That’s where the app comes in. It schedules handy alerts on the day of and the days leading up to treatments to help remind you when your treatments are due. And, if you fall behind on treatments it automatically re-shuffles your treatment plan to help ensure you keep seeing positive results.
While the app doesn’t connect to the device directly using Bluetooth, simply enter your model number and you’ll be greeted with specific pre-treatment, set up, and aftercare instructions for the Lumea you’re using. This helps guide you through the treatment process so you never miss a step. It also features handy blog posts and video guides from other Lumea users offering practical advice.
All this information is useful to have, but I did find one limitation to the app’s functionality. Once I had passed the initial treatment phase, there was no option to go back and add in an extra fortnightly top-up treatment in between the monthly treatments if rogue hairs started growing back. In the grand scheme of things, however, this is a minor issue in a feature that simplifies the IPL treatment to no end.
Ease of use
While it takes a bit of time getting into the required routine, the Lumea Prestige itself is incredibly easy to use. On top of the device, five indicator lights tell you which light intensity setting you’re using, below that are left and right arrows that allow you to scroll through the intensity settings. The SenseIQ button is also here, which helps decide which setting to use by scanning the skin; when the test is done, the optimum light indicator will flash, and you can press the tick button to confirm that intensity level.
Aside from the obvious power button, the final button is the trigger, which is conveniently located on the handle of the Lumea Prestige. During treatments, when the treatment window is flush against the skin, the indicator light on the back of the device lights up, which means that the Lumea is ready to flash. Simply press the flash trigger at this point to flash the skin, then move the device to the next area of the skin, and repeat.
In my testing, a single leg took me 18 minutes, which is the same treatment time as the Lumea 9000. This makes a lot of sense because both devices have the same two-second flash rate and treatment window size and curvature.
As it isn’t cordless, the Lumea Prestige is also lighter than the Lumea 9000, weighing in at 492g, rather than 545g. However, the devices look almost identical, with the same comfortable handle and controls; the main cosmetic difference is the colour of the body and the battery light indicator on the Lumea 9000.
Of course, the Lumea Prestige loses out on the cordless convenience offered by the more expensive Philips Lumea 9000, which means you need to be sat close to a plug for the duration of the treatment. Luckily, the two-metre cord is long enough to manoeuvre around your body during treatments.
Pain levels
When testing the Lumea Prestige, I found that there was little to no pain using the highest intensity level on most of the body. The legs, for example, only had a slight tingling sensation with each flash, but in more sensitive areas like the armpits, it felt like a rubber band was being snapped against my skin. This was by no means unbearable, just slightly uncomfortable.
Remember, if the thought of discomfort seems off-putting to you, you can always adjust the intensity level down until it’s comfortable again. The SenseIQ button also helps with this by suggesting the most comfortable setting for your skin tone.
Effectiveness
In my testing, I found the Philips Lumea Prestige to be very effective at reducing hair growth on my limbs. After two treatments, the hair on my legs grew thinner, lighter, and slower than before – some bald patches were already starting to show. After the full four treatments, there was pretty much no hair growing back at all, aside from a few stragglers I’d missed during treatment. To reiterate though, I do have pale skin and brown hair, which means IPL treatments are expected to work well on my colouring.
As with the other Philips Lumea devices I tested, I found the treatment to be less effective on areas of the body where hair grows thicker and coarser, like the armpits. In these cases, it took four treatments for the hairs to grow back thinner, slower and lighter. I expect that with prolonged treatment, bald spots would also start to show in these areas, the results simply take time.
