This epilator is not based on laser technology, but on the emission of light in the form of flashes. These flashes caused by thermal effect the destruction of the hair root, provided that the contrast between skin and hair are sufficient, the hairs to be obviously darker than the skin to absorb most of the light energy. In other words, it does not work at all on white or light blond hair, while you may burn if your skin is very dark. See also in this connection the summary table of the manufacturer.
The flash intensity can be adjusted in 5 levels. On a clear skin, you can safely use the maximum intensity, which gives a slight tingling sensation at every flash, perfectly bearable. The unit is supplied with a charger (the charge is relatively quick and it is a Li-ion battery, the most efficient technology) and two application heads (a standard 4 cm², reduced to 2 cm² the face.)
The finish is correct, without being extraordinary (at least given the cost of the unit.) The grip is very good, although the unit is relatively heavy. The flash lamp is supposed to last the life of the device (designed for 140,000 flashes), it is not user replaceable.
The use is very simple with an on-off button and a flash intensity selector. A green light indicates when the application to the skin is correct (the pins on the applicator must all be driven, guarantee a proper application and to avoid unwanted flashes, which would be very dangerous to the eyes), we can then proceed to flash by pressing the trigger. With practice, one can flash approximately every 2-3 seconds. The device includes a small fan to prevent overheating.
It is advisable to shave the skin beforehand, otherwise the flashes are more likely to grill the hair surface without doing anything at the roots. Operation is easy, but still quite daunting since it takes several hundred flashes to make the legs for example. Philips recommends one session every two weeks at the start (to adapt to the rhythm of hair growth, not all in the same phase) and can then space the sessions. You have to be very methodical in the use, not because there is no way of knowing which areas have already been flashed and it should obviously avoid flashing a zone several times during a session.
The result is noticeable after a few weeks with finer hairs, less visible, it will take a few more months to have enough distance. Read the reviews here and there, the result depends a lot of people, and probably also the patience of everyone as the sessions require several hours per month, which is (with the price of course) the main drawback of this type device ... Another big flaw, autonomy is quite short, because of the flashes that require lots of energy.
