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Almost all women have a razor in the bathroom.
To shave their armpits, legs and bikini line, a tedious and reoccurring job.
That's why some women have hairs removed permanently by a beautician.
And now there are depilatory machines. We've tested four models for you.
Removing hair at home sounds great but it isn't as good as it may seem.
The use of such a machine depends on skin type and hair colour.
The greater the contrast, the better it works.
You can't use these machines on very light hair...
on a very dark skin or on reddish hair.
Nor if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, suffering from certain illnesses...
or taking certain medication.
It works by placing the area with a sensor and that generates the light...
on the skin and an indicator tells you whether you're making enough contact.
You alter the light's intensity to suit your hair and skin colour.
Then you flash it. It's a bright flash so I close my eyes.
It sounds easy enough but there are a few things to bear in mind.
First of all, the surface is small so if you want to do a whole leg...
it will take 30 minutes and you have to repeat this as hairs grow in cycles.
So, you won't see any results until X weeks later.
And you can't always use it.
First, you have to shave the area you want to treat.
But you must not wax or depilate it nor sit in the sun before you use it.
So, you won't use it much in summer.
Each machine was tested by a different person.
And there are a few remarkable differences.
The Philips is wireless so you don't have to be close to a wall socket.
And it has one large cartridge which doesn't need replacing.
The other ones aren't wireless so you'll always need a wall socket.
And you must replace the cartridges after an X number of flashes.
The cartridges range from 29 to 39 Euros.
These machines, the Remington and the Silk'n...
are cheaper than the Philips, they're about 240 Euros instead of 400 Euros.
But after replacing the cartridges it will come down to the same.
What did our panel think of the machines?
They're easy to use, and by that we mean flashing them.
But there are a few drawbacks.
It's hard to see where you've been so you have to guess where you go next.
Which is all right for an armpit but for a leg it's more of an issue.
Also, the flash is very bright so you must close your eyes when you flash it.
With some machines you feel a tingling so you think something is happening.
Another person didn't feel anything and then you wonder whether it's working.
And that's the key question. Did the ladies see any results?
We can see a clear difference between the treated and the untreated armpit.
Conclusion: The machines work but don't expect a miracle.
The hair growth seems to be less.
But perhaps it takes longer before they grow back.
You'll need numerous treatments because hairs grow in cycles.
Treated hairs may grow back with less pigment, less colour and be thinner.
This makes them harder to treat...
as the contrast between skin and hairs is less.
A beautician warned us that the machine might not have enough intensity.
In this event, the hairs just warm up and even singe.
With the machines we tested this wasn't the case.
Do you have experience with one of these or a similar machine...
tell us about it in the comments of this film.
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