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. Continue Reading