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In partnership with Nood.
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I’ll start out by saying that I support however you choose to groom yourself. I’ve heard a lot of chatter about body hair over the years, and I’m in no position to advise you on what to do with yours. But, if you’re here because you’ve decided the hair-free life is for you, I do have some thoughts on the easiest, most cost-effective way to get there.
I spent years shaving, and then a full year and some change going for monthly waxes (legs, bikini area, armpits), before finding Nood’s Flasher 2.0. This at-home device taps into the power of IPL (intense pulsed light therapy), which is used for everything from reducing signs of aging to lightening dark patches and, of course, removing unwanted hair. IPL delivers multiple wavelengths, whereas a traditional laser only delivers one, to offer quicker treatments over larger areas of skin. It’s also FDA-approved (read more on its safety in Dana’s full review).
After reading about Nood’s impressive (and pain-free??) results, I had to give it a try. Below, my thoughts on how the device stacks up against the monthly waxes I had grown accustomed to paying for.
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Effectiveness
Nood: The brand explains that The Flasher 2.0 works over ~8 weeks, but ~5.5 weeks in, I’ve already noticed results. I can now go several days without shaving my legs, bikini area, and pits and feel that I’m well on my way to total hair loss in those areas. The brand claims that the Flasher 2.0 offers permanent results, so I’ll have to report back over the next few months (and hey, maybe even years). So far I’ve been really impressed – and feel like these results are super promising. I have pretty stubborn and thick hair, so these results are a big deal to me.
Waxing: While waxing offers more immediate results (I would leave my appointments totally bare), my hair would start growing back at around the 2 week mark so I’d typically have to schedule an appointment every 3-4 weeks. It never really made sense to me that I’d spent about as long growing my hair back (so it would be long enough to be waxed) as I spent enjoying my post-wax smoothness, but I heard that over time my hair may start to grow in thinner and sparser. After a full year, I never experienced this reprieve, though.
Winner: Nood
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Cost
Nood: The Flasher costs $169, and the full Noodist Kit (includes the Flasher, plus the brand’s exfoliant and skin soother) is $243. According to the brand, it’s all you need for permanent hair removal, plain and simple.
Waxing: I paid ~$150/month + tip to wax my bikini area, legs, and underarms. It was an expense I had grown accustomed to, but I was shocked to discover that I had spent $2,160 over the course of a year on waxing – and was still growing hair each month!
Winner: Nood
Comfort
Nood: While the brand lauds The Flasher 2.0 as “pain-free,” I was honestly pretty skeptical. I typically associate effectiveness with at least a little bit of pain, so I was prepared to endure some discomfort in the name of hairlessness. To my surprise, while I did feel a few slight pings (the worst of it is like a little rubber band snapping), it really is an easy and comfortable experience. For most of the flashes, I hardly felt a thing.
Waxing: Waxing is uncomfortable, no matter which way you cut it. It’s a pain I had come to accept (it’s nothing earth-shattering or anything) – like ripping a really sticky band-aid off…over and over again. I would also typically experience a lot of redness for ~24 hours after, plus some ingrown hairs here and there.
Winner: Nood
Convenience
Nood: I love that I can use The Flasher 2.0 on my own time. It’s simple and straightforward, too. First, conduct a skin test by shaving/exfoliating, plugging in the device, and using it on an area you want to treat at level 1. Work your way up to the level you can tolerate without pain (there are 7 total), then wait for 48 hours, before repeating the skin test once more. Wait another 48 hours, then do it again. If you have no reactions, you are good to proceed! Slowly move The Flasher across the treatment area 3x (which takes about 10 mins per area depending on the zone) and you’re good to go!
Waxing: While the actual waxing process doesn’t take that long, finding the time to schedule an appointment, drive there, and factor in the down time ended up being a headache. There was also the math of timing my waxing appointment if I was traveling, had a special occasion I wanted to be hair-free for, or factoring in a workout (I typically don’t like to sweat on the following day). If you’re heading out of town and need immediate results, a wax makes sense – but otherwise, it can be a total pain and time suck.
Winner: Nood
This throwdown was no contest: Nood is absolutely superior to waxing. It’s more effective, a fraction of the cost, more convenient, less messy, and enduring. That’s a hard product to compete against! As I mentioned, I’ll have to report back in six months to ensure that these results really do last, but regardless, this $169 device has already proven to be way more effective than waxing. Considering it was one of my most-dreaded self care chores, I’m totally thrilled – and I have a sneaky suspicion that you will be, too!
