Philips Lumea Essential SC1985 - Full body permanant sorta painless hair removal

Zap away the fuzzies... Hello Smooth Skin BABY!


It has been 2 years since our last post! But... hohoho... in that 2 years you'd never guess how many cool products and gadgets got accumulated... muahaha...

Lets start with one of the pricier ones... which is not exactly pricey if you are considering painless full body permanent/semi permanent hair removal..

Say hello to Philips Lumea Essential purchased over eBAY. Quote from Philips - "Philips Lumea uses an innovative light-based technology called IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), derived from the technology used in professional beauty salons." So basically, it's IPL in the comfort of your home.

Now why did iwannabelenglui purchased this after a whole series of roundabout of hair removal treatments (see all my old posts under the hair removal label)?

1. Not all body hair stays away forever (even after saloon laser, LHE or IPL)
2. Some of your underarms and bikini line hair WILL grow back depending on your hormonal change
3. Facial hair is so painful to remove with threading and this painful (but useful) tool ... lol

Regardless... the Conclusion:

• Lengluis who have never been for hair removal treatments can purchase this instead of signing up for a super expensive course
• Yes, this sounds pricey at the start... but trust me, it is way cheaper than signing up for full body treatments (completing a  course can take up to 2 years to finally see real results for very umm hairy lengluis)
• We did lots of comparison with other brands of hair removal tools but apparently, this got one of the better reviews.. (and the lamp flash count is higher for Philips)
• This is suitable for face, bikini line and full body hair removal
• As with other IPL tools, treatment can go on for up to 8 weeks or more. But noticeable change will be visible after the second treatment
• This model is not suitable for hair removal on the fingers of slim lengluis, there is a window check area to make sure the lamp is fully covered y your skin area before the lamp is allowed to flash (safety reasons). An if your fingers are too slim, the lamp area cannot be fully covered
• This particular model is wired but the wire is at a comfortable length

Some TIPS for home treatment (learnt from previous saloon sessions):

• Get a jar of aloe gel (this one from Nature Republic is nice), apply to treated areas right after treatment to sooth skin (even though you'll likely feel almost nothing)
• Do not have a hot shower or stay out in the sun before and after your treatment
• As with all beauty tools, please read the risks involved before starting a DIY treatment at home

Pesky body hair is BACK!! Hello Panasonic ES-WD94 Epilator!!

ES-WD94 Panasonic WET/DRY Epilator

 

As expected, hormonal changes will bring back hair... (post LHE hair removal treatment).. So what now? It's not like sugar_cupcakes is turning into an ape or something... But, we're getting one or two strands popping out in certain areas (that was supposedly smooth) and they are seriously sprouting back out like nobodies business!!! Okiess... I'll just be honest here. The underarms and bikini-line... Ugghhh... the worse place to start...

Options to consider:

1. Getting zap again in those spots - But they are just too miniscule areas to justify having to get laser or LHE... arrghhh
2. Getting waxed?? -  so much pain for that teeny spots? nooooooooooooo....
3. Get one of those DIY at home LHE kits - Seriously, the price does not justify the means
4. Get a good-quick-painless (well I wish), epilator - Say hello to the pretty in pink Panasonic ES-WD94 Epilator

Conclusion:

• Wow... it's like a cool little gadget where you can switch the head (6 Attachments - 2 Epilation Heads, 1 Shaver Head, 1 Foot Care Head, 1 Bikini Comb and 2 Beginner Caps)
• Easy to clean and maintain (we asked Uncle Google for reviews beforehand)
• They have this cool bright LED which shines on the areas you're working on so you know exactly what you are removing! lol...
• Obviously not pain-free (but definitely better than my Braun Silk Epilator which is YEOWCH)
• Cool 'cos you can use it in the shower as well with soap lather!
• Guess what...? the bikini epilator head works even for your mini moustache... muahahahaha... but umm... definitely not pain-free!
• The foot care head is just neat!
• Uh-huh...Now this post sounds like an advert.... but...
• sugar_cupcakes love it 'cos hey... for RM300++ we can skip those saloon treatments and move on with LIFE!

Do it at home Permanent Hair Removal... Whoaaa....

 

So I thought when I added advert gadgets to the blog, it would at least have made iwannabelenglui a more professional looking magazine-like blog. Or.... maybe, I could even earn some side income from the really miserable 2 cents visitor click on the adverts... Maybe another 10 years.... huhuhuhu...

Sad to say.......... I'm spending MORE by looking at the adverts myself...!! LOL... THIS IS BAD........

So okay, the last advert that got me really interested is this: VISS IPL(Intense Pulse Light) Hair Removal System

 Why this is so interesting?

• Because previously I paid like a crazy RM4k to do emmm... full LHE on underarms, bikini lines and leg
• Even so, that was totally worth it... hahahahaha...
• This is like... USD545 (free shipping worldwide) for the device itself! You don't even need to go to the saloon to do it anymore.... (--)"
• And result guaranteed in 60 days or your money back
• With 1 year warranty
• Even though IPL is a predecessor  of LHE that I went through... the hell with it.... its way..... cheaper!
• hahahahhaa... I feel like I'm advertising for them...

Conclusion:

• In the end, I decided not to buy this..... LOL....
• Reason: Because I haven't got any hairy areas anymore!!! Sheesh... I don't know where to use it even if I bought it... hahahahahhahaa
• But if any of you lengluis have hairy problems... go check this out... Seems like a pretty nice deal.
• Before that, go checkout my post on the LHE... Its totally worth all the pain and money...
• If I saw this advert before my course, I would have ordered one right away... muahahaha...

