Does 5MinSkin offer an affordable, convenient, permanent solution to body hair?

First a little about me: I’ve been searching for a comfortable and consistent way to remove my brown, prickly body hair since puberty. I started shaving at 15, and almost immediately struggled with irritation and ingrown hairs. I’ve been searching for a gentler and less frequent solution ever since.

I’ve tried the usual suspects: waxing, of course, is super effective (and super painful). I used to maintain a monthly salon schedule, but with kids, it's been difficult to make time. I’ve considered laser, but I just can’t justify the ridiculous cost (over $4,000 for legs and arms). Like many of you, I just revert back to shaving.

‍Which brings us to IPL, or intense pulsed light – a treatment that’s recently been getting a lot of attention. It targets the pigment in hair follicles, heats it, and over time, destroys it (similar to laser). You can do IPL at home. There’s a few different brands out there: I decided to try 5minSkin’s Zapper 2.0 because of its price ($161 with TCD discount) and very positive customer reviews (4.8 stars from 1186 customers). Read on for my honest thoughts after my full treatment (8 weeks).

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What is 5MinSkin? 

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5MinSkin is an IPL hair removal company. The flagship product, the Hair Zapper 2.0 is $161 (w/ TCD’s exclusive discount!) and promises safe and permanent hair removal: noticeable reduction within 2 uses and full results in 12 or fewer uses over 8-12 weeks.

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What's in the Box?

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My Zapper 2.0 box came with:

• The Zapper 2.0, the core IPL device
• Charger for cord-free use
• Razor (for preparing the areas; I used my trusty Gillette Venus)
• Eye Protection (while not necessary unless treating close to the eyes, I wore these just in case)
• Instructions on how to use all of the above

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Zapper 2.0 Ratings Breakdown

Price: ★★★★★

Compared to the long-term costs of shaving, waxing, and other hair removal methods, the Zapper 2.0 is a fraction of the cost. See below for average lifetime costs of typical hair removal alternatives.

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5MinSkin also compares very well to other IPL options. I really appreciated that the box included eye protection, and even a razor to get started immediately.

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Ease of Use: ★★★★★

Treatments per area take just 5 minutes, once a week. “Zapping” myself with The Zapper was sometimes uncomfortable, but generally painless. It has an LED display that makes it easy to see what intensity your treatment is set to. Just click a button to cycle through. The IPL light is REALLY bright, but I suppose that means it's working! I used the provided protective eyewear for all my treatments.

One thing I really liked about the Zapper 2.0 that is not included in other IPL offerings is “Glide Mode.” Instead of having to activate the device on every patch of skin – it does so automatically. That makes it a lot easier to zap when listening to music or podcasts. 

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Comfort: ★★★★

The Zapper 2.0  treatment can lead to temporary skin sensitivity, but I actually got used to it pretty quickly – I find it more comfortable than other hair removal options, and it’s just once a week. You also don’t have to worry about cuts, ingrown hairs or razor bumps. In fact, as I get to below, the Zapper actually improved my irritation and ingrown hairs.

I've found that cold showers on the days I zap and moisturizing often helps a lot.

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Technology: ★★★★★

As mentioned, The Zapper uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to zap the root of hair follicles. It’s a safe, well-studied, comfortable way to get permanent results at home.

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My Experience with 5MinSkin

Before beginning treatments, 5MinSkin recommends testing a small area of skin first to make sure you don’t face any adverse side effects. Generally speaking, it’s important to see how your skin reacts to any new products or methods!

The Zapper has 5 levels. Each level is shown on an LED display, corresponding to the brightness of light delivered with each pulse. It’s recommended to work your way up depending on how your skin responds. The higher the level, the quicker you’ll see the results. Check out me using it on my underarms below!

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The Zapper 2.0 is fairly ergonomic, fitting well in the palm of my hand, and travels easily. I used it the recommended 1x per week, typically on Friday, always using the eye protection provided. You should shave before every treatment to ensure the highest efficacy. Using it on my legs, underarms, and bikini area takes a total of about 15 minutes.

Right after treatment, my skin was generally a bit more sensitive, particularly my underarms. I’ll still take that over the burning and rawness I typically experience post-shaving or the intense pain of waxing. In fact, my legs almost seem to glow about a day after treatment. There’s actually evidence that because IPL mildly heats deeper layers of skin, it stimulates collagen production, reducing the appearance of fine lines, scars and wrinkles. I hope that’s happening!

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My Results (at 0, 4, and 8 weeks)

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I’ve completed a full course of 8 treatments over 8 weeks that 5MinSkin recommends for most users. After the first two sessions, my skin felt smoother, and generally less irritated. That’s probably due to my break from frequent shaving. My hair had already started coming back slower and thinner. After the full 8 weeks, I’m honestly surprised by how great my results are from the 15 minutes per week. See my weekly results below.

After 2 weeks: My hair is growing much softer and also coming in much slower. Stubble is a bit less prickly, and my skin is less irritated overall, especially compared to frequent shaving or right after waxing. 

After 4 weeks: There’s so much less hair to zap! And a very welcome side effect of zapping: fewer ingrown hairs! I think this has to do with both less hair and shaving less frequently, allowing my skin and follicles to recover. 

After 6 weeks: At this point I’m seeing only minimal hair growth – in fact the health of my skin seems much improved, almost reminding me of when I was a teenager. My skin feels and appears more moisturized, and some areas of minor hyperpigmentation on my legs seem to have lightened. 

After 8 weeks (full treatment): Overall, I’m EXTREMELY pleased  with my final results. I now rarely worry about hair growth – and that’s a really strange feeling!  Any hair that does pop up is quite thin –  my underarms, legs, and bikini area are much smoother. If that bothers me in the future, I can try a few more treatments. For now I just “spot-shave”, especially if I'm going to wear something a bit revealing. 

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Final Thoughts

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In short, I’m a convert! 5MinSkin is a great way to go for permanent hair reduction. As a busy mom, the time and money I’ve saved by trying 5MinSkin’s Zapper 2.0 IPL device is actually amazing. I went into this process pretty skeptical – but at 15 minutes a week, I didn’t have much to lose. I’ll likely continue with maintenance treatments every few months. 

Compared to shaving, waxing, laser, and most other methods, 5MinSkin saves time, money, and discomfort. Finally, 5MinSkin offers a “100% Money Back Guarantee” over a full 90 days from the delivery date. If you’re looking for safe, permanent, effective, convenient hair removal, 5MinSkin is a fantastic choice.

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