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Best Laser Hair Removal Machine

As of October 2020

THE JOAT'S Advice

It’s available on Amazon Prime, which is convenient. But, if you want to order from Braun’s website, register your email to get a 10% off promo code. Otherwise, the price of this item doesn’t really fluctuate since it is so new and frequently sold out or in low supply.

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what we like

  • Easy to use and very effective at reducing hair growth
  • Gentle options available so it hurts less and eases you into laser/IPL
  • Safe and effective
  • A steal for what you’re getting and will save you a lot of $ in the long run
  • Trusted name brand
  • Comes with everything you need – including a Venus razor and carrying case

keep in mind

  • To see true results, you have to be diligent/timely and use the machine as instructed every 7-14 days
  • It will take you 1-2 months to see long-lasting results
  • Requires you to shave the area you are about to laser
  • Works on select hair/skin tones – best for light/medium skin tones and darker hair

review

I have lighter skin and darker hair, which means hair removal is a constant grind. The areas I like to remove hair are.. a lot – legs, arms, armpits, face, neck.. basically my entire body. And over the years, I’ve tried everything – shaving, waxing, laser hair removal.

 

I did professional laser hair removal about 5 years ago through my local plastic surgeon’s office. It helped a lot and reduced a lot of my hair growth on my problem areas. But, after getting off birth control a year ago, I suddenly had new hair growing on my face and neck that I never had before – lucky me. I thought about going back to professionally laser, but ultimately settled into a routine of waxing as I could do it alongside my eyebrows and I worried the hair was too thin/light to effectively laser off.  Waxing worked pretty well, minus the extra cost and time I was wasting every few weeks.

 

But then, just like many of you, COVID threw a solid wrench into my beauty/wax routine, and I got to the point by end of April where I would dread brushing my teeth because I was so upset looking at the hair growing on my neck and chin area. I tried waxing at home, which went a little something like this. Shaving my face wasn’t an ideal option and definitely wouldn’t help long-term, so I began looking at home laser machines that would be safe and effective.

 

My criteria was pretty simple: EFFECTIVE, easy to use, and wouldn’t easily burn/damage my skin. My hubby, who is in healthcare, supervised my research and wanted to be sure it was also safe, FDA approved, and didn’t have any long-term effects that could damage my skin/have negative long-term side effects. We both came to the Braun Silk Expert Pro independently, which made it the #nobrainer option in this category.

 

The Silk Expert Pro won out from its competitors for a few main reasons – first, Braun is a well-known and trustworthy brand, which is important if you’re going to buy newer technology that is typically used by professionals. Second, Silk Expert Pro actually uses IPL technology vs laser, which is safer on more skin types as it is lower intensity light than laser – again, better for amateur home use. Third, the Silk Expert Pro takes out all of the guessing for you in terms of what setting/intensity to use on different parts of your body – each time you put the machine against your skin, it automatically chooses the intensity based on the color of your skin and that of the underlying hair. And it recalibrates every single time. Finally, the Silk Expert Pro is easy to use and clean – no need to use any gels or creams.

 

While I bought this in May, I waited until October to review because I wanted to be sure I saw results and could vouch for the product. Now, even though the salon I wax at has reopened, I choose to use the Silk Expert as my hair has reduced dramatically and only grows back in little patches. In another month or two, I imagine I may actually be hair free and not have to do anything – pretty incredible!

Sizing Tips & FAQs

Do laser hair/IPL hair machines really remove your hair?

Once you start Googling laser hair removal or IPL hair removal, you will consistently come across the phrase: “permanent hair reduction.” Reduction does not equal removal, so let me explain further. Laser and IPL machines use a high intensity light that targets and tries to damage melanin (ie – dark hair). If you zap a hair while it is in its growth cycle, laser and IPL permanently damage that hair. Damaging a hair in its growth cycle prevents it from growing back. The problem is, your hair is in various stages of growth and it’s difficult for us to know which hair is in what growth phase. So for example, imagine a 1” square of hair – whether on your arm or leg. That patch will have some hair follicles in the growth cycle, and other follicles in other phases. If you zap that full 1” patch , you are only doing damage to the hairs in the growth phase. This is why you have to be consistent about lasering on a schedule – so over time you end up catching all the hairs in that patch in their growth cycle. Even now that I’m 4 months in, there are random hairs that keep growing back, but I’d say 85-90% of hair has been eliminated.

