Philips Lumea IPL Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal System SC2001/00

357 of 363 people found the following review helpful:

EDIT - 22nd March 2010 - Amazing Hair Reduction, 28^th February 2010

Review By A. Rose (Devon & Menorca)

I was so excited to receive this product as I am a prime candidate - white(ish) skinned with dark hair - and I have also experienced Intense Pulsed Light treatment at my local salon where I was treated with the Aculight system of IPL. You will be thinking if I have already had treatment why do I still need it and does it really work ? Well the salon IPL treatment certainly does work but because of their strict usage guidelines I was unable to complete the treatment over the three years I attended as far as I would have liked. The salon only treats at eight week intervals and there must be little or no tan to the skin. This is very limiting when I spend a lot of time in Spain and therefore I could only really benefit in the winter months and because of not completing the treatment I have patches of virtually no hair on my legs and other areas which may have been missed are as they used to be - quite hairy.

The package when it arrives is boxed with a full instruction book and a smaller leaflet with a quick guide of instructions, do's and don't's and general usage. There is also a DVD to give you a step by step guide of what to expect - all totally helpful and reassuring. The machine itself has a seal which you have to break before use giving you the chance to return the product unused if you find that it is not suitable for you. There is also a neat zip pouch to keep the machine in once the box is disposed of. The do's and don'ts are scary at first sight but if you understand that the process works by blasting the melanin in the hair follicle with pulsed light you will also understand that it shouldn't be used on suntanned skin because the light will be attracted to the melanin in the skin rather than the hair and therefore burning tanned skin and almost useless on blonde, white or grey hair as there is no melanin for the light to be attracted to.

Two of the limitations of use in the instruction booklet is that it is not to be used on the face (the salons do use on the face but it's maybe best left to the professionals for that delicate area) and that it is not suitable for use by men !

The piece of kit is of good quality as you would expect from Philips and is comfortable to hold and use. All the relevant buttons are on the inside edge of the handle and only once, whilst using awkwardly on underarms looking in the mirror, have I inadvertently altered settings without intending to. There are five settings to choose from by matching your skin and hair colour to the chart on the instruction booklet (also shown above on the Amazon page). When you are ready with clean, dry, shaved skin the device should be placed gently but firmly on the area you wish to treat. There is a green `ready' light which lights up when the skin is covered by the sensor so you know exactly when to press the trigger. Because the sensor has to be completely flat to the skin it can make it a bit awkward for some areas i.e. towards the ankles and around the knee area. When using the machine there should be no pain unlike at salons who, I assume, must use a much more aggressive light, hence them having to ice-pack the body before and after treatment and the strict limitations of sunshine before and after treatments and a minimum re-treatment time of eight weeks.

I have tried to find other models to compare this Philips one with and I can only find the Remington iLight IPL500, also sold by Amazon Remington IPL5000 i-LIGHT Hair Removal System The Remington is a little cheaper than this Philips but after reading that the Remington is supplied with a bulb fitted and only two spares at a cost of £25 each which each only have a life of approx 1,500 flashes then the Philips without the fiddle of changing bulbs with a lifespan of around 40,000 flashes seems much more attractive. Also a big plus for the Philips is that it charges from the mains and is used cordless rather than with a wire to the mains like the Remington. Have a look at the Remington page and compare for yourself but I think this one is worth a few pounds more for the appearance and quality.

Does it work ? For me, being dark haired, it certainly does.

I would strongly urge you to read all the instructions and information on the product page above and also read as many reviews as you can find. Reviewers are there to give their honest opinion and with a product of this fairly high cost you don't want to get it wrong. Also, why not google Aculight to get another explanation of how IPL works. If you have any specific questions or queries I am happy to answer you if you would like to contact me at the email address on my profile page.

