My Boots Smooth Skin IPL Diary
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free skin care · Sun May 03, 2009 9:48 am

I know there's a lot of interest in these home laser/IPL hair removal devices, but they aren't cheap and people are wary about splashing their cash on something that won't work.

Anyway, I saved up quite a few Boots vouchers and decided to put them towards their Smooth Skin IPL device. I'm hoping that my experience with it will help others to decide whether it's worth buying or not, so have decided to keep a diary that I will update from time to time.

I must point out, however, that everyone's results will obviously differ, and it won't work at all for some people (skin too dark, hair too light, not enough pigmentation contrast etc).

It's also important to tell you that I've already had 6 professional laser hair removal sessions done about 2 years ago on my lower legs. This has left me with only a few hairs there, and means that it is only necessary for me to shave my legs once a fortnight.

I bought the Boots device as I wanted to top up the treatment on my lower legs, treat my underarms and try doing my bikini line (although the hair there may well be too light for it to work).

For your information, my skin is very pale. The hair on my lower legs is quite dark (my thighs have a very fine covering of short white blonde hair that isn't noticeable and doesn't need to be removed), my underarm hair is darkish brown, and my bikini line (which I think will be problematic) is darkish blonde with a slight reddish tinge.

The instructions tell you not to treat any areas of skin where either fake tanning or natural tanning have taken place within the last 30 days.

I was naughty (and I don't recommend this for anyone else). In my impatience, I have used it on skin that was fake tanned a fortnight ago. In my defence, I have thoroughly scrubbed and removed any trace of fake tan, using my Dermalogical Ultimate Buffing Cloth. It seems to have worked fine for me, but please do be careful - it may be best if you stick to the instructions instead of following my lead.

Make sure you read all of the instructions on prohibiting factors, preparation and aftercare.

Finally, you must not use any other hair removal method other than shaving. Otherwise, too much of the hair will be removed for the device to work properly.

TREATMENT #1 - 2/5/09
The device is very easy to assemble. You just attach the handset to the base with a plug-in cord, then you attach power source (transformer) with another plug-in cord to your nearest plug socket. One tube of activation gel is also included in the package.

I sat on a towel in my bedroom, having a couple of disposable cloths at hand (one for regularly wiping excess activation gel off the handset, and the other for cleaning the device afterwards). I also made sure I had a tube of 99.9% aloe vera gel with me to use on my skin after treatment. You can keep the activation gel in the 'fridge, but I'm pretty hardcore (according to my salon laser nurse - ie I could tolerate the maxiumum level with no problems and no pain relief) and didn't bother.

I wore sunglasses (although this wasn't mentioned in the guide) and closed my eyes, turning my face away each time I pressed the trigger on the handset. Even so, you can make out the flash of light.

As my underarms were still fake tanned, I shall wait a week or so until I have completely removed the tan before beginning their treatment. On this occasion, I used the device on my lower legs and bikini line only.

In preparation, I shaved all areas due for treatment, then I applied a thin layer of the activator gel to my skin - only on a small area at a time.

First of all, I treated my lower legs. This took approximately 35 minutes per leg. However, this included 5 minutes of shut-down time, as the device has to cool down after 30 minutes of constant use. There is also a small occasional cooling off period throughout the treatment time, which isn't too much of a bother.

It is necessary to place the 4 raised points surrounding the IPL window on the handset in contact with the skin. You need to wait until the red light on the handset stays on constantly before you press the trigger - otherwise the IPL will not click on. After you press the trigger (as long as you have waited for the constant red light), you will hear a click and there will be a bright flash of light. You then move the contact points on the handset to an adjacent area of the skin to be treated and repeat the process.

At first, I was disappointed, as I couldn't feel that the device was working, even though I had it on the highest setting (fair, as shown on the included colour chart - to match my skin). However, as I have previously stated, I don't have much hair left on my lower legs, so there is very little there to be treated.

Next was my bikini line. I wore a white thong in order to do this. You must not treat any delicate areas, such as the labia and around the anus as this will hurt and damage them. Instead, I used the device on the sides and top of my bikini line, hoping to remove as much hair as possible, whilst covering the more delicate areas with my thong in order to protect them. Again, I applied the activator gel before treatment.

I have to say that I noticed a BIG difference in how the device worked in my bikini area. Having never had any laser treatment there, there are plenty of hair follicles. I could definitely feel that it was working! Mind you, I didn't find it too uncomfortable at all - just like a pinging elastic band. If you have a lower pain threshold, then you might want to look into pain relief before trying IPL/laser here.

As this was a much smaller area, it only took about 10-15 minutes to treat.

My skin wasn't left feeling uncomfortable, and there was only minor redness - much less than with the previous professional treatment on my lower legs. The aloe vera gel applied afterwards is also very lovely and soothing.

So that's the story of my very first home treatment. I shall be giving regular updates (probably weekly) to let you know how things progress for me.

