Customer reviews from us.braun.com
Braun - Silk-expert Pro5 IPL Removal System (Hair Removal Device, Pouch, Power Cord, Head, Gillette Venus Razor and Cartridge) - White
Average customer rating
4.4
(422 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 422 reviews
5 Stars
245
4 Stars
132
3 Stars
31
2 Stars
6
1 Star
8
92%of customers recommend this product.
(
140 out of
153)
Customer Reviews for Braun - Silk-expert Pro5 IPL Removal System (Hair Removal Device, Pouch, Power Cord, Head, Gillette Venus Razor and Cartridge) - White
Customer Rating
4
Patience is a virtue...
on October 11, 2016
Posted by: sronit
from Brooklyn, NY
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] 1st week review: I was super excited to try out the Gillette® Venus® Silk-expert I received from Braun. Following the instructions, I shaved my legs (which is something I hate doing, which explains my excitement for this product) and dried them with a towel. I have gone through laser treatments before so knew what to expect as far as pain. The Gillette® Venus® Silk-expert did not hurt at all! I felt a very mild snap, some areas are obviously worse than the others so using the sensitive mode in these areas helps a lot. The treatment didn't take very long and the gliding mode is great. My only issue is that there's no good way of knowing what areas I've already gone through. I am considering using a white makeup pencil to mark sections on my legs and allow me to track the areas i've already treated. Looking forward to the next treatment!
8 weeks later: The results are in, and they are inconclusive. I am noticing some patches with less hair, but it's not significant enough yet. I think it also highlights my initial concern where it's hard to keep track of the areas that have already been treated. I think that being impatient made me skip some sections and possibly not treat the area with enough diligence.
That being said, I am going to continue using the device, I do think I'll be seeing more significant results. All I need is patience!
That being said, I am going to continue using the device, I do think I'll be seeing more significant results. All I need is patience!
I received the Venus® Silk-expert from Braun® in exchange for my opinion
Written by a customer while visiting us.braun.com
Customer Rating
4
Finally a hair removal device with results
on October 5, 2016
Posted by: jillkoke
from Keokuk, IA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was very excited to receive the Gillette® Venus Silk-expert from Braun, as it was a device I would otherwise not have been able to afford but would have wished to buy. Out of the box, the device feels solid and well-made. It is easy to hold and has a long cord for more maneuverability. Once you plug in the device, it lights up and a fan starts so you know it is on. There are only two buttons, one that triggers the light pulse and one that puts it on a gentle setting (I did not use this, so I can't say how much difference it makes), so it is not complicated to use. When you press the end against your skin, it automatically sets the correct power so you don't have to figure that out for yourself.
Who can use this: Basically this is only useful for people with dark hair and light skin. Which does leave out a lot of people. You are also not supposed to use this on your face, which is part of where I would have wanted to use it most.
Pre-use. You need to shave the area, and make sure it is clean and dry.
Pre-use. You need to shave the area, and make sure it is clean and dry.
During use: Plug in the unit, press the flat end against your skin, wait for the light on the side to turn white, look away, press the pulse button. Then repeat until you have covered the entire area you wish to treat. The pulse is relatively painless, some areas are a little more sensitive than others. As other people have said, in the sensitive spots it feels kind of like a rubber band snap. This is in theory a very simple process, and you only have to do it once a week. But there are a few hiccups:
1. Since you have shaved the area you will treat, it is a little difficult to tell if you are covering every part. There is no visible evidence on your skin that you have already pulsed a spot, so it is easy to miss areas because you can't really position the device exactly.
2. You are not supposed to look at the light. So you have to position, look away, then push the button. But if you do this in front of a mirror, as I did, in order to see areas such as underarms, the flash is reflected in the mirror so it is still visible in your peripheral vision. I'm not sure if closing your eyes is enough protection or not.
3. Unless you are thin and flexible, there are parts of you that it is just not going to be possible to treat without assistance from a second person.
1. Since you have shaved the area you will treat, it is a little difficult to tell if you are covering every part. There is no visible evidence on your skin that you have already pulsed a spot, so it is easy to miss areas because you can't really position the device exactly.
2. You are not supposed to look at the light. So you have to position, look away, then push the button. But if you do this in front of a mirror, as I did, in order to see areas such as underarms, the flash is reflected in the mirror so it is still visible in your peripheral vision. I'm not sure if closing your eyes is enough protection or not.
3. Unless you are thin and flexible, there are parts of you that it is just not going to be possible to treat without assistance from a second person.
There is a glide option that is recommended as an option for larger areas such as legs, but I don't find that it has much use. You can't "glide" like you would with a roll-on, you still have to position and wait for the pulse then re-position and pulse just as if you were pressing the button, but you are holding down the button the whole time instead of pressing it several times. I don't get how that is really saving any work.
