To give you some background, I have fair skin and thick, dark hair. When I shave, stubble is still visible at the skin surface, and when I shave my armpits, it always look like I haven't even shaved. So I'm one of those people. I'm cursed.
I've tried most hair removal methods, like shaving, Nair, wax and epilation. Chemicals burn my skin, so I scrapped that back in my teens. Since then, I've used a combination of epilation and shaving, but because the epilator hurts, and hurts far too much to treat my underarms or bikini line, I've been toying with the idea of laser for a long time. I decided to buy this before I invested $3-5k in a series of treatments (for pretty much everything).
When I first received the SensEpil, I did most of my body: underarms, legs, bikini area, arms, and a bit of my stomach. The bulb was shot by the time I finished my arms, but I did get my full body covered. It takes a while, about as long as it takes to use an epilator, maybe a little less.
It can hurt in some areas. For most of my body, at the highest setting, it only stings periodically (sort of like a light rubberband snap), but in some sensitive areas, it was tough to take. But bear in mind, that's the highest setting - there are five. At the lowest setting, I didn't really feel it at all.
The initial effect was minimal. On my arms, which I didn't shave, the hair was singed a bit. Elsewhere, it left me a little stubbly - I later shaved and it was fine. My guess is that the flash of the light singes surface hairs but treats the roots. So, the first three days, it didn't look like anything was happening, but by the fourth day or so, I noticed that when I shaved, my legs were extremely smooth. Then I noticed that my underarms looked a hundred times better - after shaving, there was very little visible stubble, which was a first for me.
When I noticed improvement, I bought a new bulb and then went over my body again two weeks later (it recommends a treatment every two weeks). Again, the bulb lasted through my whole body and it hasn't burned out yet, though I bought another for backup. Overall, I'm noticing a gradual reduction in hair. My armpits look great, there's significant hair reduction on my arms and legs. The only area that's showing only a slight reduction is my bikini line, possibly because the hair is so coarse and dense. But I am noticing a reduction, and I'm going to keep it up.
The only reason why I've given it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it does cost a bit, given that aside from the initial cost, you should expect to buy a bulb for each treatment. It's nothing compared to professional laser costs - consider $50 a treatment vs. $500 and up (for the whole body). I'll update my review over the next few months with remarks on its effectiveness.
Update: It's still working great and I'm officially in love with this machine. I have essentially no stubble under my arms - I've never seen them like this before - and the hair on my arms and legs has gone way down. Pubic hair area is fading out at a slower rate, but I'm still happy with the progress.
Another update (a few months in): It's still pretty great. For me (and this could just be my body), it takes really, really well to the underarms and arms. After that, it works reasonably well on my legs. One quirky effect: I take great care to cover the entire area, sometimes overlapping and hitting the same place twice (even though it says you shouldn't do that), and I'll still get a few patches of hair growth. So, for example, I'll do my legs and they'll become totally smooth except for a patch here or there where the hair will look totally unaffected. Maybe I am missing those places, but anytime I've noticed it, I've been especially careful to be thorough. I haven't seen this happen on my arms or my underarms though. Also, it does work on the pubic region, but that hair is very, very stubborn for me. So the main benefit in that area is that it really reduces the density so that when I do shave, it's smooth. But after a day or two, there's stubble. Silk'n SensEpil Disposable Lamp Cartridge
I ordered this product with high hopes, but unfortunately, the Silk'n is simply too powerless to do anything with thicker hair. Or, perhaps, hair in general.
For one thing, the unit cannot be used by anyone who has darker skin and should not be used if you've been in the sun for any period of time two weeks before use. It will not work on light hair, but this is the norm for any sort of laser hair removal in general. Being of light skin and very dark hair, I thought I would be the perfect candidate. Reviews online were all positive and so I placed my order through the Silk'n website (as they offer a sixty day guarantee).
The unit was simply tossed in a box and looked pre-owned when I received it, so I was a little leary. (Not even air padding for a $500 unit? Later I found that Silk'n will send out used units with a new bulb cartridge at full retail too.) I followed the instructions exactly and tried it on several different areas of the body, but no where did hair eventually fall out and there was absolutely no hair reduction. I repeated the process twice, but I decided to return it after a month as other users claimed immediate results. I also did not want to spend $50 for a replacement bulb - buyers should note that bulbs must be replaced after a certain number of zaps. Since I seemed the ideal candidate for laser hair removal, I'm not sure why it didn't work (although another reviwer estimated it had less than 1/4 the power of salon lasers), but noting the upgraded return policy on Silk'n's website, I don't think I'm alone.
Sadly, returning the unit is another long affair. You must first receive confirmation by calling the company (you can't just return it to the address they provide you or they charge a hefty fine), getting a specific number, and sending it to a specific warehouse. Of course, the operator will tell you that it takes three or four treatments to see results, but that would place you comfortably past the return window and you would have to buy replacement bulbs. They will not refund any shipping, but they will also tax you for the used light cartridge. I can understand these policies, but they do a good job of hiding this information when you initally purchase the unit. However, after over a week from the date Delivery Confirmation (a must) says it was delivered, my credit card was still not credited. Several calls to their headquarters and I was told just that it takes time and to look for it on the next business day. I'm still trying to get my money back and am certainly not pleased.
I've certainly learned my lesson, but at a $70 loss, it was a costly one. - Accessories - Problems - Hair Removal - Silkn'
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