Some Advice:

• Google for reviews before you order, I can't help you there 'cos I umm... have no troubling hairy situation at the moment
• When you do get it... share your scoop lengluis! I'm interested to know too! :p
• My beautician friend told me that the disposable lamp cartridge is the expensive part that the saloons have to change after certain amount of flashes
• This particular one have a lifetime of up to 4000 flashes which I can say its pretty good... The saloon ones were up to about 5000 flashes
• Follow the instructions carefully.. This sorta stuff is not something you'd risk fooling around with...

And as for me... Now I really got to stop glancing at interesting adverts on my own blog!!!

Facial Hair Remover - Introducing... the EPISTICK

Yeowch! But.. hell... It works like threading!

Again.. I watched some real convincing advert online... lol... This time, its Japanese:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzOYqJuKTVI

Now, if you've got visible facial hair or very visible open pores due to facial hair... I think you'd be tempted to buy this. Heck... its only RM5. Rather cheap for a beauty tool huh? And, I can tell you.. it does work. Only, you'll need to know how to use it properly. Follow the pictorized instruction and you'll definitely get there. Took me 3 mins to get the hang of using it. But.... took me another 3 to fully recover from the PAIN! hahahahhahaha...

Okay... if you've done threading on your face to remove little mustache you have above your lips... its going to feel just like that. Only, you are doing the threading yourself! Man... imagine inflicting pain on yourself... Yeah... yeowchhhhhhh....!! But really... this works. And for the price... its worth getting one if you can tolerate the pain... lol...


Conclusion:

• Yes it works! (but you gotta be using it the right way - see pictorial instructions that comes with the tool)
• Emm... the pain factor is 9/10 for me.. Cos.. I did it for the fine hair at the corners of my lips.... Very pain laa..................
• But once you see the plucked hair on the tool... whoaaa.... so cool.... lol
• I still use it... but not very often... Only when I need to
• Yeah... good for facial hair removal if you can take the pain... not for body hair removal okay? You need both your hands to work it... and when I tried it on my thigh just out of curiosity... OUCHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
  

LHE: Permanent Hair Removal?

Zap those unsightly hair... permanently
LHE Light Based Hair Removal: Long Term Facial/Body Hair Removal

pic credit to www.skincancercosmetic.com.au

A year++ ago... I signed up a course for "permanent hair removal" - legs, underarms and bikini line. You don't want to know the exact price I paid for that course... Lets just say its no less than RM4k and that's the already discounted beautician staff pricing... But since its permanent, wouldn't it be worth the investment? (^^)" Then again... this is not really permanent, hormonal flux can cause the hair to grow back as explained by my beautician friend. The only reason I decided to do it was because... my friend's sis was a beautician (sssshh... that was how we got staff price and she kept telling us how smooth her client's skin were after the treatment) and I had someone to try it out with me. Hmm... then again... also... there are infinite other reasons why I signed up... but, that was it --> one of my year 2007 resolution accomplished --> no more waxing or epilating... Thanks to LHE... Read more about LHE here

Reasons to do this:

• If you've got the $$$ or if you know a beautician who can get you staff price for this
• If you're fed-up with reddish bumps of ingrown hair from waxing, shaving or epilating
• If your beautician is a close friend.. otherwise... I think you're gonna regret signing up... trust me... you don't want to be screaming at a stranger...
  
• If you've researched enough and decided this is what you really want to do
• If you go swimming very often
• If you are pain-proof... lol.. (okay... I'm not kidding)
  

Reasons NOT to do this:

• If you're pain intolerable (Seriously... I'll explain why)
  
• If you don't have the extra $$$
• If your skin is dark and so is your hair (LHE works best on people with lighter skin tone and darker hair)
  
• If you're uncomfortable with beauticians
• If you think this is a one-time thing
• If you've already got hardly noticeable very fine hair on your skin (I don't understand why you're reading this then... go away.. I'm envious) (--)"
  

Now... for the procedure..

• You'll be asked to undress and wear a towel-like robe.. The whole process looks like the image below...
  

pic credit to www.healthandbeautybysamantha.co.uk

• Next to you will see a device that looks like this "SpaTouch"

pic credit to www.britnett-carver.co.uk

• Then the beautician will explain to you what you'll be expecting next... the "BEEP" sound... then Zzzzaaaaapp!! the pain... Even if its only for a second... It hurts... like hell! Feels like you've been zapped with high voltage! Yeeeowwcchhhhh....
  
• So there you go... beep-zzapp-beep-zzapp... by that time, you'll cringe every time you hear the beep sound!
• So there... if you're doing lower-legs, underarms and bikini line... its going to take about 1hr++ depending on how well you cope with pain...
• The zapped hair will look like burnt hair and the room will smell faintly of burnt hair
• There will still be hair growth though... very much finer...
• You'll be advised not to swim or go in the sun. Having a bath with very warm/hot water is complete a no-no. Your skin is now experiencing a temporary sun-burnt-like effect... It'll need about 3 days to cool down.
  
• You'll be returning to the saloon every month to do this... aarggghhh... I dread the treatment... but... I've got only one thing to say on the results... SATISFACTORY!

Update 5th June 2010:

• Spoken to beautician friend on this new pain-free laser hair removal recently
• But..... sadnessssssssssssss.... disappointedly she told me that, laser hair removal may be pain-free. But, the hair-free effect does not last as long as LHE. And... you need to go back to the saloon more often than the LHE.
  
• And I thought, the next time my hair on the legs or underarms ever grow back, I wanna go for the pain-free one!! Sigh..................