Want to stop fighting your follicles and banish body and facial hair for good? Then it’s high time you invested in one of the best IPL machines around. One such device on review here is the Sensica Sensilight PRO, which has a host of excellent features –including a few that outperform our top two rated devices: the Philips Lumea Prestige and the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5.
But what is IPL? Well, IPL stands for ‘intense pulse light’, and the best IPL machines can be used in the comfort and privacy of your home to significantly – and painlessly – reduce the regrowth of your hair (read our article, ‘Are IPL machines effective?’, to fully understand how and why they work).
Of course, even the best devices won’t banish body hair forever, but for certain skin tones and hair types, they do an excellent job of reducing hair growth to make the job of de-fuzzing a far less tedious and painful process.
Indeed, I’ve been using the Sensica Sensilight PRO for the past four months and I’ve been vastly impressed with its ability to halt hair growth on many areas of my body and reduce more stubborn, thicker hairs to barely-there fluff. Read on for my full Sensica Sensilight PRO review.
SENSICA SENSILIGHT PRO REVIEW: FEATURES & EXTRAS
One of the standout features of the Sensica Sensilight PRO is that it provides an unlimited number of flashes via a high-performance integrated quartz lamp covered by a lifetime guarantee. By way of comparison, the Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 has a bulb life of 400,000 flashes (which Braun says is equivalent to 22 years of treatment), while the Philips Lumea Prestige has 250,000 (15+ years of treatment).
In short, the Sensilight PRO should last you forever, which goes a long way towards justifying its price tag (£379). Ever better, it’s cordless for ease of use, delivering up to 600 flashes between charges so you can treat more of your body in one session.
According to Sensica, the Sensilight PRO is the ‘most advanced, professional hair reduction system for home use’, thanks to its highly effective, FDA-cleared Reactive Pulsed Light (RPL). Based on the same technology used in Intense Pulse Light technology (IPL), RPL uses a clinically proven combination of IPL and a unique skin tone and contact sensor that monitors and reacts to your skin with every flash. This helps to identify the most suitable energy level from a total of six, ensuring it only works on suitable skin tones. If it detects a skin tone that's too dark, it will automatically deactivate the flash.
A unique Energy Recommendation button identifies the most suitable energy level after evaluating the tone and condition of your skin at the beginning of each session to ensure you always get a safe, personalised treatment.
With its white and rose gold casing, the Sensica Sensilight PRO is very similar in shape and appearance to the Philips Lumea Prestige, and you get two treatment windows for better accuracy when treating different areas of the body.
The Large treatment window measures 4.5cm² and is designed for the faster treatment of larger areas such as the legs and arms (Sensica claims it is ‘the largest available today’). The Small treatment window, designed for areas like the upper lip, chin, and jawline, measures 2cm² and boasts an integrated UV filter for gentler treatment.
Unlike some IPL machines, the device doesn’t come with a disposable razor to help you prep your skin before treatment, and you don’t get any protective sunglasses either, but that’s because Sensica says you shouldn’t need them.
Last but certainly not least, the Sensica Sensilight PRO features a handy Automatic Gliding Mode so you don’t have to hold down the trigger to activate flashes unless the treatment window breaks contact with the skin, in which case it will automatically deactivate the flash trigger.
SENSICA SENSILIGHT PRO REVIEW: WHO CAN USE IT, WHERE AND HOW?
The Sensica Sensilight PRO can be used on the body, including the legs, arms, shoulders, back, stomach, underarms, and bikini line. It’s also suitable for facial hair on the upper lip, cheek, jaw, chin, and neck, but not around the eyes.
As with all IPL machines, the Sensica Sensilight PRO is most effective for those with darker hair and light to mid skin tones or, more specifically, skin tone types I to V according to the Fitzpatrick skin chart. That’s because the bigger the difference between the colour of the hair and the colour of the skin, the better.
For the best results, you’ll need to shave or trim the area of treatment beforehand and make sure it’s free of all creams, make-up, and deodorants. Be advised that you shouldn’t wax or pluck in between treatments so you may want to invest in a facial razor. It’s also recommended that you avoid direct sun exposure for at least two weeks post treatment or apply a sunscreen of SPF30 and higher if going outside.
You’ll need to perform a preliminary test on a small area of your body 48 hours before your first treatment to determine your skin’s reactivity. Assuming everything is okay, you can then treat the hair on your body every two weeks for the first one to four sessions, and every four weeks for the next five to seven sessions.
When using the Sensica Sensilight PRO on your face, treatments must be spread two weeks apart for the first one to five hair removal sessions (using energy levels one to four only), then every four weeks thereafter. As many as 8+ treatments will be needed, or until you reach your desired results, but you should start seeing results within three to four sessions.
SENSICA SENSILIGHT PRO REVIEW: DOES IT WORK?
Yes, it does. As a white-skinned woman with dark hair, I noticed that the hair on my legs, arms, bikini line and under arms became significantly thinner, wispier, and less coarse after the third session. By the fourth session, entire patches on my legs were hairless, and while I still had a long way to go to fully eradicate my body hair, shaving was a much easier, quicker process, and I experienced less ingrown hairs and skin irritation.
Results took longer to see on my upper lip and chin, but I persevered and definitely saw a reduction by the seventh session. In fairness, Sensica notes that facial hair may be hormonal and as such, can take more sessions to achieve a permanent hair reduction.
Using the device is surprising easy, especially when it’s in Automatic Gliding Mode, and I could treat both my lower legs in 15 minutes. Moreover, one full 2.5-hour charge delivers up to 600 flashes - more than enough for me to zap both of my legs from ankle to hip, as well as my bikini line and armpits in one session.
The instructions that come with the Sensica Sensilight PRO are first class and helped to instill me with the confidence I needed to use the device. While there isn’t an app to guide you through the process, experts are available to chat to via the website and Sensica offers two free video consultations with an aesthetician once you’ve registered the device for the two-year warranty.
Some might say the Sensica Sensilight PRO is larger and bulkier than most IPL machines, but I didn’t find the size a problem. In fact, I found it very comfortable to use and move around the body, thanks to ergonomic handle and cordless design, which meant I could use it anywhere and didn’t have to be near a power socket.
The treatment window feels warm on the skin, and I sometimes experienced a small ‘zapping’ feeling when the flash went off with a loud pop, but I never once felt any pain during treatment or irritation afterwards. Overall, I was very impressed with my results.
SENSICA SENSILIGHT PRO REVIEW: VERDICT
The Sensica Sensilight PRO is a powerful IPL machine that removes unwanted hair quickly, effectively, and painlessly. With its cordless design and ergonomic shape, it’s easy and comfortable to use, especially when using it in the ‘gliding’ mode so you can take your finger off the trigger.
The price is high at £379, but long-term hair removal is never cheap. However, the Sensica Sensilight PRO promises unlimited flashes, which should mean you’ll never have to invest in another IPL machine again. There’s no doubt this is one of the best IPL machines you can buy.
