For those who want to solve the problems of unwanted hair, there is an excellent solution, painless, definitive, and decidedly innovative. We are talking about pulsed light epilators IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), which thanks to the action of light pulses, contribute to the final disappearance of hairs.
It is a professional system that has recently been available for the consumer market, which is enjoying a crazy success despite not low prices, but still advantageous compared to the laser hair removal of the beautician, which requires more sessions and the hassle to have to go to the salon every time. It’s true, domestic epilators will not give the same results as professional ones, but they get very close.
We would like to underline that, to obtain good results. It is necessary to use and rely on high quality ” do-it-yourself ” epilators: prices will certainly be higher, but the results will be satisfactory.
Among all the companies on the market, we have identified the two top brands in this regard, which offer two products that are currently the reference, the best sellers, and those that give the best results. We are talking about Braun and Philips.
Both of these epilators achieve excellent results despite considerable differences with each other. But before analyzing them, looking for the best model, let’s spend two words on laser hair removal.
What is pulsed light hair removal?
High-intensity pulsed light removes unwanted hair substantially by ” burning ” it with its intensity, without damaging the surrounding tissues. Through a beam of light, placed behind a particular optical filter, you can intervene in the area to be depilated with versatility, speed, and safety. The supply of light is not continuous but occurs through very fast pulses.
Any woman who wants to approach the use of epilators with pulsed light must take into account that the results obtained will change according to the type of skin. This is because the pulsed light acts in particular, on very dark contrasting hairs on the lighter skin: as we know, the light tends to ” warm ” more the dark areas, then the hairs at the expense of the skin, admitted, that there is a certain difference in color between the two.
Who has light hair or very dark skin, could strive to get good results with the action of pulsed light: the hairs will certainly be weakened and will be thin out, but sometimes it will be necessary to intervene several times with the epilator.
To this particular case (dark skin or hair too light) has thought the German house Braun is equipping its epilators with a very useful function: the sensor ” Senso Adapt ” that recognizes the different skin tones, to automatically adjust the intensity for a better result.
For even more secure and personalized treatment, Philips provides two types of heads, one specific for the face and the other for all other areas, especially for the bikini area.
How to use a pulsed light epilator?
Before using the product, dermatologists recommend carrying out a skin sensitivity test. You can do it alone. Before passing it over the whole body, we advise you to test it on a small area to observe any redness or irritation. In case of a negative result, you can proceed to use the product.
Then you can proceed on the armpits, legs, arms, groin, and chest, passing the epilator as if it were a traditional depilator. The Braun and Philips models have a high-speed mode that allows the entire area to be treated in less than ten minutes. It is called ” Continuous Impulses “.
In any case, we recommend never passing the epilator on areas near the eyes, as the strong light could cause irreversible damage!
Braun or Philips: which one to choose?
After these brief introductions, let’s see what are the characteristics of the two pulsed light epilators that currently compete for the market, in order to understand, which may be the most suitable for your needs.
Braun Silk Expert
Braun proposes the pulsed light epilator combined with the wireless exfoliating brush, to be passed after treatment for an even better result and to remove any unwanted hair. This model has a duration of 300,000 pulses of light, lasting over 30 years if used on legs and arms and up to 15 years if used constantly throughout the body.
The peculiarity of the Braun epilator is given by the fact that it is equipped with a sensor that allows recognizing the color of the skin, automatically adapting the intensity according to this value. For larger areas such as the chest and legs, it is possible to use the fast scrolling mode, which increases the speed of impulses by covering larger areas in less time. For all types of treatment, no type of gel should be used.
For a personalized treatment as well as automatic thanks to the action of the sensor, you can set three different modes depending on the sensitivity of the skin: the normal mode, ideal for any type of skin, the delicate mode for more sensitive skin and less light intense, up to the extra-delicate mode for sensitive skin or the first use.
Braun has thought of everything, even not to use pulsed light, thus wasting impulses: the light will be activated only when the two sensors present will be in contact with the skin. In this case, the sidelights will turn on, and the epilator will start its action. This also benefits the safety, to avoid emitting light, which could be picked up by the eyes!
Perhaps the only flaw that we can find is the fact that the window from which the pulsed light comes out is too large to be able to use it on small areas like the mustache: it happens, that it cannot adhere well to the skin and that the light does not spill.
The power supply of the product takes place through the current: we want to clarify this fact because the direct competitor, Philips Lumea, is cordless, so it can also be used far from a power outlet.
Philips Lumea
Let’s move on to the direct competitor. With regard to the pulses of light, the Lumea is equipped with over 250,000 pulses, for a duration of more than 8 years of treatment. A little lower but still good. Lumea is highly effective on light skin with light, brown and black hair, while it is less effective on very dark skin and/or on red, blond or gray hair.
Unlike the previous model, equipped with a single non-interchangeable head, Philips provides three different heads, to be used for specific needs. For example: for the bikini area, you can use the filter that allows you to pass more light, so that the action of light is more effective on even the hardest and most resistant hair, such as those of the legs and groin.
As an alternative for sensitive areas such as the face (remember not to approach the eye area, but only to the jaw and chin), it is possible to use the reduced filter that causes less light to pass, thus reducing the risk of alteration of the skin. In addition, we can say that the application window is bigger than the one used in the Braun epilator: this allows faster treatment and a wider spectrum. Also, for any type of treatment, there is no need to use any type of gel.
In addition to the interchangeable filters, you can choose up to 5 different light intensities, always based on your skin type.
Conclusions
As you will have understood, the two epilators are very similar to each other. So which one to choose? This question is very difficult to answer since the final results vary a lot depending on the type of skin and fur that a person has. It must be said that both models have well suited even to the most sensitive skins thanks to the interchangeability of the heads of the Philips and the sensor used by Braun.
In addition, both products ensure quick and painless treatment thanks to the quick sliding mode on the skin, and regardless of this, the interval between treatments will vary according to individual regrowth.
In conclusion, if you have sensitive skin, or you want to use the epilator on your face, we recommend the Philips model that, thanks to the interchangeable heads, can be customized to the maximum for each treatment. While if you do not have particular needs in this sense, the product of Braun is perfect and versatile thanks to the sensor that adapts to any type of skin.
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.
