I was allowed to test the Philips Lumea IPL. I have light skin and black hair, which is rare but it is ideal for this device. The manual is basically clear and you can get started right away.
I had not prepared myself well for the effect of the light flashes, I can't find anything about this in the manual. The flashes are really intense, I have to close my eyes with my shirt over my head, or look the other way with my eyes closed, then it is doable. Perhaps certain glasses are needed for this? I will do some research on this.
The Lumea, especially in combination with the app, clearly indicates which setting it should be on. It scans your skin and gives recommendations. It indicated setting 5 for me, but I still find this a bit too intense. I am fine on setting 4. I was curious whether a lower setting would still have sufficient effect.
I tested my legs: left leg not done, right leg done a few laps. This way I could see the difference well. After one treatment you can already see a difference, clearly less hair grows back. After two weeks I did the second treatment, then waited for the hair to grow. The hairs on my left leg are now a few millimeters long, while they just stay away on my right leg.
The treatment takes quite a lot of time and it takes some practice. However, when I see this result now, I think it is worth it. I still have to find a good way for this and it does require some dedication.