EDIT - 23 MARCH 2010 - I am now at four full weeks after first using the Lumea and I am very happy with the results. After around 8 to 10 days after the first use hairs started to drop out and at 14 to 16 days you can easily see that there is a big reduction in hair - about 70% gone. On the areas I have used it a second time the hair dropping occurred at a similar interval afterwards, and at 4 weeks after first using it I would say that 80 - 90% of hair is gone. The hair will only react to the Lumea treatment if it is in one of the 3 stages of hair growth therefore not all hairs will respond to each treatment and this is probably one of the reasons that there are a few hairs left. The other reason is that it is incredibly difficult to be absolutely methodical in moving up and down the leg or other treated area because it doesn't look any different during the treatment like shaving or waxing does and therefore there will be one or two areas I have missed. I have bought a white cosmetic pencil to draw sections on the skin and this does help to keep track of what has been zapped. It also helps to have a partner or friend to do the backs of legs as being a contortionist is also an added problem.

I really am very impressed with the results at four weeks and as I will continue to use this during the summer, probably only at four week intervals rather than the initial two, I would expect to be free of unsightly darker hairs. It doesn't treat the almost invisible fine blonde hair so if you are after absolute smooth and hairless skin for the summer then there may be a bit of fluff left.

95 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

Genuinely easy, genuinely painless!, 10^th March 2010

Review By M. Z. Harrison "Mel" (London)

I've used my Lumea a few times now, and I can report that it's genuinely painless, and it works! It may not be cheap, but you'll make the money back in saved waxing bills several times over.

Firstly (and as other reviewers have noted), it's not for everyone: if your hair is white, grey or ginger than it won't work, as it uses melanin in the hair to disable the follicle. Also if your skin is very black, or if you use sunbeds or have sunburn, you should not use it. And nobody should use it on the face.

To use it you first shave the skin. This is good - I hate having fuzzy legs, waiting for it to be long enough to wax. You set the flash intensity (having tested it 24 hours before), press the unit onto the skin and 'zap' it. The sensation ranges from nothing (on the legs) to a brief flash of heat (on the underarms). You repeat the process once every two weeks for the first two months. At this point the skin should be hair-free (although I found a mere two sessions on the underarms had reduced the hair by about 70%).

At that point you can lengthen the gap between treatments. Your skin should be smooth and hair-free with no regrowth; you are simply 'zapping' it to maintain it that way.

The unit itself is very sturdy and well-made; it sits comfortably in the hand and nothing is loose or rattles. It feels as though it will last a lifetime. The bulb, apparently, should not ever need replacing.

If you have the patience to do the zapping (underarms only took me about a minute each, but legs will take quite a bit longer) then the Lumea could give you permanently smooth, hair-free skin. And if you start using it now, you'll be ready for summer! Highly recommended.

82 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

Easy to Use, and Very Impressive Results!, 18^th March 2010

Review By H. Pierce (UK)

This product is a seriously good investment, as long as you match the requirements. That is to say, there are many people listed as not being suitable. The product is not suitable for men, dark skin tones, light hair, etc. This is because the system uses what is termed as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), 'which works best on dark hair as it attaches itself to the pigment'.

To help you identify if this product is suitable for you there is an easy to understand grid. On one side of the grid is your skin colouring and characteristics, and on the other side is your body hair colouring. You can then read across to the point where your two specific colourings meet and it will have a cross if you are not suitable to use this product. This grid is on the product information above and also on the box.

The Lumea arrives in a box with a dvd and full instructions. It is important to follow these instructions to the letter. Misuse of the product could cause you problems. It is also important to note that just because you are suitable for using the product now (in winter) does not mean you can use it (in the summer) if you have acquired a nice tan! Plan your usage well to maximise the effects and refer to the guidance regarding tanned skin.

To prepare for your first usage of the Lumea system you must first shave the area. This is fabulous, as someone who has previously tried (and given up on) using an epilator, one of the most irritating factors is having to allow the hair to regrow enough to do the treatment again. This also applies to waxing. After shaving, you must select the correct light intensity, as guided by the instructions, and press against the area as you apply the light pulses. Using this product over time encourages the hair follicle to go into a 'resting' phase, which gradually inhibits the regrowth. If you follow the treatment plan, and apply it according to the time schedules, the effects will be maximised.