After use: After treatment, your skin is a little warm. Otherwise there is no lasting pain or other effect.
It takes awhile to cover a large area, and the device gets warm as you use it, so I would recommend dividing yourself into sections and just treating one section at a time. For example you might do lower legs for 3 months, then do upper legs for 3 months, or something similar. Just to reduce the time spent each week and make the task more manageable.
Results: I decided to test the device on my underarms, as it was a small area. I shaved each underarm once a week, and treated one, leaving the other untreated. After just the first treatment, it seemed the hair was growing in slower on the treated side. After 6 weeks of treatments, the treated side is mostly hair-free. (I have included a picture of week 7 for comparison of with vs. without treatment.) So the Venus Silk-expert is definitely doing something. It is too soon to tell, however, whether the something will be permanent or whether the hair will start growing again after time once the treatments have stopped. But overall, I am optimistic about this device.
PS: This particular kit also came with a face scrubber, which is a good bonus, but I have not used it.
Written by a customer while visiting us.braun.com
Customer Rating
4
Hairy in The City
on February 19, 2017
Posted by: Cerridwena
from Burbank, CA
I hate shaving...ok to be truthful I LOATHE shaving but I'm scared of waxing and too cheap for in clinic laser hair removal. Add to that deep disdain of the razor a toddler and a full time plus job and you get hairy legs going for weeks if not months. I do regularly shave my underarms but I don't enjoy the process or the itchy bumps afterwards. So when I found out an established and trusted brand like Gillette Venus by Braun had developed a home hair removal system to say I was ecstatic was putting it mildly. Then to find out the Beauty Edition had a facial cleanser included pretty much guaranteed I needed to have it. Here is my honest review after the first use.
The packaging is very well done, it has a high end feel almost like an iPhone unboxing. That being said it's a big box! Much bigger that I expected. On the side is a grid that is very straight forward about what skin and hair colors the system works best for and those it is unable to treat. My only complaint is that no where on the package does it state it's not suitable for use on tattooed skin (only in the instruction booklet). As a tattooed woman this is going to effect how and where I use the device.
After reading through the instructions I did two test patches as suggested. After a quick shave I plugged in the device and got to it. First test was on my leg right above the ankle; a flash of light and gentle warmth and it was done. Then on to my underarm; flash then a greater warmth reminding me I forgot to switch to the gentler setting. It was a little tingly and irritated feeling for about 5 min but nothing bad.
The next day after a nice hot shower was the real test. I started with the underarms it took less than 5 min and this time on the correct power setting there was no discomfort, same for the bikini area. Then on to my legs with full power. I used the precision mode to carefully get around my tattoos and the glide mode for the rest, I'd say it took less than 10 min.
Overall it is a very easy device to use with clear instructions. It's a little bulky and since there is a cord it was occasionally a little awkward but with more use I think it will get better. Be very careful the device is fully against the skin and look away from the unit when pressing the button, a very annoyed cat caused a little slip up on my part and wowzers it is bright.
Three days later and after only one treatment I feel like it's taking longer than normal for the hair to return especially in the underarm area. I'm excited to see what sort of results I have in 12 weeks. One good thing about the tattoos I will have a control area with which to compare it too.
Written by a customer while visiting us.braun.com
Customer Rating
5
Awesome product
on April 13, 2017
Posted by: binkersboo
from Morrow, OH
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have now used this product long enough to see results and I think it's great. I have used it on multiple areas, but I focused on my armpits because I really hate shaving them. I honestly don't have any hair left. Maybe a few but not like I used to have. I no longer have to shave them everyday.
I really love how easy this product is to use. Just press the button and move along your skin. There is a little bit of warmth but nothing too bad. It's definitely worth a try if you have compatible skin/hair color.
Written by a customer while visiting us.braun.com
Customer Rating
5
Ladies, what are you waiting for TRY IT- IT WORKS!
on October 5, 2016
Posted by: mgallagher329
from Belleville, MI
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Let me just say how stoked I was to be involved to try and review the Gillette® Venus® Silk-expert (by Braun) for free. Honestly, I have spent quite a few hours, okay more hours than I would like to admit, researching at home hair removal. So to be involved in this campaign is amazing. Who doesn't want the ability to have "laser hair removal/wax type treatments" in the comfort of their home and on their own time. I was skeptically optimistic to give this a shot! So here are my thoughts after waiting the full amount of time in the campaign to be honest and fair.
1) I am not going to sugar coat it, the warnings and directions are far from user friendly in my opinion. It is a little scary reading all the warnings they put on the box and in the directions. However, on the flip side I do feel they are doing their due diligence in letting the customer know if this product is a good fit for them based on their skin tone, hair color and sensitivity factors. The directions were confusing to me personally. I found myself googling and looking to youtube to see if I could find a more user-friendly version to safe guard that I was accurately using the product as intended.
