Is Nood the cheap, safe, lasting solution to hair removal we’ve all been looking for? 

First a little about me: I’ve struggled with coarse body hair for years, and used to get teased relentlessly as a kid. I started shaving at 14, but have been searching for something gentler and less time-consuming ever since. And I’ve tried a lot: epillators are torture and irritating; hair erasers lead to ingrowns and rashes. I’ve settled on salon waxing, but that is expensive ($200/mo!), painful, and, umm, a little invasive. And lasers? I’m just not ready to spend a few months’ rent on treatments. 

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). The best part is that you can do IPL right at home. I decided to try Nood’s Flasher 2.0 because of its great reviews and price. Read on for my honest thoughts after the first two treatments.

What is Nood? 

Nood wants to make permanent hair removal easy with IPL. Their flagship product, The Flasher 2.0, retails for $189 and promises safe and permanent hair removal in about 8 weeks.

What's in the Box?

My “Noodist Kit” came with:

• The Flasher 2.0, the core IPL device
• The Revealer, an exfoliant
• The Reviver, an aloe aftercare treatment
• A postcard I keep on my fridge to track treatments
• Instructions on how to use all of the above

Taking care of your skin before and after IPL treatment is essential—and this kit thankfully had everything I needed to safely stay on top of treatments.

The Flasher 2.0 Ratings Breakdown

Price: ★★★★★

Compared to the long-term costs of shaving, waxing, and other hair removal methods, the Flasher 2.0 is straight up cheap at < $200. It’s especially cost effective vs. laser hair removal treatments, which can cost $4k+ just for underarms and legs.

Ease of Use: ★★★★

Treatments per area take just 10 minutes, twice a week. Flashing myself with The Flasher was sometimes uncomfortable at worst, but painless. It has an LED display that makes it easy to see what intensity your treatment is set to. The IPL light is BRIGHT: protective eyewear is not required, but throwing on a pair of sunglasses during treatment solved this issue.

Comfort: ★★★★

Nood’s treatment can lead to temporary skin sensitivity, but I find it more comfortable than other hair removal options. You also don’t have to worry about cuts, ingrown hairs or razor bumps. It helped reduce the appearance of my “strawberry legs” (where your hair follicles appear darker because of dead skin cells, oil, and dirt), so my pores looked smaller and my legs had a glowy finish.

Technology: ★★★★★

The Flasher uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to zap the root of hair follicles. It’s a safe, comfortable way to get permanent results right from home.

My Experience with Nood

Getting Started: Before beginning treatments, Nood recommends a skin sensitivity test to make sure you don’t face any adverse side effects. Whether it’s hair removal or skin care, it’s important to see how your skin reacts to any new products or interactions.

The Flasher 2.0 has 7 levels. Each level is shown on an LED display that shows you the intensity, so it’s easy to see whether you’re doing the treatment correctly. The levels correspond with how much light is delivered with each pulse. Ideally, you should work your way up depending on how your skin responds. The higher the level, the quicker you’ll see the results. Your skin’s reaction should help you gauge what level to build up to over time. The sensitivity test provides a baseline to start, then you’re able to build up to see what works best for you. Check out me using it on my underarms below!

Using the Flasher 2.0: I start by exfoliating my skin with The Revealer. This helps remove dead skin cells and prep the skin for treatment. After exfoliating, I shave so the Flasher 2.0 can target my hair follicles at the root. Once I’ve dried off, it’s time to start Flashing.

Using The Flasher 2.0 almost feels like holding a TV remote. It’s light, seamless, and travels well. I use it twice a week per their suggested instructions (included on a handy postcard). I typically Flash on Monday and Friday. Between using it on my full legs and my underarms, Flashing takes about 15 minutes (exfoliating and shaving before takes about an additional 10). My legs feel smoother after each treatment and as a final step, I use The Reviver aloe treatment to soothe my skin. Post-treatment, I’ve noticed less irritation compared to other methods, and after about an hour, I noticed my skin had a nice sheen.

Using it feels intuitive — thanks to its Auto feature, you simply place the Flasher close to the skin and it automatically pulses. It has a whirring fan noise that isn’t too loud or distracting, and each flash makes a light “zap” sound. I Flashed while catching up on TV or podcasts.

I used Nood on my underarms and legs and it feels gentle on the skin for the most part. I noticed that some areas of my skin were slightly more sensitive, but it pales in comparison to the cuts I’ve given myself during shaving or the pain from waxing. I’ll admit the LED light can be quite bright, so I wish it had an eyewear option included in the kit. On the bright side, my favorite sunglasses worked just fine!

My Results:‍

I’ve completed two treatments so far (Nood recommends 8 weeks of treatments for most users), and am already seeing real results. After my first treatment, I noticed the appearance of my strawberry legs was reduced and my skin wasn’t irritated like it usually is after waxing. My skin also felt smoother between the first and second session — I was pretty surprised since I didn’t expect it to work so quickly. After the first session, my hair grew back slower and slightly thinner. After the second session, it took ~5 days instead of the usual 2 for my hair to grow back! I can’t wait to see my progress over the next few weeks. Check back for updates on my hair removal journey.

How Nood Compares

Compared to other forms of hair removal, Nood beats the competition. It’s less painful, less expensive over time, and has left my treated areas hair free without the prickly aftermath.

Compared to shaving… Nood leaves the skin smooth and doesn’t leave razor burn after treatment.

Compared to waxing… Nood is less painful than waxing, and I can now ditch my monthly appointments. The cost of The Noodist Kit is what I pay for waxing each month… only for my hair to grow back each time.

Compared to epilating… Nood is less harsh and irritating than epilating. My epilator also cost more than The Noodist Kit and hasn’t been effective at keeping my hair away for good.

Compared to hair removal creams… Yes, they still make hair removal creams. Nood skips the harsh chemicals, smell, and damage to the skin.

Compared to hair erasers… I, like many others, have fallen victim to targeted ads promising silky smooth skin after rubbing this tool over your skin. It resulted in bad ingrowns and inflammation. My hair also grew back just as coarse as it did when shaving.

Final Thoughts

In short, I’m a convert! Nood is the way to go for permanent hair reduction. Compared to other methods of hair removal, Nood saves time, money, and discomfort. They also have a “90 day No-Questions-Asked Money-back Guarantee.” If you’re tired of booking laser or wax treatments, and are fed up with shaving last minute before heading out the door, I’d recommend giving Nood a try.