In the last year the home hair removal market has expanded dramatically, and ways of defuzzing have gone far beyond your trusty razor. Now ladies (and men) have the option of salon quality treatments at home, and a new player has just entered the game. The E>One is already well established in France, but has just landed in the UK and is offering consumers the benefits of IPL hair removal at home.
The first thing that struck me about the machine was just how heavyweight it was, as it was far thicker and sturdier than the other hairdryer like models on the market. Having experienced in salon IPL, the machine just looked like a smaller version of the equipment used there. Surprisingly it's suitable for both men and women, and can be used on the face as well (but not the eyebrows), which is normally a no go area.
Hair removal is one of those constant annoyances, as no matter how regularly you shave/wax/epilate, those stubborn hairs seem to return almost instantly (at least in my case). The idea of laser hair removal thus seems really attractive to many people as it's one way to permanently reduce the amount of hair that you grow. Yes, that's right- REDUCE. Laser hair removal, whether at home or in the salon will lead to permanent reduction, not permanent removal. Everybody responds to treatment differently so some may find themselves bare for a long time, whilst others may just have to shave once a month or so.
There are a lot of devices on the market at present, but Philips have just created something they feel will blow their competitors' out of the water- entitled the Lumea. This has been in development for quite some time, as I first heard murmurs about it a year and half ago, but it has just been released as they wanted to perfect it.
If electronic epilation is your chosen method of depilation (try saying THAT before you've had a coffee!) then you'll be aware that technology is getting better all the time at reducing both the ouch-factor and the length of hair it's possible to remove. And Braun's Silk-Epil range has now produced a gadget that they claim will do both these jobs particularly well.
The new Braun Silk-Epil Xpressive Pro, available next month, has been spruced up with close-grip technology to remove even shorter hairs than before, for long lasting smooth skin. They've also increased the Silk-Epil's speed and given it a new set of high-frequency massaging rollers, which soothe the pain of the epilation process. Best of all though, the handset itself is quite a beauty, with shimmering beads set into the handle. Smart!
The Braun Silk-Epil Xpressive Pro is available from 1 Feb at Boots, Amazon, Argos and selected supermarkets. Priced at £129.99
It's been five months now since I started my laser hair removal course and a lot has changed. My first few sessions were uncomfortable, not terribly painful by any means, but hardly the sort of experience you could doze off to. Now, after repeated sessions that area has lessened in sensitivity, with barely a twinge felt as the laser is applied.
It's also become incredibly smooth- and I don't just mean hair free. Though the hair loss has been dramatic, the skin that has been revealed is remarkably soft to touch. It feels like babies skin, and this has been duly appreciated by the boyfriend.
If you want your brows to be tidy, shapely and alluring, there are so many ways to shape and sculpt them it's hard to know which to pick! Waxing, threading and plucking are all methods that can improve not only the brows themselves but the appearance of the entire face - so it's no wonder that many of us are ditching the tweezers and enlisting a professional to carry out this delicate and often fiddly work.
For years, I swore by the DIY tweezers at home method, but was recently persuaded to try threading instead. I'm quite a convert now and love the results (although I still do wince at the pain) but I'm still prepared to have my eyes opened to better ways. So what's your prefered method of eyebrow shaping? I've never met a beauty junkie who didn't have a strong opinion on the subject, so I'd love to hear your views.
Please vote below - unlike threading, I promise it won't hurt a bit!
For the last couple of months I've been experimenting with the Soprano XL laser hair removal treatment, and so far the results have been rather impressive. But despite my joy at the laser machine working wonders on my bikini line I'm aware that there is a large selection of women for whom laser hair removal is a forgotten dream- those with darker complexions who aren't suitable for treatment (though the Soprano laser can cope with some darker complexions) , and those who have red, white or blonde hair.
The reason these ladies generally can't undertake laser hair removal is to do with the way the laser banishes the hair. It's attracted to the dark pigment in the hair follicle, and targets this, destroying the hair follicle at the root.
Problem is the laser doesn't differentiate between dark skin and dark hair, so it's not suitable for women with darker complexions as it would leave them possibly scarred or with welts. People with light hair get an equally bad deal as the laser can't find anything to 'stick' to, till now.
Painless laser hair removal, you scoff! How can anything that uses lasers to target and burn away your hair from the root be considered painless? Sure, it may not be a nail clenching jaw breaking experience if you're used to the regular pain of waxing, but can you really describe something like this as a mere walk in the park?
I decided to try it out for myself and signed up for a six session treatment of laser hair removal on my bikini line using the new Pain-Free, Hair-Free Soprano Laser system which uses a CoolTip designed to numb the area. Yes, that's right- my bikini line, that most sensitive of areas (and no, you won't be seeing pictures).
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