Pros and cons of photoepilator
Unwanted body hair can be removed by waxing, sugaring, shaving or applying special creams. Each of these methods has its fans, but why endlessly fight with newly emerging vegetation if you can get rid of it forever? A photoepilator will help in this matter.
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Advantages of using a photoepilator at home
At home, many women prefer to use a battery-powered epilator. This device does not shave hairs, but pulls them out, capturing them using rotating discs or plates. As the device moves across the skin, it catches hair and removes it.
Important: The procedure cannot be called painless; the pinching will be quite noticeable. If this procedure is considered tolerable on the skin of the legs, then in the bikini area or under the arms the unpleasant effect will increase several times.
The effect of the procedure remains for a long time, for example, it will last for a vacation. But the hair does not disappear completely, and soon its growth will be restored.
Wax hair removal is convenient because it allows you to treat a large area of the body at one time. The pain from the strip being torn off will be sharp, but short-lived.
A photoepilator will help you avoid the discomfort described above when removing hair.The effect occurs on follicles that are in the active phase and located near the skin. Their heating and further destruction occurs under a short-term but intense flash of light.
Important: it will take several procedures to destroy all the follicles, since about a quarter of them are hidden deeper than the photoepilator beam can penetrate.
The decision to buy a device (or attend a similar procedure in a salon) may be influenced by the pros and cons of a home photoepilator.
One of the main advantages is considered to be painlessness during use of the device for most people. But this is far from the only pleasant moment. Judging by the reviews, intense pulsed light guarantees:
- Taking care of your skin. It is not damaged or irritated. If discomfort occurs during the procedure, this may mean incorrect settings or a violation of preparation for photoepilation;
- Positive changes in the skin, rejuvenation effect. Exposure to light flux was initially intended to be used in the fight against age spots and vascular changes. This method has proven its worth;
- No side effects on the body. Pulsed light affects the color pigment of the hairs, which is responsible for their shade. At the same time, the follicles are destroyed, which eliminates the reappearance of vegetation;
- A result that will last a long time.
You won't be able to get rid of unwanted hair in one session. But there will be noticeable changes after the first procedure. As a rule, 5-10 approaches are enough to get a lasting effect and smooth skin.
Disadvantages of using the device
Like any device, the photoepilator has an unpleasant side to use.It consists of:
- The high cost of services in the salon;
- Reduced effect on gray or thin blond hair, dark skin;
- Unpleasant sensations on sensitive skin and in people with a low pain threshold;
- The appearance of unsightly spots on the dermis.
Before starting hair removal, you should always consult with a specialist, because cosmetic procedures are complex manipulations that require competent execution.
Contraindications for using the device at home
The photoepilator should always be used with caution. A device that is safe for some people may have a negative effect on others. Anyone who has:
- A large number of moles and papillomas in the area of the body where photoepilation is supposed to be carried out;
- Skin sensitivity and tendency to scar formation;
- Allergic reactions (the latter may occur to the components of the cooling gel or painkillers);
- Oncology;
- Chronic skin diseases;
- Infectious diseases in the acute stage.
Important: psoriasis, eczema or dermatitis are also contraindications for hair removal at home.
To understand whether the procedure will be safe, a short-term test exposure is performed on a small area of the body. Do the same with a small amount of gel. If within a day or immediately after testing no painful reactions, redness, itching, or other uncomfortable sensations are observed, then the entire procedure can be performed.
Important: there is no direct evidence that photoepilator is harmful to pregnant and lactating women. But before using the device, it is better to consult your doctor.
Safety precautions when using a photoepilator
To minimize risks and make the procedure as effective as possible, you need to follow simple tips:
- Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun at least 14 days before hair removal. Do not visit the solarium;
- Refrain from going to the pool, steam room, sauna;
- Give up other methods of getting rid of hair so that it has time to grow up to 2 mm.
During the procedure, knowing the pros and cons of a photoepilator at home, you need to protect your eyes with special glasses, and pre-treat the skin with a cooling gel. After the session, the area of the body to be epilated is moisturized or anti-burn compounds are applied.
Repeated treatment is carried out after a month, and the approaches are repeated up to 10 times. This figure is individual and depends on the richness of pigmentation of the skin and hair.
Important: the entire period while the device is being manipulated and in between procedures, it is worth minimizing the use of cosmetics (and completely eliminating it in the first days after the session), avoid visiting the pool, beach, or bathhouse.
If you strictly follow all the recommendations, then after a while you will get perfectly smooth skin, and there will no longer be room in your bathroom for other hair removal products.