Here's to cutting back on the beauty admin

Shaving, waxing, epilating – over the years, I’ve pretty much tried it all when it comes to hair removal. While some were more successful than others (I once caught my hair in a revolving epilator – hideous), the one thing they all had in common? None of them made that much impact.

Then the pandemic hit and I decided to take a different approach: rewilding. After all, no one was getting close enough to see my hairy legs. But, two years later, the world reopened and I suddenly had to face it…furry.

Hair removal is a personal choice, but I prefer a smooth finish for the big occasion. So, I decided to try the next weapon in the de-fuzzing arsenal: IPL. A quick recap if you’re drawing a blank here – IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light, and it can be used for a whole range of skin-based treatments, including hair removal.

While you can get in-salon treatments, the most convenient (and cost-effective) method is to pick up an IPL machine you can use at home. A quick Google of ‘best home IPL device’ throws up the Philips Lumea at the top of the list, so I decided to see how easy it was to slot into my routine. Here's what I learned.

This is a big win compared to other hair removal methods (waxing, we’re looking at you). Once you've powered up the device, you simply work your way across the area of skin you’re treating, pulling the trigger to flash a blast of red light in orderly lines across your skin, sending your hair follicle to sleep. The light feels hot but painless (although the flashes can make you feel a bit like you’re at an intense rave at times).

So far, so good if you're hoping for ‘nightclub vibes’ rather than ‘torture chamber experience’ from your hair removal treatment. Fair warning, though, IPL won’t work for everyone, as it works on the pigment in your hair and the contrast to your skin tone. For example, the Philips Lumea can’t be used on white, grey, light blonde or red hair. It’s also not suitable for very dark skin tones.

It’s simple to use, but you do have to be methodical about it. It took me a few goes to get the hang of lining those flashes up properly to get full coverage and I’m pretty sure I missed about half my leg on my first session. But by session number two, I had the technique down.

What also really helped was the Lumea app, which not only gives you instructions and tips on the best way to use the device, but also helpfully sends you reminders for your scheduled sessions. Reminders that prove pretty handy if, like me, you’ve forgotten about your last four Pilates classes.

For the first eight weeks, your sessions are scheduled fortnightly, after which you drop down to once a month. It took until week four for me to really notice a difference, but after four sessions, while I still have the odd few hairs on my legs, the difference from when I started is impressive.

Considering it only took 20 mins for me to do my lower legs, it felt like a pretty productive use of my time. Especially when you take into consideration the mental bandwidth you save on beauty admin by swerving time-consuming trips to the salon.

Even better, I spent my sessions zapping my leg hair in front of the latest episode of House of the Dragon every other week. The bright red flashing light went surprisingly well with all the dragon breath in the background.

Of course, investing in one of these devices doesn’t come cheap. But if you compare it to your monthly spend on waxing or threading, it could work out more cost-effective in the long-term. With the Philips Lumea, you can also take advantage of the 'Try & Buy' offer from £38.50 a month, which lets you pay in installments.

IPL doesn’t offer permanent hair removal, but the hair reduction it does give makes a serious difference to your fuzz levels (in tests, users of the Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series saw a 92% reduction in hair after three sessions*). So, I’ll still be whipping out my IPL machine once a month from now on.

My advice if you decide to follow suit? Remember, like with your fitness goals, consistency is key. Stick with it, and you’ll see results.

Find out more about the Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series at philips.co.uk

*When following the treatment schedule, measured on legs, individual results may vary