silkpro home laser,it works if you do it right! - Germany

I purchased this at Amazon Germany but I always search the internet to read reviews before I buy things, so I thought I'd write a review here, too.

First of all - I am mixed race (black and white) so my skin is definitely tan. The hair I want to remove (on my upper neck and upper lip) is black and coarse. I always believed the Silkpro and other at-home hair removal lasers wouldn't work for me because of my skin tone. When chatting with another friend who used Silkpro before, I mentioned that I was bummed I couldn't buy it because of my skin tone. She said, "I bet you'd be fine. Let's check." Turns out, the unit they had on display was plugged in and working. The zappy laser part wasn't functional (because that would be dangerous) but the indicator window on the bottom of the unit's handle was. It's a little window that you can hold up to the area you want to use the device on and it will tell you (via sound) if the hair is detectable and able to be lasered. I got the affirmative, triumphant sound and was thrilled!

A few weeks later, I purchased this device. Set up was fairly easy - just follow the instructions and get the device registered and working. I'm not sure why some reviewers grumble about that part but whatever. Before you begin zapping:
1. Wait 4-6 weeks if you've been waxing or plucking the area you want to laser. You won't have success if you start zapping hair follicles that have been waxed or plucked.
2. SHAVE the area you want to laser. Is it weird, as a female, to shave my upper lip? Yes. But you don't have to post about it on Facebook or anything.

When you're ready to zap:
1. If you haven't ever had laser hair removal, start on the lowest setting. I had professional hair removal a few years back so I started on level four.
2. Place the zapping window on the area and wait for the two beeps. That means it's zapping.... You don't have to press any buttons, it will just work when you place it on your skin.
3. Lift the device and place it on the next spot. The spots you zap should overlap a bit, so you're getting every square inch of the area.
4. If you get an angry sound, it might mean you need to pause a second longer between zaps.
5. The device fan may come on but that's no big deal.

After you zap:
1. Your skin may feel a bit tender - that's normal (especially if it's on a higher setting).
2. You can shave between zappings if you notice growth.
3. Stay out of the sun! When in the sun, make sure to use sunscreen on the areas you are lasering. The sun darkens your skin and can lighten your hair, which is not good for these purposes. At least, that is what they told me when I was getting it done professionally.

It will take a few weeks (or maybe longer) to see results. But I can tell you that I have noticed a HUGE difference! I had this weird scraggly patch of hair on my upper neck, right below my chin, and I honestly had to pluck it every other day. It's almost completely gone after using this for about 4 weeks. The hair on my upper lip is WAY less noticeable and all I need to do it shave it the day before I use the Silkpro (even though there is very little to shave). The instructions say to use this every two weeks (I believe) but I use it once a week.

The ONLY thing I don't like about this is the zapping window is SO small,only 9*9mm. Doing my armpits (something I'd like to do) would take forever. I'm sure it's a safety thing but it's a bit irritating. But overall, I LOVE THIS AND IT WORKS!