2) Once you feel comfortable wih the Silk-Expert and start using it you will notice that the light flashes feel like quick pin pricks that to me weren't per say painful, but just a fair warning to others. It would probably be up to the individual's pain tolerance, but I have had more painful experiences with waxing. It is also a SLOW process as you have to wait a few seconds in between each flash. So depending on how large of the area you are doing at one time, you could be there for a while and to do it accurately with out missing spots. Just like most things, once you get the hang of it, it does go quicker. But, be prepared to spend some time each week during the treatments. I personally used that time to catch up some of my own tv shows while multi-tasking. Hey, I am am Mom that is just what we do ;)
3) Drum roll please for the results..... I have seen less hair regrowth and it is thinner and less coarse, so to me that is a WIN! Do I think this is the same result as a professional laser hair removal that a medical professional would use, NO. Do, I think this is great for at-home with the same END GAME results over time, YES! I thinks it needs to be used for an overall longer period of time to great noticeable results, but I have already seen a great results in the short amount of time I have been using it.
4) Overall Thoughts: It was more work than I initially thought, but the payoff in the end is worth it for at-home, convenient, relatively pain-free hair removal. To me this is a product worth purchasing and I would recommend it to my best friends, mom, my hair dresser, even the mail lady ;) Hey, a great product is worthy of sharing with all the girls in my life. My Dad even joked with my Mom that he should give it a shot on that pesky back hair of his- haha. Now that is news-worthy for sure.
Written by a customer while visiting us.braun.com
Customer Rating
5
Easy to use!
on February 22, 2017
Posted by: lydaalexander
from Pearland, TX
I just tried out the new Gillette Venus Silk-expert powered by Braun, and it was super easy to use! I tried it on my underarms first, because it's a small area and I wanted a quick test - I followed the directions and shaved before starting, and using the Silk-expert was quicker than shaving! It was pretty easy to get everything set up, and took less than 5 minutes to do both sides. No skin discomfort or bad reactions, either! I'm excited to see results as I keep using it!
Written by a customer while visiting us.braun.com
Customer Rating
3
Extreme hair removal
on May 7, 2016
Posted by: akimaiii
from Arlington, VA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is the Cadillac of hair removal systems. When it arrived in the mail, I though, whoa, this is like professional-level technology! I had to read through the safety manual several times to ensure that I didn't accidentally burn (or blind!) myself by the lasers when using the hair removal tool.
So this system has two parts: a vibrating face brush, which is actually favorite part of the system, and a IPL hair removal tool that's FDA approved.
The face brush is amazing: it's soft and does a really good job at cleaning my face, and it doesn't break me out like other tools I've tried.
But the hair removal part was actually kind of intimidating to use. For one, all the assurances of its safety are more disconcerting than comforting for someone who is used to just using a razor and soap. I would have loved to see a video walk through on how to use it to be sure I was doing it right.
I tested out a small patch of skin on my ankle, as the booklet said to. It didn't really hurt; it sort of felt like snapping a rubber band against your skin a few times. It was way less painful than waxing, but a little more painful than using a razor.
The hair in that test patch actually grew back significantly more slowly than the rest of the hair on my leg, which suggests that this product does work a lot better than razors. But the discomfort I felt worrying about whether or now this product might scar my skin, change the skin color/texture, or cause permanent hair loss, or other changes, made me not want to use it as a replacement for shaving. It was fun to try, but I think I'll stick with my razor.
Written by a customer while visiting us.braun.com
Customer Rating
5
I love it!
on August 14, 2016
Posted by: vanesaamartinez956
from Pharr, TX
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] When I first received my Gilletee Venus Silk-expert I was extremely excited. I have very dark hair and my skin is fair so you can definitely notice the hair. Also, I have thick hairs that grow on my chin which I would pluck almost daily and are very embarrassing to be seen with. As soon as I got it I took it out of the box and read the direction. I took a shower and shaved all areas that I wanted to try out. I shaved my legs, my arms, and my chin area. The instructions said that hair would start falling within a couple of days to a few weeks so, obviously, I didn't expect an immediate result. I tried it on the three areas that I had shaved and was extremely easy to use and surprisingly quick. What I did notice was that the hair growth has slowed down, a lot! Like I mentioned earlier, I used to have to pluck my chin hairs almost daily and now the hair growth has slowed down to where you see growth almost four days after treatment. I love, love, love it and would definitely recommend this to anyone who would want to get rid of stubborn hair or slow hair growth. This product was received from Braun.
Written by a customer while visiting us.braun.com