Anyone tried Boots 'Smooth Skin' home IPL hair reduction system yet?

ChiosNic

I've been using the Smooth Skin now for a few weeks. Areas which are taking a long time - knees and chin.

My method for legs is to use long strips of that papery surgical tape as it is just the right width and it still sticks even when wet with gel. You just need two strips - stick one on, zap round below the strip, apply second strip below first, zap, take first strip and stick below second etc. etc. Strips stay reusable. I go horizontally from the knee down which has the benefit of each 'round' getting quicker as you go down. No messy eyeline pencil.

Now, being older means more white hairs so I'm not smooth, although from a looks point of view there has been a vast improvement. I think someone in an earlier post, here or on another forum, asked about dyeing the hair and - tada - I found this today: Meladine (sorry I'm a new user so no links, just google it). On sale at so-smooth dot co dot uk for a princessly £65.

So, who's going to be the first to experiment at that price?! I, for one, will be scanning the 'net for real people reviews. Here's hoping!

Jaine

I was looking on the net at studies of IPL results at work last night. Seems there is a big jump in success rates after 12 months. Also the hair growth cycle can be up to 9 months! I think to do this weekly will be a waste of time & flashes. I will probably get around to using this once every 3/4 weeks. It seems strange to me that Boots suggest using this weekly. When having laser treatments a lot of the hairs don't shed until 10 days later so weekly would possibly mean going over hair that would shed soon anyway. Any thoughts?

Lizzy

melda wrote: »

Could I just ask again if everyone else's machines 'ready' light flashes on and off about 10 times in between each flash of the light? I am kinda worried cause I took my first one back because of this, and can't help but feel that the replacement one I've got is part of a faulty batch as it's doing the same thing. Haven't done a treatment for a good few weeks, need to get myself back into it!

Yes it takes about 6 seconds to recharge and the red light flashes. It does say so in the instructions. It is a pain as you want to move faster but that's how it works.

melda

Ah thanks Lizzy, no one else seems to have mentioned it, and I did look through the booklet before I took my first one back...obviously not well enough, and even was put on to one of the specialists on it on the phone when I went in store to take it back...I explained what was happening and they gave me a new one without any worries. Oh well...just means I got a couple of 'free' sessions!

sunshine01

I have used my smooth skin about 5 times now on face and under arms, on a dark setting and very pleased with the results so far. I used it yesterday for the first time on legs, on a medium setting as hairs are much lighter. I covered the area down the front of my leg where most of the hairs are, and afterwards had large red marks on the inside of my leg not in an area where I had treated. It is still really sore and quite dry skin today. Does anyone have any suggestions what has happened.

the_gronows

Jaine
Thats my thoughts completetly. I havent been using it weekly and havent used it at all for the last 3 weeks as been on hols. The cynic in me thinks that you will shorten the life of your handset by at least half so more money for Boots in replacement hand sets.

I think I posted much earlier in this thread to say that I have previoulsy had Salon IPL and these were done on a monthly basis, and I was doing my treatments about every 2 to 3 weeks.

I have got very patchy regrowth on my underarms and as I havent got much tan there I will go back to treating them this week. My legs have gone a little tanned so I wil probably wait a week or 2 before going over my legs again.

After having a few salon IPL a few years ago and now my smooth skin since may my bikini line is almost all gone whcih is fab.

toffeapple

I bought the Boots Smooth Skin a couple of weeks ago after reading lots of posts about it. What I didn't expect was how painful it is as no one seems to mention this. I am using it at it's lowest setting even though I am fair skinned as I can not take it at mid or fair. The leaflet says that the most I should feel is heat and tingling. It is more like an elastic band snap and then some.
I do not have sensitive skin or a low pain threshhold. Is the pain normal and no one is mentioning it or do I have a faulty machine?

melda

I do get pain with mine too toffeapple, it's fine for a little while, but then after I've been using it about 10 minutes it does get hotter and more painful, even though I switch it off between 'areas' (when I'm wiping off/applying the gel for each area), I'm going to take a couple of ibuprofen before I do it this time, I ended up drinking a bit of liqueur last time in the hope that it'd take the sting out of it so to speak (although I don't condone drinking and zapping ).

Hermia

toffeapple wrote: »

I bought the Boots Smooth Skin a couple of weeks ago after reading lots of posts about it. What I didn't expect was how painful it is as no one seems to mention this. I am using it at it's lowest setting even though I am fair skinned as I can not take it at mid or fair. The leaflet says that the most I should feel is heat and tingling. It is more like an elastic band snap and then some.
I do not have sensitive skin or a low pain threshhold. Is the pain normal and no one is mentioning it or do I have a faulty machine?

I don't find it painful. I have used it on the fair setting too. It feels hot and tingly when I do it and then it feels slightly sore for a while afterwards, but that is it.

suzyQ_2

toffeapple wrote: »

I bought the Boots Smooth Skin a couple of weeks ago after reading lots of posts about it. What I didn't expect was how painful it is as no one seems to mention this. I am using it at it's lowest setting even though I am fair skinned as I can not take it at mid or fair. The leaflet says that the most I should feel is heat and tingling. It is more like an elastic band snap and then some.
I do not have sensitive skin or a low pain threshhold. Is the pain normal and no one is mentioning it or do I have a faulty machine?

I'm so glad you said that toffeeapple because I too have found it extremely painful to use! I have only used it once so far on my bikini line and am not looking forward to the next time. I consider myself to have a high pain threshold having given birth twice (one baby weighing in at 10lb4oz!), and can epilate or wax strip my bikini line without too much grimacing. The Smooth Skin, however, was so bad I wished I could turn back time and have never bought it in the first place. I am using it on the dark setting (although I am fair skinned with dark hair), and even took regular breaks for it to cool down. I was wondering if my machine was faulty too. I am due to use it again today but I have my period and it says not to use it during this time. Does it make it even more painful (if that's at all possible!!)? Also, I am wary to use it when I don't need to as I am aware of the limited number of flashes. I have long legs so will unfortunately require more use than most people, not giving me the luxury of 'spare' flashes to play around with. Is it best to leave a longer gap between treatments as suggested my some posters on this forum, or should I do it weekly as Boots recommends? I don't want the expense of buying a new bulb to finish the job properly.
I hope things improve pain-wise cos it'll be a lot of money down the drain if I can't use it and I've just lost my job too so every penny counts at the moment.