An increasing number of men are looking for a more permanent solution to hair removal, especially for reducing coarse hair across problem areas such as the back and chest.
Maybe you're looking for a less time-consuming option to waxing or shaving, or a cheaper alternative to in-salon laser treatments. Whatever the reason, we’re here to give you the lowdown on everything you need to know about at home hair removal devices for men.
So read on to discover they work, our top tips for removing hair at home and find out which IPL device is right for you.
How does IPL work?
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) works by sending light energy into the skin, which is then converted into heat energy. This heat energy is then absorbed by the melanin in the hair follice, stunting hair regrowth at the root.
As your hair grows in different phases, you need to keep up regular treatments for period of around 12 weeks, to ensure all of your hair is treated. When hair is in the Anagen phase, it’s in its prime growth stage and contains the most melanin. It’s at this stage that your IPL treatments are their most effective.
In the Catagen phase, the lower part of the hair stops growing and the follicle is reabsorbed. This makes it difficult for IPL treatments to be effective.
In the Telogen phase, the hair is in the ‘resting’ stage. The hair falls out in preparation of restarting the hair growth cycle. IPL will not be effective in this stage.
What are the benefits of IPL hair removal?
As well as permanently reducing hair regrowth, there are also additional benefits to using an IPL device.
It’s quicker. Most IPL devices can complete a full body treatment in just 10-20 minutes, shaving time off your usual hair removal solution. Plus after your initial treatment period, you can go anywhere from 2-8 weeks before needing to complete a top-up treatment.
An IPL device also helps to thin out men's coarse hair. The more treatments you complete, the thinner your hair will grow back and it’ll be much lighter in colour too.
You’ll no longer have to deal with unsightly red bumps and ingrown hairs from using your razor either.
Which IPL device should I buy?
SmoothSkin Bare+ IPL Hair Removal Device
Emitting over 100 flashes a minute, SmoothSkin Bare+ treats your entire body in just 10 minutes. The device has a built UV filter and skin sensor to ensure your treatments are always safe. It even comes with a Glide mode, so you can effortlessly glide the device over larger surface areas for hair-free skin in no time.
Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 PL5347 IPL
This device comes with additional attachment heads, so you can treat smaller surface areas with ease. It even comes with a handy razor for removing hair before you start your treatments. Braun has 3 modes: normal, gentle and extra gentle mode. So if you’ve got sensitive skin or are new to IPL treatments, these modes give you the complete control on the device’s output.
SmoothSkin Pure IPL Hair Removal Device
If you’re looking for an IPL device with ultimate hair-stopping power, then let us introduce you to SmoothSkin Pure. This device is the strongest, most powerful device on the market, harnessing 20W of hair-stopping power; this means you’ll be able to go for 4-8 weeks between your top up treatments.
Silk’n Infinity 400,000
If you’ve got a lighter hair colour, such as red, blonde or grey/white, then this is the device for you. IPL technology isn’t suitable for these lighter hair colours usually, but because the brand have designed this device with their own HPL technology, it works on almost all lighter hair colours and skin tones.
The technology combines Galvanic Energy and Optical energy, to open up your pores and send light energy deep into the skin to target the hair shaft. The device also has a built-in skin tone sensor and will only emit the necessary energy for your skin tone.
Philips Lumea Prestige IPL BRI953/00 Device
This cordless IPL device allows you to treat unwanted hair anytime and any place. The device also comes with 3 attachment heads for treating different areas of the body. It comes with unlimited flashes, so you don’t need to worry about purchasing extra refill cartridges either.
