Hey Y’all,
If I had a nickel for every time I heard about a new useless hair removal gadget I’d be a millionaire. Well, maybe not, but I’d at least have enough to buy that Balenciaga weekender I want… But that’s another story.
The Silk’n SensEpil is the latest of several at home “laser hair removal” devices that are claim to allow you to do your hair removal with a laser at home. This gizmo is soon-to-be-as-useful-as-a-paperweight. It’s called Silk’n SensEpil and it’s another disaster-waiting-to-happen. The at-home laser hair removal gizmo is being hocked on late night infomercials.
This at-home laser hair removal thingy is expensive ($499) and likely very ineffective. You can’t even compare professional medical lasers to the at-home handheld devices, it’s like apples and oranges. This thingy doesn’t use a real laser; rather it uses IPL (intense pulsed light – essentially a bright flashlight), which is a totally outdated technology.
Experienced laser practitioners use true medical lasers for effective laser hair removal. The practitioner knows to be careful to not provide too little energy, which could make the treatment useless, and also must be careful not to provide too much energy, which can damage surrounding skin. Would you trust yourself to know how to do this? Didn’t think so.
Sorry, this thing might “sound good” but I’m not buying it, literally. And neither should you!
xxx Laser Gal
Editor’s note: Below we’ve included a comparison of key features between the Tria and the Silk’n as compared with true medical lasers.
Light-Source/Wavelength – Tria uses a diode laser and Silk’n uses an intense pulse light – IPL – flash lamp to work. For light skin, the Alexandrite (or Alex) laser is generally thought of has the most effective wavelength for laser hair removal purposes. IPLs are generally known as an antiquated system, which is less effective and more likely to cause injury. Neither the Tria’s diode laser, nor the Silk’n’s IPL system, is appropriate for tan or dark skin; most practitioners would recommend use of the Nd:YAG laser for skin with pigment.
Fluence/Energy Level: The fluence (or energy level) is another important factor in laser strength and effectiveness for hair removal. Fluence is measured in joules per square centimeter (J/cm²). The Tria has an adjustable fluence level of between 7 and 20 joules. The Silk’n has a fluence level of 5 joules.
True medical lasers used for laser hair removal, such as the Cynosure Apogee Elite (Alexandrite, and Nd:YAG) have maximum fluence levels selectable by the laser practitioner of between 50 and 80 joules.
An experienced laser practitioner will normally select an energy level of between 25 and 60 joules for an effective treatment. The practitioner must be careful to not provide too little energy, which impairs the effectiveness of the treatment, and also must be careful not to provide too much energy, which can damage surrounding skin.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
How is the alex laser on dark skin?
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Twitter: assaralaser
November 25, 2009 at 1:48 pm
The Alex is not a good laser bandwidth for dark skin. It targets hairs by the melanin inside the hair. With dark skin, the laser energy transmitted from the Alex will also target the melanin in your skin, and is likely to cause a burn.
Stay away from Alex lasers if you have dark skin. Use only an Nd: YAG laser.
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I have a silk’n senspil and its been somewhat effective for me mostly in the arm and underarm area. The pricing is all relative, $499 is pretty expensive but i figured I’d try it out. We’ll have to see how it goes . . .
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To Sushi Lover: I have dark skin and a tendency to scar. If you have dark skin, make sure your tech does a test patch and you are gentle with your skin following treatment. That means no harsh scrubbing in the shower and be sure to use sun protection for a few days.
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