Remember to also keep a look out for my fellow guinea pigs who are testing other similar devices! Very Happy

free skin care · Sun May 03, 2009 12:18 pm

Thanks for the update..I'll be watching this closely!

free skin care · Sun May 03, 2009 4:01 pm

Thanks so much for this Majorb. I have been eyeing this product and wondering about shelling out for it. Will follow your experience with great interest!

free skin care · Mon May 04, 2009 3:16 am

As it's pretty new, I wouldn't have shelled out for it without waiting for long-term, trusted reviews, if I hadn't had a good supply of Boots vouchers to use up.

Hopefully, because I'm treating different coloured hair (my body must be weird! Laughing

), my experiences should help to show how well it works on the combination of pale skin with either dark brown or light brown/dark blonde hair.

I'll be very excited and interested to read how the others get on with their IPL/laser devices. Let's see if we can find out which one seems to be the most effective - although, obviously, there are many different factors to take into consideration (differences in pigmentation, hair/follice strenth etc.)

Let battle commence...! Laughing

free skin care · Sat May 09, 2009 10:09 am

TREATMENT #2 - 9/5/09

(1/12 - underarms
2/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

I haven't noticed any difference yet, but don't expect to for a while. When I had my lower legs professionally treated, it took at least 2 weeks for the hairs to begin to loosen so they could be gently eased out, so I'd imagine it will take some time to see a change.

Today was the second treatment on my lower legs and bikini line, and the first on my underarms.

I didn't experience any irritation, and only a tiny hint of initial redness (lasting an hour or so) in some areas after both treatment days.

I found the underarm area very quick to treat, taking only 4 -5 minutes per arm. There was no real discomfort, only a tiny few "pings". Much more pleasant than the bikini line!

I'll give another update after the next treatment.

free skin care · Mon May 11, 2009 5:51 pm

thanks for this majorb, looking forward to reading about your experience...

I am thinking about getting one of these too, have read lots of good reviews, and a couple of hours a week for 6-12 weeks does not sound too bad!

free skin care · Tue May 12, 2009 6:35 am

You're very welcome, Mowgli.

It may take a while to notice any real results, but I'll be sure to report anything that happens.

If you do end up wanting to buy one, make sure you wait until Boots have one of their special points offers (double points per purchase etc). Then you'll have a nice little Advantage Point bonus to spend! Very Happy

free skin care · Sun May 17, 2009 8:40 am

TREATMENT #3 - 16/5/09

(2/12 - underarms
3/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

All went well, no sign of any problems so far.

I even used the machine during my period, which is not recommended, but I didn't notice much, if any, difference in the level of discomfort.

Just a little note to say that I have now used just over 1 tube of the Activator Gel, in case anyone is wondering how long they last.

Will update again after my next treatment.

free skin care · Thu May 21, 2009 2:02 pm

majorb, have you noticed a decrease in hair yet, or is it not possible to tell?

I have just gone ahead and bought one!! It's going to arrive next week, I can't wait to get started!

free skin care · Sun May 24, 2009 3:22 pm

TREATMENT #4 - 24/5/09

(3/12 - underarms
4/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

Strangely, I had to change the setting from Fair (strongest) to Medium whilst targeting my underarms today. I wonder if this is because the handset window gets hot and it was a particularly warm day, which perhaps made it a little more uncomfortable.

Otherwise, all went well.

Mowgli - It's difficult to tell, especially as you need to shave the areas before each weekly treatment. This means that the hairs don't tend to have much of a chance to grow. However, I have noticed a few hair follicles in my bikini line area which seem not to be producing hairs at the moment. This is particularly surprising as I don't expect the hair there to respond particularly well to treatment, given that they are dark blonde to gingery blonde in colour.

I expect that the best results, if any, should occur under my arms as the hair there is quite dark. As this is only the third treatment there, there's not likely to be any noticeable difference yet.

I'll keep you posted, though.

Good luck with your machine. Hope you achieve good results. Please do give us updates. It'll be good to compare with someone else using Smooth Skin.

free skin care · Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:50 am

TREATMENT #5 - 31/5/09

(4/12 - underarms
5/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

No real signs of anything much happening just yet, although there may possibly be a few follicles on my bikini line that have responded.

The hot weather is making the treament times longer and less comfortable, I must admit. It means that the device has to "rest" more to cool down, so there are more frequent pauses when the handset won't work for a minute or so.

free skin care · Tue Jun 09, 2009 11:25 am

TREATMENT #6 - 9/6/09

(5/12 - underarms
6/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

Finally, something to report!

Last time I mentioned that I believed a few follicles in my bikini line may have responded to the treatment. Well, I can definitely confirm that now. There are, without a doubt, some small patches that appear to be hair-free. I wasn't sure whether the treatment would have much effect on my bikini line as the hair there tends to be a combo of dark blonde, light brown and gingery, so this is a very welcome development.

It's hard to tell how my legs are doing as I'd already had 6 professional treatments quite some time ago, so they are about 90+% hairless anyway.

I'm also starting to see what may potentially be a few hairfree follicles under my arms. I can state with certainty that the hair is now growing much more slowly there. I can now go a week without shaving, whereas the hair used to grow pretty quickly and I had to shave every day or two in the past.