I found that the product was pain free to use, although it did produce a slightly warm feeling on the area. It flashes a bright light and is immediately ready for you to move it to the next section of skin. Thus far, I have used the product once on my legs, and twice on my underarm area. The results are actually fairly impressive, even though I am not in the 'maintenance' phase the hair regrowth appears to be much less. It is also worth noting that I have very dark hair, and very pale skin, and this combination can mean that when I have no tan at all it is possible to see the hair inside the skin before it even emerges (ok, only if you really look closely, but enough to bother me!). No amount of shaving can prevent this, and only by getting a tan could this previously be resolved. This is no longer the case. I presume that the regrowth has already started to be minimised, thus giving me this impressive result.

Overall, I have to highly recommend this product, as long as you are in the optimum colouring range. It is ideal as a way to manage hair removal, and minimise regrowth in the comfort of your own home. It costs much less than the same type of treatment in a salon, and you can do it at a time most suitable for you, not just during salon opening hours. It is a professional and good quality product, allowing the user to never have to experience having hair stubble on their legs and underarms again, which is a unique selling point in regards to other types of hair removal such as shaving and waxing.

66 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

A Wonder Unwanted Hair Remover For Women, But......., 21^st February 2010

Review By Scott Fraser "A Likely Lad" (Sheffield, England)

Well I obviously got this for my wife and daughters and as the process takes a couple of weeks to complete I can't give a review of the outcome of the machine's effects. What I can do at the moment is give a few details about the machine as it stands and then EDIT the review at a later date to describe it's performance.

Right off we go:

The machine is a very easy to use and compactly sturdy to hold without being too heavy, the controls are within easy access on the handgrip without having to manuever fingers to get to them.

The window at the top of the device is pleasntly cool when pressed to the skin and a green band of light is illuminated when the device is ready for firing.

The packaging is very well put together and protects the machine from harm during transit and comes with a security seal that has to be broken upon opening, thus guaranteeing quality of merchandise, newness and untampering.

There is a very informative instruction manual and a DVD provided for the same purpose. The DVD is prsented with a laidback attitude that generates a nice calm informative atmosphere that reminds me of all those old American sales adverts that are interesting to watch but get straight to the point without unneccessary time wasting and diversions. The narrator has a very pleasant voice which holds the interest of the viewer and the whole information package is very well put together indeed.

There is a charger included with the machine and must be charged for ninety minutes before use, after charging the area that you wish to use it on must be washed first and free of hair, so a shave of the area is important for the initial use.

Turn the machine on and wait for the green band to light up, press the machine gently to the skin area that you wish to use it on, the face is not recommended, and press the main firing button. There will be a flash and a warm sensation such as a very, very mild electric shock which is hardly noticeable at all will be felt.

That area has now been done, repeat the process until satisfied.

This machine is limited however on the type of hair and skin that it can be used successfully on, it is most effective on light coloured skin and darker hair. Suntanned skin can cause problems and prevent the proccess from being completed successfully. White hair and darker skin also reduces it's impact and that is the main problem with the machine in that there is really only one group of women that can use it to satisfaction levels, white women with darker hair, which is a bit of a downer for others. I can only assume that future models may correct this at some point.

All in all then it's a very well made piece of equipment that will make women feel more comfortable and confident by removing unwanted hair and keeping it that way for at least two months before the next treatment.

I am taking one star off though for the limitations of the machine on certain hair and skin types.

As I said this is only a preliminary review as it takes a couple of weeks to gather the information on the outcome, I will return to update and EDIT this review to include that information at the appropriate time.

UPDATE:

Well it actually works and works well, having given the time neccessary for the results to be seen both my wife and daughter that has used it report that it's been a success.

After the first treatment both shaved their legs again to remove any unwanted hair missed by the machine, this was neccessary to allow what remained of the hair to 'push' through, the second treatment was then applied and after the required time both noticed an almost 100% success rate in non hair growth.

Both are very happy with the results and providing that treatment is maintained every time two weeks the burden of manually shaving and the scar of possible shaving rash will be eliminated, and that is excellent and is the sole function of the machine.

They are so pleased with it that they have asked me to increase my rating from the four stars that I originally gave it to the maximum five, and if it's as good as they claim then it's something I'm more than happy to do.

If the ladies in my family think as the majority do and I'm sure that's the case then there are going to be a lot of very pleased and happy women out there.

VERY RECOMMENDED.