IPL at home: How often should I use IPL at home?

So, you have your device, but you’re now wondering how to use IPL for treatments at home? IPL devices are easy and effective – as long as you know what you’re doing! In this article, we share some IPL hair removal tips and tricks to help you make the most of your machine, covering questions like ‘how often should I use IPL at home?’ and offering insights into how to use IPL for hair removal at home on different hair types and skin tones. Many people new to at-home IPL are simply looking for guidance, so these tips will help you feel confident.

1. Read the manual about at-home IPL treatments 

• Take a look at the manual and familiarise yourself with your device before you start the IPL treatment at home. 
• This will tell you how to use your IPL hair removal device and its attachments, for each area of your body.
• You will also be told how much time it takes and how often to use IPL at home.

2. Check your hair and skin tone

• IPL isn’t suitable for every hair colour. Before using IPL, you should check how well it’s going to work on different areas of your body where hair may be lighter or darker.  IPL works well on naturally dark blonde, brown and black hair, but it isn’t effective for light hair tones such as white, grey, light blonde and red.
• With IPL, comparison between skin tones is also necessary, as the application works for very white to dark brown tones, but isn’t effective on very dark skin.
• The best IPL hair removal devices detect your skin tone and select the most comfortable setting. Find out more about what makes a good IPL device here.
  

3. Do a patch test before starting your IPL home hair removal journey

• The first step is to do a patch test 24 hours before the first IPL treatment at home. 
• To do this, you need to set your device according to your hair colour and skin tone.
• The IPL light flash is then tested on a small area of skin.
• If you don’t notice any irritation after the rest period, you can continue the treatment.
• In case of traces  on the skin, you should use lower light intensity levels as a precaution or reconsider whether the treatment is right for you.
• If skin irritation persists, talk to a dermatologist to avoid skin damage.
  

4. Prepare your skin for IPL at home

1. Remove hair from the area to be treated: Shave, epilate or wax the area you want to treat with IPL. By removing the hair, you prevent your hair from burning on the surface of the skin.
2. Clean the skin: Your skin should be dry and clean, and free of oil and soap before treatment.je huid moet droog en schoon zijn, en vrij van olie en zeep voor de behandeling.

5. Choose the right light intensity and attachment

• After determining your skin tone and hair colour, you should set and use the recommended light intensity. This can be found in the instruction manual.
• With the Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series and its SenseIQ technology, it’s best to test the skin in the relevant area one day before use. It will determine the correct light setting and intensity.
• On the subject of relevant areas, you’ll also want to know how to use your IPL hair removal device attachments. The best devices, like the Lumea IPL 9000 Series, come with different attachments for the face, underarms, bikini line and another for your legs and the rest of the body.
  

6. Clean the IPL machine at home

With IPL for home use (compared to in a salon), it’ll be your responsibility to clean the entire device and the attachments with a soft cloth. Fortunately, this is quick and easy. For more tips and tricks on how to properly clean your IPL hair removal device at home, check out our more detailed guidance here.

7. Take care of your skin after the treatment

Our top tip for nourishing your skin following using your IPL machine at home is to avoid irritating creams, scrubs and gels immediately after treatment. Instead, apply skin-care products that are gentle and soothing to the skin.

8. Make a treatment plan

• How often should I use IPL at home? For best results, at-home IPL treatments should be repeated every fortnight, up to six times. You will start to see results after the third treatment. 
• A treatment schedule can help you maintain this rhythm. This is especially helpful if you’re treating different areas of your body, while doing your IPL treatment at home. 
• Treating the face and armpits takes just two to three minutes. Then come the arms with up to seven minutes per arm and finally the legs, with up to 20 minutes (per full leg).  
• If you want to treat your whole body, you should complete the treatment over several days, rather than all in one go. The Philips Lumea IPL smartphone app can help you with this – let the app remind you of what to do and easily keep track of using IPL at home.
  

Ready to get going? You can spread the cost with the Philips Lumea Try & Buy programme.