In December 2022, I reported on my results when I used the Philips Lumea IPL hair removal device for ten weeks. The manufacturers say that the device should reduce hair growth by 85% after three uses. But after ten weeks of using the device every 14 days, I can only say that my result was very close to that.
But what is my final verdict after four months and six months after starting treatment? What are the long-term results? Well, we'll find out now.
I'm starting this update with an introduction to the Philips Lumea IPL device to help newbies. After using this product for ten weeks, I know first hand what you can expect when you buy and use this product. You can read my results at this link . You can find the before and after pictures below.
- Part 1: What is Philips Lumea IPL?
- Part 2: Summary
- Part 3: How to use the Philips Lumea IPL
- Part 4: And where have I ended up now, after six months?
- Part 5: A few additional points
- Part 6: Philips Lumea Advanced IPL device: My final verdict
What is Philips Lumea IPL?
In summary, the Philips Lumea is a plug-in device that Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal device that has two removable heads - one for your face and the other for your body. I bought mine from Amazon for £200 but I noticed it was on offer and the original price was higher than that.
It is currently selling for £279 on Amazon UK , but it is worth checking whether you can get a better deal directly from the seller or through Amazon. A similar product is currently selling for 384.99 Euros on Amazon DE.
The device has five treatment settings. You point the head at the area you want to treat and press the trigger to activate the light. If you want to treat a large area, you can hold down the trigger and move after each pulse to cover the area more quickly.
I've mainly used setting three for comfort. When you use the device, you only feel a small pulse of heat, but on sensitive areas it can feel quite hot. After a while, though, you get used to it. I can say this because I now mainly use the device on setting five - the highest setting.
The device uses light to target the pigment melanin in your hair, which absorbs the light from the flash and sends the hair into a resting phase. It's important to remember that unfortunately this won't work on blonde or red hair or darker skin tones. It works on fair skin and darker hair because it targets pigmentation.
Philips has created a guide where you can read which hair and skin types the device is best suited for.
Summary
After using the device every two weeks for ten weeks, I got a pretty good result as you can see in this picture. Then I switched to maintenance mode (as recommended) where I continued to use the device every three weeks to a month to maintain the result.
It takes at least ten minutes to treat a whole leg, so it takes time to treat both legs, the bikini line and the armpits. So I have to admit that although I use the device at least once a month, I don't systematically treat each area every time.
Further reading: Philips Lumea 9000 vs. Prestige: Which IPL is better for you?
How to use the Philips Lumea IPL
Before using the device, you need to shave so that the light doesn't have to travel too far to get to your hair root. If I noticed a patch or patches of hair on my leg, I shave them and go over that patch and maybe some of the surrounding areas at the same time. I always shave my bikini line and armpits completely.
And where have I ended up now, after six months?
The good news is that the hair on my armpits is almost completely gone. This is also true for my bikini line. It is most effective on darker, thicker hairs in the bikini line and underarms, where you are likely to get the best results. The finer hairs are harder to remove.
However, the story is a little different with my legs, especially my knees. I took a photo last weekend, ten days after shaving and using the device.
So you can see little patches of hair around the knee, and on the rest of my legs I have very sparse hairs here and there. It's a big improvement, but it means I still have to shave or wax before I go on vacation or wear shorts or a bikini. The rest of the hair takes about a minute to remove if I want to go swimming now.
So it's not complete hair removal for me, but it's a solid result. It's hard to say if I could have gotten rid of the hair growth completely if I had used the device every two weeks for a much longer period of time (although that's not what the instructions said). The instructions were to use the device a couple of weeks apart and then move on to monthly maintenance treatments, which is what I did and was able to do.
For me it was money well spent as I could have easily gone to a clinic and spent over £1,000 on a series of IPL treatments and still had some hair. Instead I spent £200 and drastically reduced my hair growth.
A few additional points
Like everything in life, this device will work better and last longer if you take care of it. This means you will need to clean the glass after each use. You will need to remove the head, take a slightly damp cloth and wipe the glass.
Small white spots may appear on the glass, which are caused by smoke coming off hairs on the surface of the leg that you may have missed when shaving. You must remove them for optimal results.
It is important to mention that constant use of the device over large areas can cause it to overheat. You will notice this when the device stops working and you see a series of flickering lights instead of one constant one. If the device has overheated, turn it off and let it cool down for ten minutes before using it again.
After using it for six months, I've noticed that it takes more than twice as long to cool, suggesting that it has become less efficient over time.
Philips Lumea Advanced IPL device: My final verdict
My final verdict on the Philips Lumea Advanced IPL device is that it has given me good results. I hardly use my razor anymore - now I just run an electric razor over stubborn hairs. It's so much easier and has been a solid purchase.
I hope you found this update helpful. I know some of you have been wondering how the IPL treatments went and here are the answers.
