Take it from a hairy girl with dark and coarse body hair - shaving can be such a chore at times, especially when I do it every other day. And that’s not including all of the annoyances that come with shaving, such as itchy stubble, annoying ingrown hairs, accidental nicks and the little black spots that still remain visible even after a close shave. The logical solution to my shaving woes? IPL, a procedure that uses intense pulsed light technology for permanent hair reduction.
The Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 is a clinically-tested at-home IPL device that allows me to zap away the melanin in my hair follicles, helping to break the cycle of regrowth. Over time, it helps to prevent unwanted hair from reaching the skin’s surface, allowing me to look forward to smooth, stubble-free skin in about four weeks*.
It is also currently the safest, fastest and most efficient IPL home device on the market, and is accredited by Skin Health Alliance, an independent group of dermatologists that verifies products as skin safe.
Read on for our experience with the Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 IPL device!
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Fuss-free and easy hair removal
I’m the kind of person who’d start using her electronics without reading the instruction manual first, so I was a little apprehensive about whether I could set up my first at-home IPL session successfully.
Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. The device is extremely user-friendly - there are only two buttons to push and LED power bars on both sides of the device serve to indicate when the device is ready to use. Apart from choosing the intensity setting (gentle and extra gentle for sensitive areas and first-time users; standard for normal usage), everything else will be adjusted accordingly via the device’s skin tone sensors.
First, I downloaded the Braun Silk-expert Pro app which allows me to choose a treatment plan. It also prompted me with instructions on how to treat that specific area and set reminders for upcoming weekly sessions.
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To prep for the IPL session, I first shaved my legs with the Venus razor provided and pat dry. Then I plugged in the Braun Silk-expert Pro 5, pressed the gentle mode button (the smaller, circular one) and waited for the fan to start running.
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After making sure that the LED power bars are lit up, I held the device to my leg to activate the SensoAdapt™ technology. What it does is that the sensors read your skin tone and automatically selects the appropriate light intensity, so that you don’t end up using a light setting that is too high or too low.
This is especially important because our skin tone differs slightly across different areas of our body - so this feature ensures that you’re doing your at-home IPL safely. Generally, lighter skin tones require higher light intensity, while darker skin tones require lower light intensity with fast flash rates. FYI, the Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 is capable of delivering 400,000 flashes at 10 intensity levels.
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It wasn’t that painful
Once the device has read your skin tone, you’re good to start your treatment! Just press and instantly release the treatment button (the top one), which will make the Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 emit a red flash. Then glide the device to the next treatment area and repeat the same step!
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It was so quick and easy that I was done with both legs in less than five minutes. As a first-time user, my device was on the recommended “gentle” setting and I have to say - the pain was very bearable. Each blast of light felt like someone snapping a rubber band on my leg, but it was over in a flash (pun fully intended) and didn’t sting at all afterwards.
If you’re IPL-ing smaller areas such as your underarms, face or bikini line, switch to the smaller precision cap and use a stamping motion instead of gliding.
Cost-effective IPL sessions in the comfort of my home
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Given how quick and easy it was, I would say that this device is worth the investment. An average IPL session can range between $28 to an upwards of over $100, and that is only for one area of your body. The Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 comes with a one-year warranty and can be used across your legs, arms, underarms, face and bikini area, so you do the math!
*Individual results may vary.
Special promotion
For the month of October, the Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 is going at a special price of $599 (U.P. $699). You will also get a complimentary Oral B Pro2000 Electric Toothbrush worth $169 and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Available at all major Best Denki, Courts, Harvey Norman C.K. Tangs and Takashimaya stores.
This post is brought to you by Braun.
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Text by: GirlStyle SG