Sarah Vine, Beauty Sleuth: Why use a razor when you can shave with a laser!

By Sarah Vine

PUBLISHED: 17:12 EST, 13 November 2013 | UPDATED: 17:12 EST, 13 November 2013

My daughter is only ten, and already she knows how to use a curling wand.

Admittedly, she does this under strict adult supervision (i.e. me sitting on the edge of the bed yelling: 'No, no, too hot, too hot!'); nevertheless, she is growing up in a world of hi-tech beauty gadgetry, where every grooming need has an electronic solution.

Investment treatment: IPL destroys follicles and will greatly reduce hair growth over time

Investment treatment: IPL destroys follicles and will greatly reduce hair growth over time

In my day, eyelash curlers were hi‑tech (actually, they still are: it's a design that has yet to be improved on). If we wanted wavy hair, it was either rollers or a perm; straight hair, and you had to get out the ironing board and the greaseproof paper.

As to the rest, it was like some medieval torture chamber. I remember my mother buying one of the very first at-home epilators in the mid-Eighties. It looked and sounded like a piece of industrial farming equipment.

 

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It rattled along, ripping out hairs with agonising inefficiency, leaving behind a lumpy, bumpy, reddened terrain. You needed three stiff gins and an ice pack just to do half a leg. As for other areas, that was masochism territory.

Nowadays, things are much slicker. There is a gadget for almost everything, and in the area of hair removal alone, the choice is almost limitless. The epilator still exists, only vastly updated. Except truly modern women don't mess around with hair removal; the future is all about preventing growth in the first place.

5 HI-TECH TOOLS

  •  MAN-TRIMMER: Remington Hygienic Nose And Ear Clipper (£10.20, mankind.co.uk). It's a fact that as a gentleman begins to thin on top, excess hair begins to emerge elsewhere. This little device deals quickly and efficiently with unwanted tufts.
  • MONEY-NO-OBJECT: Philips RéAura Skin Rejeuvenator (£800, johnlewis.com). A serious piece of kit for those serious about minimising the signs of ageing. RéAura uses clinically proven Fraxel laser technology to stimulate production of collagen (which slows as we age) for plumper, more youthful-looking, skin. It will also help with fine lines and uneven pigmentation.
  • TIME-SAVER: Philips Straightening 1000W Hot Air Styler (£49.99, argos.com). Most brush/hairdryer combos, such as the excellent BaByBliss Big Hair, focus on volume. But if you just want a way of drying your hair in the mornings in double-quick time, the paddle brush attachment on this is just the ticket.  
  • TREND SETTER: BaByliss Curl Secret Styler (£119, boots.com). If you were rather impressed by the Duchess of Cambridge's new wavy style at Remembrance Sunday, then you might want to put this on your Christmas list. It actually sucks your hair into a ceramic curling chamber, basically doing all the work for you. The next generation of curling tongs.
  • TOO-GOOD-TO-BE-TRUE: Slendertone Face For Women (£199, slendertone.com). Remember that old adage about having to choose between your face and your bottom after the age of 35? Well, if you believe the people at Slendertone, now you can have both. This claims to zap facial muscles back into shape, while Slendertone Bottom (£140) promises a perkier posterior in just four weeks.

Until recently, permanent hair removal using IPL (intense pulsed light) was a strictly salon-only solution - and an expensive one at that.

IPL works by heating up the hair follicles, thus destroying them. Photo-epilation, as it's also called, works only on active hair follicles, so one treatment will not result in permanent removal, since hairs pop up on different cycles. Over time, however, it will greatly reduce growth.

It's an investment treatment, then, and the best machine is without question the Philips Lumea Precision Plus (£450, philips.co.uk). This updated version of the super-successful original has two attachments: one for smaller areas, such as face and bikini line; another for larger areas, such as arms and legs.

It may seem like a lot of money, but if you add up all that painful waxing it soon evens out. Plus, it's a small price to pay for never having to wear a paper thong again.  Spot-wise, the best my friends and I could hope for was low lighting and a boy with bad eyesight.

Once again in this respect my daughter's generation of teenagers has the advantage, with bacteria-busting devices that greatly reduce acne-related inflammation, sparing not only blushes but also scarring.

Long a favourite of dermatologists, blue light eliminates the bacteria in the skin's pores that cause acne, greatly reducing the need for harsh or drying topical treatments or antibiotics.

Tria's Skin Perfecting Blue Light (£229, triabeauty.co.uk) is incredibly simple to use: two-and-a-half minutes twice a day is all it takes. Success will depend on the extent of the problem, but it will definitely bring about an improvement - and it works for adult acne, too.

I am lucky in that I don't often suffer from acne, but I do get very dry, dull, sallow skin. In this respect, the one gadget I return to time and again is the Clarisonic Mia (£130, 0800 988 4864).

