Home Laser Hair Removal

Since the advent of laser hair removal companies have hoped to offer something for use inside consumers’ homes. Unfortunately the delicate nature and highly sensitive art of lasers has made it very difficult to develop something which can be both affective and safe for use by a consumer. However, news is out that exciting new technologies are in development and being marketed as “laser hair removal” for the home. These new technologies are being launched by some of the premier names in laser technology.

Companies such as Spectragenics, Palomar, Radiancy, Gillette, and Phillips are getting into the development and marketing of laser/light based devices for home use. This exciting turn of events could lead to “lasers” being used by average people within the privacy of their own homes in a matter of a few years. Technologies not only for hair removal but also for skin rejuvenation and acne are in the works.

Some devices are already being sold to US consumers. The No!No! by Radiancy retails for $250 and is marketed as a “Professional Hair Removal System”. The Silk’n hair remover uses intense pulsed light technology. It retails for $800, but comes with a life of 750 pulses. Once the pulses run out, you must replace it with a lamp cartridge which retails for $80.

The Tria device has been cleared by the FDA for the neck down. This device is a laser, and is therefore skin-color dependent. In order to ensure that dark skinned people do not use the Tria, it comes with an activator which will either turn green or red depending on your skin tone. If green, it will activate the Tria device and allow for treatment. If red, it will lock the Tria to prevent use to safeguard the consumer. The reason for this precaution is that patients who are darker-skinned are more complex to treat with lasers as lasers can target the melanin pigment in the skin. This may cause damage if not properly treated by a physician. The Tria is now selling for $995.

As these products gain wider acceptance and usage rates around the US, it is expected that the cost for these devices will decrease over time. In addition increased competition should lower cost as new devices continue to enter the market.