 

Where on my body can I use the Silk Expert Pro?

I’ve used the Silk Expert Pro on my face (cheeks and lower), neck, armpits, arms, legs, and bikini line. Braun suggests you avoid genital areas, so I have not done my brazillian.

 

Does it hurt?

There are times where it hurts more or less. Certain times, it’s been tough getting through a laser session, but that usually means you’re getting a lot of the hairs during their growth phase. The best way I can describe it is each zap feels like you’re being pricked. Each zap also can feel hot (not like a burning feeling – just intense heat). So a prick with intense heat.. but it literally only lasts a second.  No lingering pain or anything. I’m at a point where if I don’t have that feeling, I get annoyed because I know it was an ineffective session. Plus there are a few gentle modes to ease you into it – you can always use that if you are sensitive to pain.

 

Will I be able to use it on myself? Especially on sensitive areas like my bikini?

I have a pain tolerance of zero and am able to do it by myself. I usually put on a TV show or something distracting and go ham. Even if you feel pain, it’s over like a second later, so I’m able to pick it back up. Plus, liquid courage in the form of a glass of wine also helps 🙂

 

Why do I have to shave before using the machine?

I struggled with this a lot, because a lot of online blogs will tell you that shaving before laser hair removal is unnecessary. Having used the machine myself, I realize why shaving is so important. Remember – the machine is looking for dark hair follicles to zap. If you don’t shave your hair, it will zap the hair, but it may not be at the root-level. Having the machine zap your hair above your skin is kind of useless and won’t solve your purpose. As the months have gone on, I am able to just spot shave where I see hair growth and laser over everything else without shaving.. so it does get better. But to start, I definitely suggest shaving over any hair you want to laser

 

Does this work for all skin/hair types?

Laser and IPL machines are most effective on lighter-medium skin, and darker hair. Braun has a helpful skin tone and hair color chart, which is posted in our pictures. More importantly, if your hair/skin match isn’t safe to use, the Silk Expert Pro won’t work, which is a nice backstop.

 

Anything else I should know?

Read the instructions when you get the Silk Expert Pro – it’s very helpful and straightforward. There are 2 options to laser – either pulse method (push button where you want to zap), or a continuous method (hold button down and it will zap every few seconds). I use both for different parts of my body. And always, always moisturize after you’re done for a few days. Also try to avoid direct sunlight for long periods of time or tanning in the few days before and after you use the machine.

Have another question?

Related Products & Links

Braun Silk Expert 3

This was the previous version to our JOAT pick. A lot of similarities, but is slower and less strong as compared to the Silk Expert 5. The 3 is less expensive – $250 instead of $330, and available on Amazon Prime. I think it makes sense to splurge for the 5 for the extra capabilities, strength, and speed, but if you are on a budget, this is a great second option.

 

Phillips Lumea

This seems very comparable to the Braun, however it was only available in Europe when I was looking to buy. I now see it on sale in the US via Amazon, but there is not a lot of information about the various Lumea devices. I obviously trust the Philips brand, but the lack of proper information and the more expensive cost & lack of availability led me to Braun, and I have no regrets about this decision.

 

Silk’n Infinity

The Flash&Glo is about the same price as the Braun, and Infinity is about half the price. However – I felt more comfortable going with a reputed brand like Braun, whose R&D process I trust more given the company size and internationally-renowned brand name

 

Tria Hair Removal Laser

This is a true laser device vs IPL. Because of this, it is more powerful/stronger than any of the above machines. It also has multiple treatment levels – and lets you choose which intensity to choose. To me, while this is probably a great product, I would not trust somebody who does not understand laser machines or isn’t licensed to properly use this without burning yourself or otherwise messing up. While this is arguably a stronger product than the Braun, I prefer the one that is safer. It will probably take a few more sessions to get the same results on Braun, but that isn’t as important since you own it and can use it as often as you like.

Have a better suggestion?

reviewed by

Jill

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