A photo-epilation device including a hand-held housing with at least one window opening; a lamp accommodated in the housing for generating light having a spectral range from approximately 575 nm to approximately 1700 nm; and a control device for driving the lamp. The lamp is switched on in brief pulses having a pulse duration in the range from 1.1 ms to 1.9 ms, and a pulse repetition frequency in the range from 0.1 Hz to 0.5 Hz. The fluence on skin level is in the range from 2 to 7 J/cm2, dependent on the skin type.