I have been dying to try an IPL Hair Removal System for such a long time, especially after hearing about the amazing results a few of my blogging friends have had since using one. I was literally about to purchase one when I was kindly offered the chance to review the brand new Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System which couldn’t have come at a better time, and I was extremely excited to give it a try and see how a Panasonic device would compare.
Hair removal is almost a taboo subject on beauty blogs which I don’t really understand seeing as well have hair, and a lot of us chose different hair removal processes. I have Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome which can cause extra hair on the face and body, which can be darker and thicker however I feel rather lucky as I don’t have ‘extra’ hair as such, but my hair does grow back very quickly on my legs especially so I have to shave my legs daily if I want to have hair free legs which is a massive pain.
I have tried waxing, however I bruise so easily that the waxing would just leave my skin bruised and sore and I’ve never had much luck when using hair removal creams either so I was dying to try an IPL to see if it would help solve my hair removal woes, as frequent shaving of my legs leaves them so dry and it’s very time consuming too.
An IPL is a technology used by cosmetic and medical practitioners to perform various skin treatments for aesthetic and therapeutic uses including hair removal, photo rejuvenation, and treatment of dermatological diseases. However we can now purchase an at-home IPL Hair Removal System which can permanently reduce hair growth, which is said to be most effectively with darker, coarser hair.
The Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System £349.99 works by emitting a wavelength of light which scatters within the skin, and is said to work similarly to how black clothing works on a hot day by absorbing heat, whilst white clothing reflects heat.
The light emitted from the handheld IPL device is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, which quickly turns to heat which then kills the growing cells that make the hair.
For the Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System to work, there is an handy guide on the back to show the skintone and hair colours which are suitable for the IPL to work, with the very fair to grey hair, and darkest of skins not being suitable for the IPL technology.
Luckily for me, my skintone definitely fits within the ‘white’ category, and I’d describe my leg hair as being ‘dark blonde’ so I have suitable skin tone and hair colour. I would definitely recommend checking to see if you’re suitable before purchasing an IPL as they’re an investment purchase, so you really do need to make sure you’re within the appropriate categories otherwise you could be left disappointed by the results.
Inside the Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System’s box you get; the ES-WH80 handset, a charger, an additional bulb (although I didn’t get an additional bulb in my trial package), an instruction book and a guarantee guard.
The IPL handset is quite weighty, but it’s not too heavy which I really like as it’s very easy to hold and use but I love that once it’s been charged up, you could potentially take the handset away with you as it contains a long-life Lion battery which provides you over 600 flashes per single charge which is amazing.
The Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System handset has five intensity settings, and can be used on the legs, arms, armpits and bikini line. Some IPL’s allow you to use it on your face too, but the Panasonic ES-WH80 says you cannot use it on your face which is something to consider if you’re looking for a device for the body and face, as this is just for the body which doesn’t bother me personally as I don’t have facial hair concerns but it could still be a deal breaker for some.
I really like the design of the handset as it has a white pearlescent handle, with a purple head and I just think it looks nice compared to other models which are typically white and grey.
To use the Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System, it is recommended that you start on the lowest intensity to begin with and then increasing the intensities as you progress through your treatments. Before I tried the IPL for the first time, I was really nervous as I was convinced it was going to hurt which was ridiculous as it didn’t hurt at all, and even after seven weeks of treatment, I haven’t experienced any pain whatsoever which I’m really relieved about as I’m such a wimp.
Panasonic recommend using the IPL once every two weeks for the first two months, which is what I’m doing as I’m still within the first two month period, and once two months have passed, I can then use it once every four weeks from the third month onwards as your skin will have become more accustomed to the technology, and it’s important to take it steadily with both intensities and frequency of use.
How To Use
To use the device you simply remove the plastic head, and press and hold the power button for three seconds. The device will turn on immediately, and emits a whirring sound which I never expected but it does make noise the whole time it’s on, which isn’t ridiculously loud but it’s loud enough that someone in the next room could hear.
When the device is on you simply press the flat bulb against your skin in a 90 degree angle so the device is perpendicular against the skin and keep it pressed against the skin until the bulb flashes. The bulb window will not flash if the device isn’t held at an exact 90 degree angle, so you simply have to just adjust the angle until the bulb flashes.
After the bulb flashes, you simply move the head up/down your skin to treat the next area as you mustn’t treat the same area of skin continuously. As a guide, the instruction manual states it will take approximately 10 minutes per session for both legs (approx 190 flashes) but it obviously depends on the size of your legs and the book includes recommended treatment times for the arms, armpits and bikini line too.
My Experience
For the purpose of my review, I’ve only been using the Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System on my legs as I wanted to make sure I stuck to the two weekly treatments religiously but I would like to perhaps use it on my underarms now I’ve gotten used to it. Initially I was concerned the treatment would be painful, but it hasn’t been at all painful.
The only sensation I feel during use is heat, so the bulb’s flashes warm the skin, and the higher the intensity (1-5) the higher the heat intensity, but even on level three which is the highest I’ve used, it’s just ‘very warm’ but I imagine level five might be hot but I doubt it would be uncomfortably so. Although I also imagine it would be different on different parts of the body in terms of the heat you’d experience, but I haven’t had any issues personally and I’ve not had inflammation or skin issues since using the device either.
Before using the IPL, you have to shave the area completely of hair, which isn’t an issue with my legs but you would have to shave your bikini area before using the device which might be uncomfortable but it won’t work unless the hair has been removed with a razor before use.
I wasn’t sure I’d notice any results within the initial seven week testing period but I’m incredibly pleased the results I’ve seen in such a short time – I noticed results within just four weeks. Within the first four weeks I’ve noticed that the hair on my legs is growing back slower than it did and instead of having to shave my legs every single day, I now only need to do it every two days which is incredible and I am 100% sure that with a couple of weeks more treatments, my hair growth will allow me to drop my shaving to once every three days which might not sound like very much, but if you have to shave daily like I did, you’ll understand that’s a huge improvement and I’m delighted.
I am now looking forward to using the Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System on my underarms as I’ve seen such amazing results on my legs, and I’m excited to see if I have as much success as I’ve seen with my legs. I am very lucky that I was able to trial the Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System, but if it broke tomorrow and it didn’t have a guarantee like it does, I would 100% repurchase the same device tomorrow as it really is amazing, and in my opinion, completely worth the hefty price tag as it’s something which could potentially give me long term results without having to go to a clinic and have painful laser hair removal treatments which cost a lot more per session than this device costs in itself.
I cannot praise the ES-WH80 enough, it’s such an impressice device and I’m absolutely over the moon with the results I’ve seen already and can’t wait to see what the results will be after another two to three months.
Have you got an IPL device? Would you be tempted by the Panasonic ES-WH80 IPL Hair Removal System?
All products featured on Gemma Etc. are PR samples or gifted items, unless otherwise indicated. This post may contain affiliate links. If you wish to find out more, please see my Disclaimer within my navigation bar.