Silk’n vs 5minskin: What’s the Better IPL Hair Remover?

Hair removal is a daunting task. What if you could find a different method of removing your body hair that would last weeks, or even months? Rather than paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars on professional hair laser treatments, you can now purchase your own IPL hair remover for use at home.

Let’s look at the 5minskin HairZapper 2.0 and the Silk’n Infinity - two IPL hair removers that can provide permanent hair removal on even the most sensitive parts of your body.

All About 5minskin Hair Zapper 2.0 IPL Hair Removal Device

The 5minskin Hair Zapper 2.0 IPL device offers two levels of treatment, so you can appropriately treat large and small areas of the body. A single treatment takes between 5 and 10 minutes, and it’s recommended you do one treatment per week. You have the option of performing a treatment more often if you want to see results faster. It can take anywhere from 8 to 12 treatments to see permanent results. Hair growth is stopped right at the root, so you no longer have to worry about ingrown hairs or daily shaving.

Key Features

• Reduces the risk of ingrown hairs, razor burn and irritated skin.
• 5minskin 2.0 has a portable design, so you can take your device anywhere you go.
• Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Can be used on areas such as your legs, bikini region, upper lip, chin and arms.
• You don’t have to replace any parts or purchase refills with 5minskin 2.0.

Pros

• If you have sensitive skin, 5minskin IPL 2.0 reduces your risk of experiencing ingrown hairs and dry, itchy and irritated skin.
• The treatments don’t take very long, and you only have to worry about the process once per week.
• 5minskin is one of the most affordable at-home IPL devices that we’ve come across.
• Painless and comfortable hair removal can be achieved.
• You can break the cost down into separate payments to make it more affordable.

Cons

• It’s frustrating that you can’t use this product if you have a dark skin tone or very light hair. If you’re on the cusp of this criteria, there’s no real way of knowing if it will work unless you try it.
• It’s recommended that you wear IPL blocker sunglasses to protect your eyes during treatments.
• It’s a bit large for an IPL device compared to other models.
• This product does not come with a disinfecting base.

Pricing

The current cost of 5minskin Hair Zapper 2.0 is $189, marked down from $419. We’ve never actually seen this device sold at the original price point, though. You can use Shop Pay to break the cost down into four interest-free payments.

All About Silk’n Infinity IPL Hair Removal Device

The Silk’n Infinity IPL hair removal device utilizes pulses of light to permanently remove hair from the body. A unique feature that you don’t see with other devices is the disinfecting base that cleanses your device in just six to seven minutes. This is thanks to a blue light that has antibacterial effects. The quartz bulb in the Silk’n device provides a fast-reloading phase, so you experience faster pulses and a reduced treatment time. Eventually, you’ll see less and less hair growth until permanent results are achieved.

Key Features

• Your purchase unlocks access to a free app where you can track your progress.
• A blue-light disinfecting base keeps your unit clean and healthy.
• Silk’n is a compact IPL device that is easy to hold and maneuver.
• Advertises hair removal without pain or irritation.

Pros

• Multiple energy levels are available, so you can customize your treatments.
• You shouldn’t feel any pain when using Silk’n. A slight sensation of warmth is reported.
• There are five different levels of power to choose from, depending on the area that you’re treating.
• A skin color sensor will prevent the unit from working if it senses that your skin tone is too dark to treat.

Cons

• The Silk’n website explains that you’ll have to keep up with maintenance treatments for approximately 18 to 24 months, which is a typical hair growth cycle.
• Silk’n is an expensive IPL device.
• Your first few treatments occur a couple of weeks apart. We wonder if this slows down the process of permanently removing hair from the areas that you’re treating.
• You cannot use this device if you have very dark skin or very light hair.

Pricing

Silk’n currently costs $429. It is not marked down, and there don’t appear to be any discounts available at this time. You can break the cost down into four payments with Afterpay, which equate to $107.25 each.

Comparison Section Between Silk’n and 5minskin

Let’s look at a breakdown of Silk’n and 5minskin to see which IPL device is the better option.

Comparing IPL Hair Removal Devices

Both of these devices are based on IPL technology. IPL hair removal technology uses intense pulsed light to damage the areas where the hair typically grows. While hair may continue to grow at first, multiple treatments in the same area should eventually lead to permanent hair removal. Most IPL devices require you to perform maintenance applications every so often to keep the hair away.

These devices both complete their treatments in about 5 to 10 minutes. They both have varying levels of application, and you have control over which level you want to use based on the area of your body that you’re treating. For example, a sensitive area like your upper lip would benefit from a lower power level.

Comparing Cost and Overall Value

The original price of 5minskin and Silk’n is very similar, but 5minskin typically has their product discounted substantially. At the time of writing this article, 5minskin was marked down to $189 from $419. That’s an incredible difference from Silk’n, which is priced at $429 without any markdowns currently being offered.

Because both of these devices essentially provide the same thing, the difference in cost and value doesn’t seem worth the additional investment of Silk’n. You get a few extra features, such as the disinfecting base, but we don’t think this is a major selling point.

Comparing Effectiveness

In order to compare the effectiveness of 5minskin and Silk’n, we’re going straight to the customer reviews that are found on the company’s websites and on the internet.

5minskin has substantially more reviews to read through. Their product has a 4.9-star rating out of 5 stars, with over 1,000 reviews listed. It does seem to work best on light skin with dark hair. The majority of people are happy with the ability to permanently remove hair from their bodies without having to seek expensive treatments from a professional. It’s pain-free and you can perform your treatments as frequently as you would like.

Silk’n has a rating of 4.6 stars out of 5 stars. While there are some positive reviews that state this product was effective for permanently removing hair, the company itself doesn’t have great reviews for customer service and shipping. That’s something to keep in mind, especially since this is a pretty expensive product. These are all verified reviews collected from Trustpilot.

Main Differences Between Silk’n and 5minskin

The price points between these two products are what stand out the most when we compare them. While there are some features that are a bit different, such as the size of the unit and the type of base used, we think that 5minskin is definitely the more affordable option. When you take into account the number of positive reviews that this product has, it’s hard to convince yourself that Silk’n is the better option.

Which is Better: 5minskin or Silk’n

In regard to value, results and convenience, we choose 5minskin as the overall winner. Silk’n uses the same IPL technology that 5minskin does, but the price point reflects more features that just aren’t there. If you’re weighing the options of an at-home IPL device, 5minskin is the easier and more affordable purchase.

Choose 5minskin HairZapper 2.0 If…

• You want an affordably priced IPL device for at-home use.
• You want flexibility with your treatment frequency.
• You fall into the category of having light skin and dark hair.
• You don’t have much time to spend on your treatments (5 to 10 minutes tops).

Choose Silk’n If…

• You want a device that can be used on very sensitive areas like your face and bikini area.
• You’re concerned with the safety and cleanliness of your IPL device. The blue-light base would be beneficial in this scenario.
• You’re prone to ingrown hair or irritated skin.