Cheryl Shops

Once upon a time, I spent thousands of dollars on laser hair removal for my underarms and bikini line. Not only was it a financial commitment, but a time commitment as well: 6–8 appointments every 6 weeks, including schlepping to a salon, waiting for numbing cream to take effect, then the procedure itself. It's been about 15 years since I went through this whole rigamarole, and while most of the hair removal was permanent, I have a few stubborn hairs that refuse to go away, so I just keep shaving them occasionally. Speaking of shaving, I really hate doing it and always have. I had contemplated laser hair removal on my legs, but even with all of the competition and advances in laser hair removal over the years, I'd be looking at a four-figure bill. What's really been holding me back, however, is that my leg hair is blonde—yes, I am a real blonde—which tends to have mixed results with laser hair removal (it works best with a high skin-hair contrast). But then Nood reached out to me and offered to send me The Flasher 2.0, their at-home IPL device and I figured I had nothing to lose, except maybe some hair. While I received The Flasher free of charge, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

A little about Nood

There are a lot of laser hair removal devices out there on the Internet, especially on Amazon. (I tried a different brand a few years back and it was completely ineffective, primarily because the device kept overheating.) Nood is a legit company with devices designed by dermatologists and cleared by the FDA. They also have great, cheeky branding, which, as someone who works in marketing by day, I appreciate. Their hair-removal devices are backed by a 90-day guarantee, and they claim to have over 750,000 happy customers. The reviews on the site do seem real, and Nood has received press coverage from traditional media outlets like InStyle magazine. It took a week for my device to arrive, and communication was steady. All good signs!

The Flasher 2.0

Nood claims that The Flasher 2.0 is the world's best-selling IPL device, and while I can't confirm that, it does have an impressive stat sheet. It flashes once a second at 10 ms, which is four times longer than similar devices and means that the light is more likely to be absorbed by your hair rather than your skin, which makes the treatment safer and more effective. The Flasher has 7 intensity settings so if you have sensitive skin, you can build up over time (or you can hang out at 1—you do you). It's very simple to use: You plug it in, hold it against your skin lightly, push the button, then move on to the next section. Smaller areas like underarms or bikini line take 5–10 minutes; larger areas like arms and legs take 20 minutes or longer. (I like to listen to a podcast while I Nood.) They recommend using the device two times a week for the first two months, then once a month for the following 3–6 months for touchups.  

My honest review 

I was able to use The Flasher on its highest intensity setting from the get-go—I'd say I have a high pain tolerance, but honestly, this felt like a walk in the park after professional laser treatments. The laser itself feels like a quick, hot snap against your skin; it's not exactly a pleasant feeling, but it doesn't really hurt either, with the exception of when I go over the patch of keratosis pilaris on the back of my leg, which I just try to breathe through as quickly as possible. The device itself has never overheated on me, which is a bonus, and I found it easy to glide from area to area. As for how well it actually removes hair, Nood says you can expect visible results in four weeks, but I saw a significant reduction after two sessions. 

I used The Flasher twice a week religiously for the four weeks leading up to my vacation; since I've been back, I have not kept up with the prescribed schedule—it's been more like once a week at best, to be completely candid. That said, I estimate that about 80% of the hair on my legs is gone, and that's pretty amazing. My knees have been the most stubborn in terms of areas, then there are a bunch of stragglers throughout my lower legs, primarily on the back and around my ankles. If I had stuck to the recommended schedule, I'm almost certain I would have had even better results, but I'm going to keep doing the touch-ups in the hope that I'll get to a 90% reduction. I'm still giving my legs a quick, light shave about once every other week, but wouldn't it be nice to never shave again? A girl can dream.

TL;DR: The Flasher 2.0 is easy to use, relatively painless, and produces solid results, but the best part is the price: $199, which is less than the cost of one professional laser hair removal session, and thus a total no-brainer, as you can use it nearly everywhere on your body. Plus, you can use code CHERYLSHOPS for $50 off your purchase. Buy yours here.