SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL review: Fast, effective and pocket-friendly

An IPL device is one of the most effective ways to remove unwanted hair at home. However, one of the caveats is the time it takes to complete a treatment. Thankfully, the SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL promises to tackle this head on by offering unbeatably fast treatments at a price of only £269.

IPL, or intense pulsed light, is a method of long-term hair removal that uses intense flashes of light to damage hair at the root, preventing it from growing back. Despite being cheaper than laser hair removal in a salon, an at-home IPL device is still a sizable upfront investment.

So, an attractive proposition for both price and treatment time, I was interested to see how well the SmoothSkin IPL device would fare for performance. As you’ll see, it was easily the most effective, fast and well designed IPL device I’ve tested at this price point.

SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL: What do you get for the money?

The SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL costs £269, making it one of the more affordable IPL devices on the market. Like most, the main body of the unit is made from plastic with a tapered, handle-like end. Its two control buttons can be found on the top of the device, with the larger button controlling the flashes and the smaller one used to switch between the three power modes.

The device has a whopping 10 intensity levels, which means you’re likely to get a more personalised treatment than you would with any other IPL device. To put this into perspective, the top-of-the-range Philips Lumea IPL only has five intensity levels. That said, there are only three power modes to choose from on the SmoothSkin Pure Fit, with the device automatically sensing the level that’s most safe and suitable for your skin tone.

Of the three power modes on offer, SmoothSkin recommends using the “Power” mode. This is the highest intensity your skin will be able to tolerate, leading to the fastest and most effective treatment. If you find this uncomfortable, the “Comfort” mode selects a lower intensity level for, you’ve guessed it, a more comfortable treatment. The final “Speed” mode selects the lowest intensity level to emit lower-intensity flashes of light at a faster rate. That means you’ll complete your treatments in record time, but it will take longer for you to notice long-term hair reduction.

The marketing material states that the SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL is the “fastest and most powerful IPL hair removal device” on the market. While such claims should be treated with a healthy dose of scepticism, our tests verified that the Pure Fit is, indeed, a remarkably quick IPL device.

When using the highest intensity setting (in my case this was level 10, since my skin is deathly pale in the winter), the flash rate was more than twice as fast as the next quickest IPL device – the £470 Philips Lumea 9000. So, rather than a treatment on both legs taking up to 36 minutes of your time, you’ll be able to shave that down to just under 18 minutes. That’s a huge time-saving in a busy schedule.

According to the SmoothSkin website, it takes 12 treatments carried out weekly to see the best hair reduction results. After this point, only a top-up treatment every one to two months will be required. Weekly treatments are a rarity among IPL devices – most are only safe to use every fortnight – but these faster treatments may speed up the time it takes to see results. Thankfully, the device also comes with an “unlimited” number of flashes, so you shouldn’t need to worry about its lifespan.

Along with the device itself, in the box you’ll find a silicone cover to protect the treatment window from damage in storage, plus a precision head attachment for treating smaller areas, such as the face. The latter simply clips onto the front end of the device and remains securely in place throughout treatment. There’s a small drawstring carry case, too, to provide protection during storage.

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SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL review: How does it work?

IPL hair removal uses flashes of light to kill the hair follicle at the root, preventing hair from regrowing.

Simply position the treatment window of the SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL flush with the skin and it will automatically scan the skin to set a safe intensity level. Once this is done, press the flash button and it will emit a high-intensity pulse of light. The hair follicles absorb this light, which causes damage and, following repeated treatment, prevents hair from regrowing.

Darker colours absorb light better, so those with dark hair will see the best results. No matter their IPL device of choice, those with blonde or grey body hair won’t see such great results. Perhaps more importantly, IPL can cause skin hyperpigmentation and burns on those with particularly dark skin; this is as a result of the higher concentration of melanin in their skin. Unfortunately, this risk remains with any IPL treatment.

If you’re uncertain about how safe and effective the treatment will be for you, then take a look at the handy colour chart on the SmoothSkin website. Note that the SmoothSkin Pure Fit comes with Smart Skin Sensing tech that is able to continuously measure your skin tone at over 80x per second. This safety sensor prevents the device from flashing if the skin is deemed unsuitable. Thankfully, though this isn’t widely advertised (we raised a query with the retailer), the SmoothSkin IPL arrives with a money-back guarantee when you purchase the device through CurrentBody. The device is also covered by a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.