Whenever I tell serious skin doctors how much I love this device, they alway laugh at me. I guess by their standards it's hopelessly low-tech. But I just really like it, and it works for me.

I find the massage/exfoliating action of the brush both soothing and stimulating, and it leaves my face feeling incredibly soft and awake. Used daily, it's a great one for keeping niggling problems, such as blackheads and open pores, at bay - and, again, it reduces the need for expensive cleansers. I use mine with Cetaphil (£8.99, boots.com), the cult, no‑nonsense cleanser many dermatologists favour.

Toner? The real pros go for baby wipes

It was Clinique that first commercialised on a grand scale the idea of a three-step skincare regime. Cleanse, tone and moisturise: it has long been the grooming mantra for girls and women in search of glowing skin.

I have a confession to make. I can count on the fingers of one hand the amount of times I've used a toner. Perhaps at the height of summer, to combat the heat. But never as part of a regular skincare routine.

Top tips: For years, make-up artists have used bog-standard baby wipes to prep the skin of their models

Top tips: For years, make-up artists have used bog-standard baby wipes to prep the skin of their models

Toners have always struck me as a monumental waste of time and money, an unnecessary middle man between cleanser and moisturiser. Clearly I'm not the only one who thinks so. Lately, sales of toners have taken a dive. Five years ago, Superdrug stocked a variety of brands; now they sell just one, and even sales of that are down 10 per cent.

So what's happening? Are women rebelling? Is it austerity? Or have we simply wised up? A combination of all of the above, plus the fact that the toner as a stand-alone skincare item is practically obsolete. The rise of multi-tasking skincare waters and disposable cleansing wipes has seen to that.

For years, make-up artists have used bog‑standard baby wipes to prep the skin of their models. Beauty brands eventually clocked this, and started producing their own skincare versions. They're basically the same as baby wipes, only less harsh and with more  targeted ingredients.

Subtle and versatile: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

Subtle and versatile: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

An expensive mistake: Nanoblur

An expensive mistake: Nanoblur

BEAUTY CRUSHES

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette (£56, spacenk.com)

Ever wished you could have your own lighting engineer following you around for maximum impact? This is the closest you'll ever get to it. Three subtle and versatile shades of soft-focus powders to show off skin to best effect. Perfect for the party season.

BEAUTY BIN

Nanoblur (£19.99)

I have no idea why this product gets so much press. You might as well put Polyfilla in your wrinkles. Perhaps it's useful if you're Lady Gaga, but for most women - I suspect - an expensive mistake.

Personally, I'm a big fan. They make make-up removal a doddle, plus there's no need for cotton wool. The key thing to remember is that they're not suitable for deep cleansing or exfoliation, so if you have skin that's prone to breakouts, you still need to exfoliate and deep cleanse at least once a week.

For older skins, I would recommend Estee Lauder Take It Away Long Wear Make-up Remover Towelettes (£21). The only thing that's wrong with these is the use of the world 'towelette' in the name. It's up there with 'plated meal' and 'commence' on my list of least favourite words.

The young and groovy will prefer TopShop's own brand which is, in fact, really good (as is its entire make-up range): soft and gentle with a lovely smell, and at £2 they're an absolute bargain.

If you still can't be parted from your cotton wool, then switch to a multi-tasking skincare water. My favourite is This Works Clean Skin 5-in-1 Water, a rosewater-based formula which is a surprisingly robust cleanser as well as fragrantly refreshing.

Keep it in the fridge, then soak a couple of cotton wool pads in it and apply to combat a hangover's effect on skin: wondrous stuff.


 

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The blue light really can work on acne, but I'd shop Amazon to find the best deal.

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I always use a toner, as it helps makes my open pores look a lot smaller. I have not found any shortage of good toners. There are plenty of brands out there, to choose from, maybe not in Superdrug, but in other stores there are. Facial wipes are ok as a a short term measure, but I find they don't deep cleanse thoroughly, plus they can be very harsh on the skin too.

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I have fantastic skin and im in my 50s don't drink don't smoke

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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What a pity we cannot use a laser on Sarah Vine and remove her from the column of the DM. What a waste space and ink she is.

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Boy, the beauty industry sure loves to suck money from vulnerable females.

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Why didn't they just pay for ads...........

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IPL is NOT permanent - it only reduces hair growth and IPL machines have a limited life. Laser hair removal is permanent. There is a profound difference which this article fails to explain.

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Laser hair removal is not permanent either. I had 13 treatments and the hair does come back eventually though finer. I do not think any form of hair removal is currently permanent.

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The ONLY proven method of hair removal is electrolysis.

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Wipes are a waste of money ,you are just spreading the germs around your face,better to use cotton wool and a cleanser,that's what a dermatologist once told me.

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Response to the headline: Because its cheaper!!!!!

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Why shave at all? Winter is coming and your dog will prefer you hairy.

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