There's a lot of misinformation online about home laser hair removal devices, so we've created an FAQ page where you can find the answers to all your questions in one place.
Home Laser / IPL Hair Removal Questions and Answers
Does Home Laser Hair Removal Work?Are Home Laser Hair Removal Devices Safe?Is Treatment Painful?What Skin Types does Home Laser Hair Removal Work on?The Fitzpatrick ScaleWhat's the Difference between a Home Laser and Home IPL Machine?How Often Should I Perform Treatments?What are the Possible Side Effects?Are Home Devices Difficult to Use?
How Long do Treatments Take?Does Home Laser Hair Removal Work on All Hair Types?Can I shave Between Treatments?How Long Before I see Results?Can Both Men and Women use Home Laser Hair Removal Devices?Can I do Home Laser Hair Removal if I'm Tanned?Can I Treat the Upper Lip Area with a Home Laser?
Does Home Laser Hair Removal Work?
Based on a sizeable volume of scientific studies that looked at the efficacy of home laser / IPL hair removal devices, the answer is that they do work to a certain degree.
To learn more about this in detail, you may want to check out our post: "The truth about home laser hair removal"
Some important notes about the efficacy of home laser hair removal devices:-
- They don't work for everyone. In fact, laser hair removal in general (with professionally done or not) doesn't work for everyone. For people that fit the correct profile, the chances are very good that it will work, though.
- Results aren't as impressive as the lasers used by professionals. Less impressive means less hair reduction and less permanence after the treatment ends.
- For some people they work really well - scientists don't yet fully understand why laser hair removal works really well for some people and not for others. Some studies have shown complete hair removal up to 12 months after the final treatment.
- Consistent use - Studies show that the best results are obtained through consistent use of the device. Typically, in such studies, patients performed laser hair removal on themselves every two weeks. During these times, hair reduction reached up to 70%. Hair regrowth occurred usually more than one month after the last treatment performed.
Are Home Laser Hair Removal Devices Safe?
In our the truth about home laser hair removal article, we looked at a number of scientific studies all concluding that home laser kits are safe for use.
In order to ensure safety, we recommend that you only purchase products that have been FDA approved. The two most popular FDA approved devices on the market are the Silk'n SensEpil and the Tria 4X.
Both devices come with numerous safety features:-
- Skin sensor - They have a skin sensor that detects the colour of skin. If the colour of skin is too dark for safe usage then the laser can't be unlocked for use
- Solid surface detector - They won't emit light unless the unit is pressed up against a hard surface in order to prevent eye damage from looking directly at the light.
Is Treatment Painful?
There is a certain level of discomfort during treatment, however in a recent study all patients described the feeling of treatment as being at least "tolerable".
Some people describe the feeling of a slight burn and that it feels like an elastic band being hit against the skin repetitively.
Home laser hair removal devices typically operate at a fluence (power setting) of less than 20 J/cm (2) whereas lasers that are used professionally have a lot more power at their disposal. A recent study showed that the lower the fluence setting, the less discomfort. This is why home laser hair removal treatments cause less discomfort than professional laser hair removal.
The Fitzpatrick Scale
The Fitzpatrick scale is used to classify skin types. You can use the chart below to determine your Fitzpatrick number:-
How Often Should I Perform Treatments?
Manufacturers provide specific guidelines regarding the regularity of treatments. In most instances, you should apply treatment bi-weekly.
One of the most popular brands, the Silk'n SensEpil advises the following:-
Are Home Devices Difficult to Use?
No, they are incredibly easy and no training is required. Each device comes with operating instructions that are easy to follow.
Does Home Laser Hair Removal Work on All Hair Types?
Laser hair removalenough melanin
If you have light hair with low melanin levels, then laser hair removal as a whole will not work for you and you may want to consider electrolysis as an alternative.
How Long Before I see Results?
Typically results will be seen within 2 - 4 weeks of your first treatment. Here is a chart that shows the hair reduction percentage from home laser hair removal over time:-
As you can see, patients saw a 21% reduction after week 1, 38% after week 2 and 58% after week 3.
In this particular study, patients self administered laser hair removal treatments each week for 8 weeks.
Can I do Home Laser Hair Removal if I'm Tanned?
If you've had recent exposure to sunlight and are tanned as a result then it's highly recommended that you don't do home laser hair removal.
It's also worth noting that you should try to avoid too much giving the treatment area direct exposure to sunlight in the 24-48 hours following a treatment