To ensure that the light has direct access to the hair follicle, users will need to remove hair from the area before treatment. If you choose to shave the area, you can complete the IPL treatment straight away. Alternatively, if you prefer waxing and epilating, then you’ll need to hold off treatment for a day or two to allow the area to recover.

Those new to IPL should be aware that getting results takes time. The SmoothSkin Pure Fit allows you to complete treatments every week, which speeds up treatment considerably. That said, each hair still needs to be caught at the right point during its four-week growth cycle to be treated.

In my experience, each treatment saw hairs become lighter, thinner and more sparse. The rate of growth also slowed compared to usual. I found that areas in which the hairs are thicker and more coarse – underarms, for example – took longer to treat in general, whereas my legs were showing significantly less hair after just four treatments.

SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL review: What’s it like to use?

Ease of use

While I was sceptical about how well the skin tone sensor would work, I found that the SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL was incredibly easy to use. Unlike other IPL devices, there was no need to self-select a suitable intensity level based on colour charts or lengthy skin sensitivity tests. I simply selected the mode and I was good to go – it couldn’t have been simpler.

I used the Power mode for most of my tests, but tested all three settings and felt a noticeable difference between the power levels of all. While the Power mode operates at a safe level, switching to Comfort mode saw the device feel significantly more gentle on the skin. Speed mode was quick, though to the degree that I’d choose to use it regularly unless I was really strapped for time. Even at full power, treating one leg took under 10 minutes.

Once the power level had been set, it was simple to use the slide and flash function to treat my whole leg by pressing and holding the flash button. In areas where I needed to be more precise, such as the ankles, I could stamp and flash by pressing the button once. These controls are similar to those on both the Philips Lumea IPL device and the Silk’n Infinity. Thankfully, the SmoothSkin Pure Fit is super lightweight and comfortable to hold. It weighs just 288g, and its long wire ensures good flexibility to complete treatments in tricky areas. 

One of the only downsides I have found is the lack of an accompanying app for tracking treatments. This means you’ll need to use a calendar app, set reminders or keep a diary to remember to complete treatments on time. Nevertheless, while the pricier competitors mentioned throughout do arrive with apps, since treatments with the SmoothSkin Pure Fit are carried out weekly, they’re easier to keep track of. For me, it was a Sunday evening job.

Pain levels

Those very sensitive to pain should be aware that pain levels on the Power setting are higher than average. Typically when using IPL devices on high-intensity levels, I experience a mild tingling sensation that, at worst, feels like a rubber band snapping against the skin. I wouldn’t say it’s painful, just unusual.

Conversely, with the SmoothSkin Pure Fit in Power mode, the hot tingling sensation was more intense and the skin felt a little tender in some areas for 10-15 minutes after treatment. Note that this Power mode produces the most effective results; but if it’s intolerable then you can switch to the ‘Comfort’ mode.

Effectiveness

When I started testing the SmoothSkin Pure Fit, I was somewhat sceptical about the effectiveness of such quick treatments. Thankfully, these concerns only lasted a few weeks. On the highest intensity level, the treatments proved very effective, and very fast. After just three treatments, I could see large, bald patches on my legs, with the remaining hairs growing back half as thick.

For complete results, I only really needed eight treatments – though do note that I have dark hair and light skin, so IPL is always effective on my colouring. It’s now January and I still have bald patches on my legs, months after completing testing in October, and I haven’t had to do a single top-up.

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SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL review: Should you buy it?

Long story short, the SmoothSkin Pure Fit IPL is an excellent IPL device with which it’s hard to find fault. Not only does it perform its IPL hair removal duties incredibly effectively, but the simple controls and fast flash rate make it easily one of the best IPL devices I’ve ever used. 

It happily stands up to – and in some areas, outperforms – devices that retail for well over £400, so at just £269, you can’t go far wrong. It’s still an investment, as all safe IPL devices are, but for those looking for a reliable, easy-to-use IPL device that’s equipped for treating all areas of the body, the SmoothSkin Pure Fit is an easy recommendation.