Philips Lumea Precision Plus – IPL at Home. A Review.

download (3)The Philips Lumea Precision Plus is a pretty nifty bit of kit for anyone with an obsessional dislike of body hair like myself. It is essentially a hand-held, domestic version of a salon IPL (Intense Pulse Light) machine.

How IPL Works
So first for a bit of pop science. The Lumea Precision works by emitting a broad spectrum light source (an intense xenon-based flash light to you and me) which targets the melanin in the skin. The light travels through the skin until it strikes the hair shafts or the root of the hair – which is where the most melanin is contained. The root of the hair shaft absorbs the light and heats up to the point where its hair-producing parts (the papilla) are destroyed. And bingo – the hair that you don’t want populating your legs/arms/face/most areas of the body bar head, die.

The Lumea is as easy to understand and use as a point-and-shoot camera. It has 5 intensity settings which you alter in accordance with your skin tone and hair colour and body part. It comes with two heads – one small and narrow for underarms/face and one broad for larger areas such as legs, a power cable (the unit must be fully charged before use). Firstly, you must shave the areas you want to zap. Essentially all you do is place it on the skin, wait for the green light at the back to flash (as it will only emit the light when the nozzle is in full contact with the skin) and press the button. It will then flash. Repeat until you have covered all areas you wish to treat. You need to wait 2/3 weeks before you repeat the treatment (2 for larger less sensitive areas).

I found the Lumea has significantly reduced my hair growth on legs and underarms after 5 treatments, but results will vary contingent on your skin and hair type and unfortunately, although commonly the darker and thicker your hair is the better the results, there is no hard and fast rule. The Lumea is quick, easy to use and idiot proof. It comes in a nice compact and curved case making it portable and easy to store. The instruction manual is simple and easy to follow. If you want to try your luck and see if and how IPL will rid you of your unwanted fuzz without spending thousands of pounds and hours at a salon, then the Lumea is definitely worth a shot.

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