About IPL

1. Will hair grow back?

The key to keeping skin feeling smooth is to continue and follow your treatment plan. With regular use, you should see fewer and fewer hairs growing back. The hairs that do return should also become finer, lighter in color, and slower to grow. Over time, you may be able to replace shaving as part of your routine. And remember, with SmoothSkin Bare and Bare+, you can treat stubborn areas such as the underarms by gliding over the same area multiple times, up to 3 passes.

2. Does IPL treatment cause side effects?

All SmoothSkin devices have been independently tested for effectiveness and, of course, safety. If you use the device according to the user instructions, you should not experience any adverse side effects. You may notice minor skin reactions right after treatment, such as redness or warmth, but this is usually nothing to worry about. If you notice any other side effects, stop using the device and contact us for advice on what to do next. You can find more information .

3. Is at-home IPL the same as IPL treatment at a salon?

Yes. SmoothSkin uses the same IPL technology used in salons around the world to help achieve great results. However, professional devices allow trained therapists to use much higher energy levels than at-home IPL products on the market today. This simply means you may need touch-up treatments more often to maintain your results. The upside? You can use SmoothSkin comfortably at home, in front of the TV, even with a cup or glass of wine if you like.

4. Is IPL safe for my skin?

SmoothSkin technology is safe for the skin as long as it is suitable for your skin tone and used according to the instructions in the product manual. Before you buy a SmoothSkin device, we recommend checking our skin tone chart using the image below or finding more information here. All SmoothSkin devices include built-in UV filters to help protect your skin from harmful rays, and the skin tone sensor on the handset will prevent flashes if the correct skin color is not detected.

5. Is IPL safe for my eyes? Do I need to wear eye protection?

SmoothSkin devices have been developed with safety as a top priority, so they are safe to use near the eyes without eye protection. However, some users find the flash a little bright and prefer to wear sunglasses or protective eyewear during treatment. That is fine and entirely up to you. We also recommend using SmoothSkin in a well-lit room to reduce the perceived brightness of the flash.
When using the device, we recommend that you do not look at the handset when it flashes on the skin. The system includes safety features to prevent flashing in the air, but you should never try to flash it into or near your eyes.

6. Does IPL hurt?

Usually not. Most people feel only a slight tingling or warm sensation. However, the sensation varies from person to person. People with dark, coarse hair may experience an initial feeling similar to a light rubber band snap. SmoothSkin Muse, For Men, and Gold all include GENTLE MODE, which can help you ease into the experience if treatment feels a little uncomfortable at first.

7. What is the difference between LASER and IPL?

Laser and IPL both work by using light and heat to target the hair follicle in line with the hair growth cycle. However, the technology used to deliver the light is quite different, with the main difference being the type of light.

In short, IPL devices produce a range of light wavelengths to create a single white flash of light. This light can appear with an orange/red glow when the device is applied to the skin, much like a camera flash. Laser uses a single wavelength of light to create one focused beam, like a laser pointer.

Because of these differences, laser and IPL treatments differ in:

Treatment time: Because the light beam used in laser treatment is highly focused, laser devices have very small treatment areas. Since IPL uses a broader flash of light, IPL devices have larger treatment windows and can therefore treat a much wider area at once, which means faster treatment times than laser.

Pain level: The more concentrated single beam of light used in laser treatments is often reported as being more painful than IPL treatment.

Cost: Creating laser light is expensive, and in salons in particular, laser treatment is often priced much higher, while IPL is usually far more affordable.

How long results last: In return for the higher cost and pain level, laser treatment may mean fewer touch-up sessions are needed. But, as with any light-based hair reduction treatment, you will still need to continue maintenance treatments to help prevent hair from growing back.

Safety: Laser light is very intense and can even be hazardous. For this reason, at-home laser hair removal devices use significantly lower energy levels, especially compared with professional salon systems. The advantage of IPL is that it is much safer to use because the light is less concentrated and can therefore be used at home with minimal risk while still helping deliver long-lasting results.

In summary, IPL can offer a similar level of results to laser treatment, as long as you follow the recommended treatment plan and continue with maintenance sessions. When you stick closely to your plan, you can save time, money, and endless salon visits by completing treatments in the comfort of your own home. Convenient, right?

8. How long does each treatment take?

SmoothSkin Bare and Bare+ flash 100 times per minute, so you can treat your whole body, including legs, underarms, bikini line, and face, in just 10 minutes.

Depending on your skin tone, SmoothSkin Muse, Gold, and For Men flash at about 50 times per minute. A full-body treatment, including legs, underarms, bikini line, and face, takes just 20 minutes.

9. Why do I need maintenance treatments?

For ALL at-home IPL or laser treatments, a single session will not last forever. You will need to continue hair treatments after a period of time to help stop hair from starting to grow back.

Of course, everyone’s treatment timeline is different, because we all have different skin, hair, lifestyles, and even genetics play a role. So once you finish your initial treatment phase, you need to find the routine that works best for you. The great thing is that SmoothSkin devices can help keep hair growth under control as long as you continue regular treatments. So, as long as you keep up with maintenance sessions, you can avoid the return of stubbly legs or underarms. Great, right?

10. Why do I need to keep using the device for 12 weeks?

This is a fun fact! Hair grows in 3 distinct and consecutive stages, and not all hairs are in the same stage at the same time. Because IPL treatment is only effective during one specific stage, the anagen or growth phase, you need to follow the treatment plan until you achieve your desired results. By sticking to the recommended schedule, you can help treat any hairs that may have been missed in earlier sessions. Science made simple!

11. How long will it take to see results?

This is a fun fact! Hair grows in 3 distinct and consecutive stages, and not all hairs are in the same stage at the same time. IPL treatment is only effective during one specific stage, the anagen or growth phase, so during the first few weeks after your initial treatment, you may still notice some hair growing back. Don’t worry! These may be hairs that were not treated while in their growth phase, when IPL is most effective. So be sure to keep following your treatment plan. Within 4 weeks, you should see less regrowth. There may still be some hairs that need treatment because the process works best when hair is in the right growth stage, but don’t worry — from here, things should keep improving, so keep going!

If you need any help or have any questions, contact us and we’ll be happy to support you.

12. Is IPL permanent?

First, let’s talk about what to NOT expect. For ALL at-home IPL or laser treatments, a single session will not last forever. You will need to continue hair treatments after a period of time to help stop hair from starting to grow back; but the great thing is that SmoothSkin devices can help keep hair growth under control as long as you continue regular treatments. So, as long as you keep up with maintenance sessions, you can avoid the return of stubbly legs or underarms. Great, right?

13. Does IPL really work?

Yes. Several clinical trials have shown that, when used correctly, IPL can significantly reduce hair growth. For best results, it is very important that you follow the recommended treatment plan.

Read the latest reviews to see what people like you think about SmoothSkin products.

14. How does IPL work?

SmoothSkin devices use Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) to disrupt the hair growth cycle.
Light energy passes through the skin’s surface and is absorbed by the melanin in the hair shaft. That light energy is converted into heat energy beneath the skin’s surface, which helps prevent hairs from growing back.
Treated hairs naturally shed over the following days to 1–2 weeks.
Once you have completed the initial treatment phase, you will need to continue regular maintenance treatments, but the great thing is that SmoothSkin devices can help keep hair growth under control as long as you continue regular treatments. So, as long as you keep up with maintenance sessions, you can avoid the return of stubbly legs or underarms. Great, right?