Choosing to remove body hair or to embrace it is an entirely personal choice. If you do opt for removal, there are plenty of options – waxing, shaving, epilating – but it can still be a minefield trying to find one that works for your hair and skin. One of the newest and buzziest methods of hair removal is IPL.

It stands for ‘intense pulsed light’ therapy and offers a long-term solution to keep hair growth at bay. The light and heat stunt hair growth, gradually reducing it over time. While it’s not as powerful as in-clinic laser removal, it gives you the option to top-up as and when you need it from the comfort of your own home.

It’s also worth noting that at-home IPL devices don’t work for everyone. Because they need to have a contrast between the skin and the hair for them to work, those with paler skin tones and lighter hair won’t find it an effective hair removal method, and neither will those with darker skin tones. 

I’ve tried IPL devices in the past and found they managed to successfully stunt hair growth. But before I knew it, my hair growth cycle was back to normal. Using an IPL device continuously for eight weeks was enough of a struggle for me, but the top-ups? Those were another level, which is why my hair returned to growing at full force.

However, seven months ago I was introduced to the Braun IPL Skin i-Expert Pro 7. It promises silky smooth skin in as little as three weeks and comes with an innovative app that syncs with the device to give you application advice for optimal results. It also schedules your weekly sessions and top-ups, alerting you when you need to reach for your device. If you can’t do it that day, you can adjust the timings in the app for another day. 

IPL is pain-free, and because you have to shave beforehand, you get close and accurate hair removal, too. This is the opposite of the experience I had when I went through my epilating phase, which was painful and always left a bunch of hair intact.

While I typically used to shave my underarms every three days, after six weeks of using the Braun device, this area only required shaving once a week – a huge feat. My bikini and leg hair took a little longer, but I still saw noticeable results after eight weeks.

My one bugbear? It’s corded, which means you need to be near a plug socket for it to do its thing. However, this does come with the added bonus of it being faster than the cordless IPLs I’ve used previously when it comes to generating a speedy amount of flashes for a more accurate zapping of the hair follicles.

Now, I’m seven months into using the Braun IPL Skin i-Expert Pro 7 and I’m still relatively hair-free, thanks to the app notifications that have taken the hair removal admin completely off my hands. It sounds simple, but if it’s the only thing keeping my skin silky smooth, I’m in. 

Image: Adobe; Braun