I’ll be the first to raise my hand and admit that as adventurous as I can be with my beauty rituals, I am still a creature of habit in some ways – and this includes years of waxing appointments despite having considered IPL far too many times because well, clearly old habits die hard.
If you’re still fairly new to the IPL world, here it is in a nutshell: IPL hair removal is an advanced semi-permanent treatment method using a broad spectrum of specially filtered light that is used to effectively weaken hair follicles from the root with very minimal discomfort.
So, in the spirit of not getting myself stuck in a beauty (or life) rut this year, I decided it was time to man-up and give IPL a go. So I figured go-big-or-go-home and went for the full IPL Brazilian (I don’t mess about!) at STRIP Ministry of Waxing and here’s what I learned from my experience:
#1: Fear (Pain) Factor
Ultimately, fear and pain (or the fear of pain) are what’s trapping us in isn’t it? You know exactly what goes on during a waxing session and you don’t have to fear the IPL unknown but step out of that cushy comfort zone for a second and realize this – you’ve survived many a less-than-comfortable (read: at times excruciating) hot waxing sessions – seriously, what could be worse?
But let’s be realistic here, we’re not setting you up for spa-level expectations here, but I will say this though, the ultra-minimal discomfort felt during my IPL treatment was nothing compared to the strip-off soft or hard wax sessions I’ve put myself through all.these.years. I am a fan already.
#2: No-mess process
My experience was contrary to the messy stories I’ve heard – a quick shave, a dollop of cooling gel and on comes the STRIP Powerpac – a device that was 20 years of R&D in the making – which comes with a specialized crystal applicator that drastically weakens hair follicles for lasting hair-off results. You’ll feel a little heat as the applicator is smoothed over in circular motions and depending on the area, slight static when the device comes into contact with hair follicles, but that’s about all the discomfort you’ll experience. Major bonus: no sudden scream-inducing strip-offs!
#3: Low downtime drama
One of my absolute favourite things about the IPL is really not having to deal with painful regrowth drama or the post-waxing irritation I sometimes experience. You’ll still have to adhere to the post-care tips such as avoiding heated areas such as the sauna or the gym (as the heat causes pores to sweat, which can lead in skin irritation and bacteria infestation), but that’s easy done. A little treat of Ice Cream, STRIP’s award-winning moisturiser will be applied post- IPL treatment, but I also find religiously applying a soothing balm at home helps tremendously with the recovery.
One thing to note though, and you don’t hear it very often, but undergoing IPL treatments may alter the hair growth/ratio on the treated area. Depending on the follicles, hair may grow back in batches with the occasional bare or uneven, slower-growing patch. That said, even after just one session, the results lasted much longer than a regular waxing treatment although a complete IPL treatment will take up to six sessions with a recommendation of six weeks spaced in between, but you will get a semi-permanent hair reduction of up to 80%, which can last up to a few years.
#4: Let’s talk moolah
Now, we’re down to the final reason (other than #1, that is) that’s keeping us away from our happily IPL ever after – the dent in our purses. And while it may seem like a huge splurge (read: beauty investment) at RM900 per IPL session, the results that will last you a few years (plus the significant reduction in pain) will definitely give you a bang for your buck and be totally worth it. So even if you’re not ready to take a plunge into the IPL world just yet, keep this on your beauty KIV list for when you’re feeling adventurous next because if like me, 2017 is your year of change, good news is you still have over half a year to get your act together.
STRIP Ministry of Waxing offers a range of IPL treatments to suit every need, budget and level of courage, appointments necessary.
More beauty transformations ahead…
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