legs were also relatively pain-free. There's also the added bonus that the device has five different heat settings, so if you do find the pain to be too unpleasant, you can adjust the settings accordingly.

HOW DID SKIN FEEL AFTER USE?

Immediately after the treatment, skin was a little tender and slightly flushed, but mainly because of the heat. It soon died down after about ten minutes or so.

HOW DID SKIN FEEL A WEEK LATER?

If you suffer from sensitive skin, it may dry the skin a little, but nothing too drastic – we'd say on a par with how dry your skin becomes in the chilly, winter weather. To counter any dryness, invest in a hydrating moisturiser and a cooling spray or lotion to calm the skin after the treatment, which will prevent any sensitive reactions. Eau Thermal Avene have a thermal spring water cooling spray (£7, boots.com) which is specifically designed to soothe irritated skin.

OBSERVATIONS ON HAIR GROWTH

After the first treatment, it was difficult to see much of a difference, but after about four treatments, the hairs underneath the arms required much less shaving, and the hairs on the upper lip were significantly fewer. Treatments should continue for a little longer (the recommended is about eight sessions) before the hair has completely diminished, but after only a few sessions it's a great start and we're really impressed with the quick results. After using the device for about eight or nine sessions, the area was relatively hair-free. Just be patient – the results will definitely impress!

HOW EASY IS IT TO USE?

Using the device is so easy, particularly on the upper lip. It takes less than five minutes to zap this particular area, and the more we used the laser the less sensitive the skin was after the treatment.

Treating the legs and underarms is slightly more difficult. Underneath the arms, it's fairly easy to manoeuvre, but takes a little more time and is much more painful than the upper lip area. It gets quite sore after the treatment, so it's worth using one of the lower heat settings when zapping this particular area of the body.

When we first began the treatment on the legs, we found it really awkward to hold the device at the right angle, making it really difficult to zap certain areas, particularly around the shins, knees and ankles. If you have the patience do persevere – you'll see successful results – but we lost the momentum fairly quickly, and after about three or four sessions decided to throw in the towel.

HOW DOES SKIN FEEL AFTER EACH USE?

Starting out, the skin may feel a little sore with a hint of dryness. To counter this, after each session, ensure to spritz a little cooling spray onto the area, to rehydrate the skin and to reduce any signs of redness. Skin will soon become accustomed to the treatment and, with the added spritz of cooling spray, will feel relatively normal with very little dryness.

HOW IS HAIR GROWTH OVER TIME?

Although the hair has not completely diminished, we're really impressed with the difference in hair growth. There's about half the amount of hair on the upper lip from when we started the treatment, so it's definitely working its magic. With a few more sessions we'd expect the hair to completely disappear, so we're pleased with the results so far.

ANYTHING WE DIDN'T LIKE?

It was slightly disappointing we weren't able to successfully zap the hairs on the legs. This area proved to be time-consuming and difficult to angle the laser correctly. However, this particular section of the body requires a little more aptitude and dedication so if you persevere, we're confident that you'll be able to achieve the desired results. It requires a lot more patience than we were willing to give!

DID WE GET THE EXPECTED RESULTS?

Absolutely! In fact, the results were much better than we expected. We were sceptical about the effectiveness of a home laser treatment, but we're pleasantly surprised with the results. Admittedly it does require a little more patience than a salon treatment, but it does give very pleasing, noticeable results.