Long term hair removal at home with Rio Professional IPL

The Rio Professional Intense Pulsed Light hair remover uses the latest Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology to give long term hair removal. Placed gently against the skin, pulses of intense light from the long life quartz bulb are delivered directly to the hair follicle with enough energy to destroy the root without affecting the surrounding area. The treatment is very quick, for example it only takes a couple of minutes to treat the underarm area. Periodic treatments every four to six weeks are required to ensure that there is no hair regrowth. IPL hair removal is ideal for fast and efficient long term results, for use on the legs, arms, underarms, bikini line, back, chest and certain areas of the face within the area illustrated by the white dotted line (below right), leaving your skin beautifully smooth and without a hair in sight. The Rio Professional IPL hair remover should not be used around the eyes or on the lips.

The Rio Professional IPL hair remover can be used safely on the face within the area illustrated by the dotted line

Not all skin types are suitable for IPL

The Rio Professional IPL hair remover is not suitable for tanned or dark skin tones, for example, those of Afro-Caribbean, black African, Indian or Pakistani decent. Even if your skin tone appears to be suitable on the skin tone chart below, do not use if close relations (parents/grandparents) have skin tones as described above as the process may not work. IPL is not suitable for red, light blonde, grey or white hair.

IPL is only suitable for certain skin tones

The Rio Professional IPL hair remover is not for use on or by children under 14 years old and not for use on or by children between 14 and 17 years old without parental supervision.

How to use the Rio Professional IPL hair remover

Check for any reaction by testing a small area of your skin 24 hours before you begin treatment. This patch test will confirm the maximum power level for your skin type.

When you are ready to go, shave the area to be treated. This ensures that the light energy goes directly to the hair root and avoids hair burning on the surface.

Turn the unit on, enter the security code, press the enable button then place the wand over the area you wish to treat. Ensure the skin sensors are in contact with the skin and press and hold down the treatment button on the wand. This initiates the treatment flash.

After the treatment flash the unit will self-check, then move the wand to the next area to be treated and repeat the process. When you have finished your treatment, turn the unit off and store in a safe place away from children.

The timing for follow-on treatments is not critical. Rio recommends treatments at two-week intervals, although some people like to treat the area every week and others just once a month, depending on personal preference and on where the treatment area is. As long as the hair follicle or surrounding skin is not red, sore or inflamed, treatment can be repeated after a minimum of 48 hours.

What to expect

During IPL treatment, most people experience a warming of the skin. Slight irritation similar to that of minor sunburn may be felt if used on too high a power level, or if the area has not been shaved. Men undergoing treatment experience greater discomfort as male body hair is generally thicker than womens', however the sensation quickly disappears.

After the treatment there will usually be no perceptible change in your skin. A slight redness may occur but will normally fade over 24 hours. There may be some localised redness around the hair follicle which is quite normal. However, if any redness or inflammation remains after 24 hours, this would indicate you have selected too high a power level for your skin type. Please refer to the patch test information above.