Finder Beauty Fave: HiSmile Teeth Whitening
Image: Finder
Is HiSmile worth the hype? Well, it depends on what you're expecting.
Why we love this product
At this point, most people will have seen HiSmile somewhere. The brand is popular with influencers and the company has a strong social media presence. You might have seen pictures of glamorous women with glossy hair and full makeup posing with one of the HiSmile teeth whitening devices.
But with all the hype, does this teeth whitening solution actually work? Well, I got the chance to play around with one of the kits and yes, it does indeed produce visible results.
The quick verdict
Why is it good? It whitens your teeth affordably.
How much is it? $79.99 for the full kit and $29.99 for the refills
Where to buy it? HiSmile
So let's jump straight in. How well did this actually work? HiSmile sends you a little teeth colour chart so you can measure your results. For me, I found that using the system made my teeth two shades whiter – I started at a seven and ended up as a five. Which was more than I was expecting to be honest. Given the price point, the promise of no sensitivity and the ease of use, I actually wasn't expecting much from this system. But now I'm pleasantly surprised and will be ordering refills in a few weeks.
The HiSmile system whitens your teeth over six days. There are six treatments included in every kit and you're supposed to use one each evening. The kit comes complete with a whitening light device, a mouth guard-style piece to hold the gel and three syringes, each filled with two doses of whitening gel.
Despite all the parts, it's very user-friendly. I didn't even need to read the instructions to understand how to use it. First things first, brush your teeth. Then attach the mouth guard piece to the light device. Grab a syringe and squirt one quarter of the gel into the top part of the guard and another quarter into the bottom part of the guard – don't worry, there are guidelines on the syringe to help you do this accurately. Then pop it in your mouth ensuring your teeth are covered by the gel. Finally turn the device on.
The whitening light needs 10 minutes to work its magic. As someone who likes to get to bed quickly, it felt like a bit of hassle. But the device is fairly unobtrusive. So I was able to do other things while the device was on. I actually used it in the shower a could of times, which I wouldn't advise since the device is likely not waterproof. Fortunately, I was careful not to get it wet though, so this worked for me.
When your 10 minutes is up, the device will automatically turn off. So you won't need to look at your watch waiting for the precise moment to hit the off button. Then go and rinse your mouth out because swallowing the whitening gel isn't exactly pleasant.
I didn't really see a result after my first or second try, it was only after the third application that I started seeing a change. I recommend tracking your progress on the teeth colour chart so you can quantify the results.
So, are there any downsides? Well, even though HiSmile says that it doesn't make your teeth sensitive, it did make mine a little sensitive. I've had teeth whitening done before and while this system is way more comfortable than others I've had, I wouldn't say this system is sensitivity-free.
Also, one day I came home and my device had randomly turned itself on. And it wouldn't turn off either. I ended up having to take the batteries out to get it to stop. I'm not sure how long it had been on for, but this easily could have drained the power from the batteries and those things aren't cheap. Fortunately, when I put the batteries back in, I had no further issues.
Another small problem, there doesn't seem to be any guidance as to how often you can use it. Some whitening systems can damage tooth enamel – in fact, the service I used in the past advised that I whiten no more than once a year. Some information I found in the HiSmile FAQs said that you can use the system every two weeks which doesn't seem like it would be great for your enamel health. I'm currently trying to find out more information because I would like to use it again but I don't want to degrade my teeth.
All in all, this is a great teeth whitening solution. It was easy to use and convenient. If you are looking for teeth whitening, this is one I can definitely recommend.
Affordability
Given that teeth whitening at the dentist can be $1,000s and a cosmetic whitening can be $100s, the HiSmile price of $79.99 is insanely affordable. I had cosmetic whitening done a couple of years back. It cost me about $400 and delivered three shades whiter. HiSmile does two shades or more for $79.99 – that's great value in my opinion.
Where to buy
HiSmile Teeth Whitening is available exclusively on the HiSmile website.
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