This 5/6 treatment stage does appear to be the same time that it took for others who've posted their results with this device on the Internet.

Of course, time will tell whether the results are going to be long-lasting and just how good they will ultimately be.

free skin care · Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:39 pm

TREATMENT #7 - 16/6/09

(6/12 - underarms
7/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

I'm around the halfway mark now and don't have much more to report at the moment. I have to say, though, that my underarm hair is definitely growing much more slowly. Although I did gently run a razor over the area before treatment just in case, I really didn't need to shave there - even after a week.

Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:39 pm

You're a doll, majorB, to keep this log for us all. It's really helpful...

free skin care · Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:49 am

You're very welcome, havana. I want to update every week, even if nothing much happens, as I know I'm always impatient to know how things are going with these gadgets, myself! Laughing

So far, I must say, that it doesn't seem to be as effective as the Tria - but I'm only halfway through the treatments, so things may improve.

free skin care · Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:10 am

TREATMENT #8 - 23/6/09

(7/12 - underarms
8/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

No discernable changes to report this week, I'm afraid.

free skin care · Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:24 pm

TREATMENT #9 - 3/7/09

(8/12 - underarms
9/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

I waited a couple of extra days before performing this treatment as the temperature here has been in the 30's Centigrade, and far too hot for laser treatment for me! Shock

Sad to say, I don't see any further change or effects.

Mowgli - If you're reading this, are you having any luck?

free skin care · Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:54 am

TREATMENT #10 - 12/7/09

(9/12 - underarms
10/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

I was beginning to become seriously disappointed with this device, but think I might be seeing some tiny, tiny areas under my arms where no hairs are coming through. I can't confirm this for definite just yet, but there's a glimmer of hope.

free skin care · Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:49 am

TREATMENT #11 - 23/7/09

(10/12 - underarms
11/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

There are definitely signs of progress - but it's a lot slower than I'd hoped. I feel that I'll almost definitely need more than the specified 12 treatments to achieve a good level of hair reduction.

However, I did previously have 6 professional laser treatments in a salon on my lower legs, so will stop using the Smooth Skin device on them after I've completed the 12th treatment. There were only a few hairs left and these do seem to have slowed down and perhaps even decreased.

After I had almost completed the treatment on my legs, the red and green lights on my device started flashing alternately. I looked this up in the information booklet and it's supposed to signify damage to the machine. Having spoken to my local Boots store this morning, I shall be taking the Smooth Skin in to be replaced tomorrow.

free skin care · Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:01 am

TREATMENT #12 - 31/7/09

(11/12 - underarms
12/12 - lower legs & bikini line)

I'm pleased to report that Boots exchanged my faulty Smoothskin device for a brand new one at my local store, with no problems at all.

On with the treatment!

Today I hope was the last treatment for my legs. I'm not sure that all of the hair left after my 6 professional laser treatments are gone, but certainly enough to please me. Any left behind are probably pretty resistant anyway, I would think.

I shall continue on with my bikini line and underarms, however.

My bikini line is now showing definite and larger hairless patches. As I've previously stated, the hair here is mid-brown to gingery dark blonde, so not the ideal colour for laser hair removal, which means I quite pleased with the results so far.

I'm convinced that my underarm hair will need quite a few more sessions. Although the hair is growing more slowly and I think I can see the beginnings of hairless patches there, the hair seems to be tough to shift!

I'll report back again after my next treatment.

free skin care · Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:20 am

TREATMENT #13 - 7/8/09

(12/12 - underarms
13 - bikini line)

I'm now stopping treatment on my lower legs, which will help me to see how successful it has been.

My bikini line (considering the fairly light colour of the hair there) seems to be slowly doing quite well. I shall continue treatments for a while at least, to see if these results can be improved.

Although I've now completed all 12 recommended treatments for my underarms, there's still quite a lot of hair there, with some bald patches. Again, I shall continue to see if I can improve upon the results so far.

free skin care · Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:34 pm

My conclusion after months of use - it didn't work for me.

Just a large paper weight now Sad

PQ

free skin care · Mon Nov 30, 2009 10:49 am

majorb? Any chance of an update? I'm hoping it worked out for you or are you still persevering?

free skin care · Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:58 pm

Yes I would love to know to please!

free skin care · Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:23 pm

Yes, sorry, it is definitely time for an update. I meant to do so, but forgot, so thanks for reminding me.

Well, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to give this product a thumbs down. It took an awful lot of effort - in fact, I treated the areas for considerably longer than the suggested 12 treatments.

The hair growth certainly did slow right down, resulting in me only needing to shave once a week in those areas where I'd normally need to shave daily, BUT 3 months after stopping treatment, almost all of the hair has returned. There's perhaps a 5% reduction in hair. ALSO, the hair is growing almost as quickly again as before any of the treatments.

For me, this has not been worth the time, effort or money. Therefore, I don't feel able to recommend it to anyone else.

I'm now seriously considering buying some salon treatments for my underarms, since that worked so well on my lower legs.

Ladies, save your money and don't bother with the Smooth Skin. Mine is now joining photoqueen's as a paperweight.

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