I have adrenal issues that cause hair growth on my chin. I also have what might be considered the ideal laser hair removal scenario. I am pasty, hide-me-from-the-sun white, and I grow dark hair with dark roots. I've gotten professional-grade laser hair removal for my problem before, and it is VERY good, not least of all because estheticians can use the highest laser setting on me TWICE in one visit (again, very white here, also high tolerance for discomfort). This at-home device can't compare with an office visit if you are someone like me who is lucky enough to have the ideal skin/hair/tolerance combo for a high laser setting. I would, nonetheless, recommend the device. It's easy to use and slows hair growth at least a little. I'll come out of the gate and say, given I have prior history with laser hair removal, I am not using this device as recommended. I do 2-3 passes when I use it because it didn't do much for me when I did single passes. (Please note, this is not me recommending that to you!) To me, it's virtually painless. I don't even experience redness after. I would describe an in-office "zap" as a very, very sharp snap with a rubber band that leaves your skin sensitive after; I've need a little hydrocortisone cream after. This at-home device's "zap" is more like the gentle snap of a rubber band shot from too far away. This is indicative of the power level you're working with here. It's why the device's instructions have you using it once a week for a while, whereas even after the first visit with an esthetician, you usually have a 4-6 week wait. In a nutshell, don't expect office-visit quality from this device. They are not going to sell spa/dermatologist-level devices to consumers for safety reasons. Expect to do at-home "treatments" a little more often for consistent results. It's a decent trade-off, certainly in terms of cost. EYE SAFETY My one complaint with the device regards eye safety. In the manual, Braun says this: "Before pushing the treatment button, look away from the device to avoid the bright light. In seldom cases, a user may find the flash too bright. However, there is no safety risk associated with this. For increased comfort, we recommend treating in a well-lit room to help reduce the perceived brightness." I guess this is fine, but I feel it's cheap of Braun. Just include some IPL glasses! Yes, the device's laser is relatively low-powered and will only work if the device is tucked tightly to your skin, but there's still that burst of light and Braun knows it. And, no, sunglasses won't actually help. They are not rated for these wavelengths. Don't bother buying any IPL safety glasses or goggles on Amazon, either, as they're not certified; they're almost certainly feel-good scams. As far as I can tell, you would need to buy from a specialty store. Real ones appear to cost around $50, but it was hard for me to tell. Personally, I've opted to go without safety eyewear for now, but I am following Braun's advice to turn my head and/or close my eyes each time I activate the laser. The main reason I decided to go without safety eyewear myself is Braun's website and device manual are very cagey about the kind of IPL eyewear you'd even need for this device; they tell you nothing. I think they want to downplay just how LOW-powered these devices are, if anything, but I find it supremely annoying and won't be surprised if they get in trouble for it down the road. Bottom line? Decent at-home device, but at the end of the day, these are still lasers. Really consider your eyes. I'm skeptical about how much Braun is.
