Unwanted hormonal facial hair can be difficult to manage, particularly when shaving, plucking or waxing becomes part of everyday life. For one client at TLV Beauty, a personalised course of SkinBase IPL significantly reduced the amount of coarse, dark hair on her chin, and made a meaningful difference to her daily confidence. Read on to find out more about IPL for hormonal hair reduction.

Salon Spotlight: Teri from TLV Beauty

Teri Vicary, owner of TLV Beauty, shares the story behind her Transformation of the Year finalist result, from the initial consultation to the visible changes her client experienced. She has been in the industry for almost 25 years, and has been a SkinBase Therapist since 2021.

Q: Can you give us a short overview of you and your business

“I’m Teri, the owner of TLV Beauty. I started my own business from home five years ago after 24 years in the industry working in large salons. I started with the Microdermabrasion machine which was great, and brought a new level of treatments to my clients. In 2024 I took on the Collagen Lift machine, and more recently the Hydro, which is such a good addition. Last year I took on the IPL machine, which has been great.”

How Was Hormonal Hair Affecting Her Client?

Hormonal facial hair can be persistent because the underlying hormonal activity may continue to stimulate new growth. IPL cannot change the hormonal cause, but it can provide a long-term reduction.

Q: What challenges did the client face before starting their SkinBase journey?

“My client had hormonal hair growth on her chin. The IPL has really has changed her daily life. She was previously having to address the hair every day, shaving, plucking, different ways of just managing the growth. After eight treatments, it really has changed her life. She only has to look at it every month or so. There’s not really a lot there. We will do some more for her just to keep on top of it.

Why Was IPL The Best Option?

IPL is attracted to pigment within the hair, which means it generally works most effectively on darker hair. A full consultation and patch test are essential to assess your suitability and discuss expectations.

Q: At the consultation stage, what made you confident the client would be suitable for SkinBase IPL?

“When my client came for her consultation, I assessed her skin and noticed she is skin type 3 so absolutely fine to have IPL. Her hair is very dark and very coarse. I knew with the right settings that we could treat it. It was just a case of you never know how well it will work due to it being hormonal, but as I say I am really pleased with her results.”

When Did She Begin to Notice Results?

IPL hair-reduction results develop progressively because hairs grow in different cycles and can only be effectively targeted during the active growth stage. This is why a course of regularly spaced appointments is usually recommended. Individual results vary, particularly when the growth is influenced by hormones.

Q: At what point did you/your client start to see noticeable changes in their skin?

“I would say she had results on her chin within two or three sessions. She said it was definitely slowing the growth rate down. She could feel that some of the hairs were much finer. Certainly by number six, there were huge, huge differences.”

Q: What key habits did the client commit to that made the biggest difference?

“My client did commit to coming every three weeks. With hormonal hair growth you need to jump on it and really keep on top of it. You can do monthly but you do get better results if you commit to every three weeks.”

Teri noted that her client’s skin also looked smoother and more even after the course of treatments, helped by the fact that she was no longer repeatedly plucking and picking at the area.

The Difference Beyond Hair Reduction

For this client, the transformation was not simply about having less facial hair. Before treatment, she described feeling embarrassed, frustrated and reliant on her tweezers and mirror. As the hair became finer and less noticeable, she no longer needed to pluck every day and felt more comfortable in her skin.

What Did the Client Say?

“After the first three sessions of IPL with Teri, I could 100% notice a difference. After six, I can honestly say I feel like a new woman. I don’t pluck hairs anymore and I’m not red raw with picking. The stress of being without tweezers and a mirror for a few days is behind me!”

SkinBase Transformation of the Year 2026

Win a Caribbean holiday!

… with the Skinbase™ Transformation of the Year competition.

Q: How do you support clients in feeling confident enough to enter their results into the competition?

“Sometimes clients can be a little bit nervous about entering the competition because often it’s their faces that are going to be on the internet. I offer to block their eyes out, or you can put them as anonymous. I explain to them there are ways of disguising who they are. Maybe just do half a face, things like that, to encourage them to enter.”

Q: How does it feel to be a Transformation of the Year finalist?

“I’m super excited about being in the final. It’s the first time I’ve been in the final and entered lots of clients this year. To have four in different categories is really exciting and mostly I’m just so pleased for the client’s results. I am also very excited about potentially winning as well, which is really good.”

Q: How has the Transformation of the Year competition benefitted your business?

“A lot of my clients come through word of mouth and I would say having the awards and being able to put that online gives people a talking point. It’s got people chatting and liking my posts more. ****I think it has helped me become more confident that I can get these results, that the machines were the way to go and that I have made a good choice here.”

Could IPL Help Reduce Your Unwanted Facial Hair?

If unwanted facial hair is affecting your confidence or taking up too much of your daily routine, SkinBase IPL could provide a longer-lasting reduction. Find your nearest SkinBase IPL Therapist to get started.

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