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My mission to be as hairless and carefree as possible will come as no surprise to those of you who have read my lip hair removal advice.
But the two main areas I desire super sleek baldness, are my underarms and downstairs department (front, back, sides and crack, in case you were wondering).
I've previously had ten sessions of IPL laser hair removal and was extremely happy with the results. But after a year to two without top-up sessions, my prickly little dark-haired friends have begun to return in tufts.
This time, I decided to test out the latest innovation in hair removal: ice laser.
Ice laser is a hair removal treatment, performed in a clinic using the Soprano ICE Platinum device. The machine gradually heats the dermis to a temperature that effectively 'kills' the hair follicle and prevents hair growth. The part of the device that comes in contact with the skin is ice cold, to keep the skin's surface comfortable while it targets the follicles.
Having had traditional laser before, the main differences I found with 'ice laser' was:
1. The cold tip: It really is very cold when it first comes in contact with the skin, so it takes a long time for you to even notice it's heating up.
2. A gel is applied and there's constant contact with the skin: Each area is prepped with a clear gel (kinda like an ultrasound), and then the device is placed on the area and the technician glides it over the skin in quick motions until the treatment of that area is completed. Unlike other IPL techniques, where it is lifted in between each jolt of laser and they can't go over the same area, the ice laser covers the entire area multiple times and is very thorough.
3. Less painful: Traditional IPL can feel like you're being flicked with a hot rubber band, but with ice laser the main thing you feel is heat. It's kept quite comfortable and warms up slowly.
4. It can be used on most skin and hair types: Yes, even tanned skin. While previous types of lasers have preferred light skin and dark hairs for optimal treatment, the Soprano ICE can be used successfully on deeper skin tones, as well as finer, lighter hairs.
By Sheilla Mamona and Annabelle Spranklen
Before beginning my ice laser treatment, I went into the Courthouse Clinic for a patch test. Even though I have had IPL previously, they wanted to make sure I wouldn't have any adverse reactions. With my skin perfectly fine from the test area, I was able to book my first appointment.
On the day of my appointment, I made sure to shave the areas needing treatment the night before, which is required before the session, just the same as IPL.
We started with my underarms, by removing any traces of deodorant and then the gel was applied and the machine turned on. It started off feeling freezing cold, but the heat gradually built up. The technician asked me to asses the pain every few minutes on a scale of one to five, and I was barely pushing a two. One underarm took less than three minutes to complete. This could be different depending on how much hair you have in the area, but for my small stubborn patches it was quick and easy.
My bikini area felt the heat a little more, but still sat at a comfortable two on the scale, with my technician very diligent on checking in. The entire area took only 10-15 minutes in total, with the entire appoinment being completed in under an hour.
In comparison to other laser treatments I've had it was the most pain-free I've ever experienced. The only hint of pain I felt was when we were treating my back door and I had missed a hair shaving, which made the machine zap and sizzle it, somewhat satisfyingly. It was a millisecond of shock and flick, but in terms of overall pain, the entire treatment is very mild.
Before & after a full treatment with the Soprano ICE Platinum
If you've found other techniques pretty unbearable pain-wise, I would say the ice laser is as good as it gets. And the technician is very considerate of your pain threshold if it does get too hot.
Two weeks following my first appointment, I can tell some hairs have fallen out from my underarm area. This is pretty great after just one session, and for the ones remaining, I'm sure they'll be zapped in my appoinments to follow. As I've had laser before, I may only need a further two-four appointments to achieve complete hair-free results.
If you were going to have a completely untouched area treated, you could need ten session or more to reach your desired level of hairlessness. But trust me, it's worth it when you can wear that bikini or skinny strap dress and raise your hands like you just don't care.
Final thoughts to come after my next few sessions. Stay tuned...
Pagani Cryo T Shock By Sophie Cockett and Denise Primbet