Braun has done it yet again with the IPL Silk Expert Pro 5, another stellar hair removal device from one of the best-known brands in the personal grooming market.
Their debut into light-based energy devices came in 2016 when they partnered with Cyden, a company with a long history in the design and manufacture of IPL (intense pulsed light) devices for home use. The culmination of having some years refining their craft has resulted in this latest model.
Its luxurious, eye-catching white-and-gold design certainly looks the part, but the most important question is, as always, does it get the job done?
First, let’s start with a little introduction to IPL for those new to this technology.
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What is IPL?
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. An IPL device sends a pulse of light down into the hair shaft, where it gets converted to heat energy, and destroys hair at the root. The light targets the hair by being attracted to its pigment. This is why IPL isn’t recommended for those with dark skin and dark hair, or very light skin and blonde, red or grey hair. There needs to be some contrast for the light to be able to “tell” the hair and skin apart.
Benefits of a Home IPL Device
The truth is that shaving just doesn’t work for many women. It needs to be done several times a week, and those of us with thicker hair often find the stubble, bumps, and razor burns left behind are not much better than having the hair itself.
Waxing is a great alternative, but it requires salon visits for decent results. It’s easy to see why a permanent solution is in so much demand, and technologies like IPL and electrolysis provide one. But attending professional treatments can be time-consuming, inconvenient, uncomfortable for some, and not to mention highly expensive.
The Braun IPL Silk Expert Pro 5 seeks to combine the best of both worlds, by providing a long-lasting, stubble- and bump-free alternative that can be achieved in the comfort of your own home.
Braun IPL Silk Expert – Top 3 Features
No. 1. Flashes
The Silk Expert comes loaded with 400,000 flashes just like the Silk’n Infinity. ( The BoSidin hair removal device has 500,000!) That’s a 30% increase on the previous model, and Braun estimates the device should provide you with 22 years’ worth of use.
This might make you wonder – the point of IPL is that you can stop using it, right? Well, you’ll see the most dramatic reduction in hair coverage within the first 4 weeks of use. After roughly a year, depending on your hair type and growth rate, you should find that you rarely need to use it at all. But in order to maintain smooth, hair-free skin, you will need to do top-up treatments. The Pro 5 gives you as many uses as you’ll ever need – and then some.
No. 2. Speed
Dramatic hair reduction as quickly as possible is the focus of the IPL Silk Expert’s design.
Because of the increase in the frequency of flashes from its previous model, the Expert Pro 5 executes its hair-removing mission in double time. Many devices “flash” once every 2-3 seconds but with the Silk Expert Pro, it’s 1-2 seconds. The Pro 5 also comes with a ‘gliding mode’, which triggers more flashes as you go, enabling you to cover large areas of unwanted hair twice as fast.
No. 3. Handling
The Pro 5’s precision head and reduced weight make it ideal for reaching tricky areas like the face, underarms and bikini area. It’s 15% smaller and 25% lighter than the previous model, taking even more of the effort out of the process.
What Sets the Silk Expert Pro 5 Apart From Other Devices?
Whereas many at-home IPL devices come with 5 power settings or less, the Pro 5 comes with a staggering 10! This means that a much broader spectrum of skin tones and constitutions can use it, as there’s a tailored setting for each one.
A SensoAdapt Sensor Scans The Skin Continuously
Perhaps the biggest difference about this particular model that sets it apart from other IPL technology is that it continuously adapts to your skin tone. It’s quite broadly understood that IPL is not effective on very dark skin tones as the light can’t detect the hair against the skin.
But many people forget that skin tone can vary across one person’s body. What if you have some areas that are much darker? The Pro 5’s ‘SensoAdapt’ technology addresses this, by reading the skin tone as it goes, and adapting the flash intensity. This massively reduces the risk of burns or irritation where there is less contrast between the skin and hair (the pubic region is a common example of this).
It’s speed is also a huge bonus. It revolutionizes the previously laborious process of at-home IPL, making it much more efficient, and easier to do without too much concentration. It even does this while on its lowest settings, meaning it’s gentler, too.
How To Use Braun IPL Pro 5
Is The Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 Worth Buying?
There are many things in this world where the cheap version is just as good as the expensive one. But technology is one area where this is less likely to be the case. With beauty technology, it is particularly rare.
The best at-home devices are modeled on professional technology used in clinics and salons. The build quality also makes a difference in the overall experience. Premium materials mean increased safety and a lighter weight.
Dermatologist Tested – Suitable for Sensitive Skin
Furthermore, the big research budget behind names like Braun means they’re able to provide thoroughly considered convenience factors that smaller companies might not have thought of, like the precision head, and adapting sensor technology.
It is important to note that, as with any IPL device, you won’t be hair-free instantly and permanently. You’ll need to use it once every week or two in order to target all the hairs at their various stages of growth. Remember some hair will be in the resting phase too. But the Silk Expert Pro 5 is a faster route than most to dramatically reducing the coverage of hair on your body.
The temptation to try a cheaper model is understandable. But it does risk a worst-case scenario – the cheap one doesn’t work, and then you have to fork out again for a higher quality device!
Think of it this way: the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 is a bit more costly than some of the other devices on the market. However, it’s still much cheaper, and much less time-consuming, than a course of professional IPL treatment.
