Veet Infini’Silk Pro Light-Based IPL Hair Removal System Review

Product Overview

The Infini'Silk Pro consists of a hand-held unit which is designed for corded use, straight from the mains, and can be used for both male and female bodily hair removal.

The installed light cartridge emits 5,000 flashes and there is an indicator light to tell you when it is running out.

Features include 5 light energy levels and skin colour and contact sensors.

It is FDA cleared for safe home use for  permanent hair reduction​, which is defined as "the long term stable reduction in the number of hairs regrowing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen".

A Close Look at the Product​

The Veet Infini'Silk Pro has a pretty reasonable spot size of 3.9 cm sq, making it suitable for covering larger areas quickly.

In addition it has a glide function, so that you can simply hold down the flash button whilst moving the device slowly from area to area, whilst it delivers continuous flashes every 3.5 seconds or so.​

Flashes every 3.5 seconds

The treatment window is slightly recessed and has built-in skin contact sensors to prevent accidental flashing of the unit when not in contact with the skin.

It also ensures that there is not too much light seepage around the edges as the device will not operate unless it is held fully flush against the skin.

This is very important to avoid damage to the eyes from the powerful light rays.​

The skin tone sensor, which should be used prior to every use, detects whether the device is suitable for use on your particular skin in any given area.

IPL is not suitable for those with darker skin tones - this is explained more fully in the next section, and works best for those with dark hair and light skin.

The device has 5 power levels, so that you have control and can select whichever level you find comfortable for each area of the body that you treat.

It is loaded with a 5,000 flash replaceable cartridge, which should be sufficient for many treatments.  The caviat to this, though, is that currently we have found it difficult, if not impossible​, to find replacements to purchase.

Given this, the 5,000 flashes does not seem such a good deal, especially given that the Veet Infini'Silk​ model apparently delivers up to 30,000 flashes at a slightly lower cost price.

To give you an idea, 1,500 flashes will provide approximately 4 treatments for 2 legs and 2 underarms or 2 full body treatments.

If the cartridges were freely available for purchase at a reasonable price, then it would be a fairly cost effective device.​

Who Can Use It?​

The Veet Infini'Silk Pro can be used by both males and females, and the best results are achieved by those individuals with pale skin and dark hair.

The device is  suitable for anyone with lighter skin tones, defined as category I - IV on the Fitzpatrick scale shown below​, and not suitable for anyone with darker skin tones:

Skin Type	Skin Colour	Hair Color (darkest)	Eye Colour	Description
1	White or very pale	Blonde	Blue, grey, green	Always burns, never tans
2	Pale white with beige tint	Chestnut or dark blond	Blue	Always burns, sometimes tans
3	Beige to light brown (olive)	Dark brown	Dark brown	Sometimes burns, always tans
4	Light to moderate brown	Black	Brown	Rarely Burns, always tans
5	Medium to Dark Brown	Black	Brownish black	Rarely burns, tans more than average
6	Dark brown to black	Black	Black	Never burns

You can check your skin tone against the colour chart to see if the device is safe for you to use.

The in-built skin tone sensor in the device will detect if your skin is too dark, and automatically stop it activating.

It is possible that some areas of the body have a darker skin tone than others, so it is important to use the sensor prior to every use, on the actual area that you wish to treat.

In addition, your hair colour needs to be dark enough for the technology to be effective and it will not work successfully on white, grey, red or blond hair.​

There are also some medical conditions which preclude the use of this product and it is vital that you read all the recommended precautions and warnings in the user manual thoroughly, prior to use.

These medical conditions include, but are not be limited to, the following:

• Epilepsy
• Diabetes
• History of skin malignancies or any skin condition
• Have an active implant

Where Can it be Used?​

The device is suitable for use all over the body, but it is not for use on facial hair:

• Arms
• Underarms
• Legs
• Bikini Line
• Stomach
• Back
• Chest

It should never be used on recently tanned skin (within 28 days) or if you have dark brown or black spots.

Do not use on tanned skin

It is not suitable for use over a tattoo, on moles or warts or on broken or irritated skin.​

How to Use it​

Read all the instructions carefully, paying particular attention to all warnings and precautions prior to use.  Misuse can lead to serious side effects including burns and blisters.

The following is to give you an idea only, and not intended as a comprehensive set of instructions:

• Prepare - shave the area to be treated and ensure that it is completely clean, dry and free from any cosmetic products.  (Hair must be shaved and not plucked, waxed or epilated as the hair root needs to be in place).
• Turn on - press the on/stby swith and the orange power indicator light will turn on and you will hear the sound of a fan.  The indicator will turn green to show that it is ready for use.
• Energy Level - the device automatically comes on at the lowest energy level (1) and is increased each time you press the energy level settings button (-/+) to a maximum of 5.  There are 3 indicator lights; at level 1 the left light is steadily lit, at level 2 the left light is steady and the middle light blinks, at level 3 they are both steady etc.   You should select the highest energy level that is comfortable for each area of the body, following the instructions given.
• Apply - ensure that the skin being treated is spread flat and apply the treatment window to it so that it is in full contact, at which point the ready indicator light will blink.
• Pulse - press the pulse button. The skin tone sensor will detect if your skin tone is suitable and if so, a flash of light will be delivered, and you will feel a mild warm, tingling sensation.  If your skin tone is too dark, the device will not operate and the skin tone warning indicator light will blink.
• Cover area - after delivering a pulse of light, you should move to the next patch of skin, in a grid-like order, in rows, and after approximately 3.5 seconds the ready indicator light will turn on to show that it is ready for the next flash. Each area should only be flashed once in any given treatment session.

What is IPL - How does it Work?​

IPL, or intense pulsed light, works by using pulses of light of varying wavelengths to target the dark pigment, known as melanin, which is found in skin and hair.

Melanin is particularly concentrated at the base​ of the hair root, around the hair follicle.

As the energy from the light pulse is absorbed by the melanin, it produces heat which damages the hair follicle sufficiently to cause the hair to fall out, usually in around 7 - 14 days.​

​The follicle will be permanently disabled or damaged enough so that the hair will not re-grow, or if it does, will likely grow back finer and lighter than before.

Pulses of light target melanin at the base of the hair shaft

When you understand how the technology works, it is easy to see why it is most efficient on dark hair and light skin; the greater the contrast between the two, the easier it is for the melanin to be targetted.​

Darker skin tones contain more melanin, which is why IPL is not suitable, as the skin will absorb too much of the light, leading to severe burns and blisters.​

Hair grows in three stages and at any one time the hairs all over your body are at varying stages:​

The 3 stages of hair growth

The duration of the lifecycle of hair is genetically determined and so differs from person to person, as well as depending on the area of the body e.g. underarm hair  has a shorter lifecycle (approx. 4 - 5 months) than leg hair (approx. 12 months)

It is for this reason that IPL is not a "quick fix" but will take time and many treatments to see a permanent reduction in hair regrowth.

Conclusion​

This is a relatively inexpensive device of its kind, but the difficulty in purchasing replacement bulb cartridges is a major issue as 5,000 flashes will not last forever.

In comparison, other similar home IPL devices such as ​the Silk'n Flash & Go, which also has 5,000 flashes, have cartridges readily available online.  

​You might like to take a look at our home roundup review of best home laser hair removal kits before you make up your mind.