Permanent hair removal has come a long way and I am going to let you know the best at home laser hair removal device to give you a Med Spa quality laser hair removal treatment. I’m going to give you the inside scoop on exactly what to look for, how to give yourself treatments at home so they actually work, and the best devices currently available (here’s a hint, they aren’t in the Facebook ads always being advertised).
I worked in the Med Spa Industry for over 10 years as both a manager and director of operations. When we closed I used to give myself head-to-toe laser hair removal treatments and it is probably the perk of the job I miss the most. The difference between a medical spa treatment and an at home treatment is both the strength and type of laser used, but that doesn’t mean you cannot get a treatment at home that actually works.
Table Of Contents
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- Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent
- What Type of Laser Do At Home Hair Removal Devices Use?
- Does Laser Hair Removal At Home Hurt?
- What Determines If My Device Will Actually Work?
- Laser Hair Removal Is NOT For Everyone
- Popular At Home Laser Hair Removal Machines That Don’t Work
- What are the BEST at home laser hair removal devices?
- How does at home laser hair removal compare to a professional?
- How to Use an IPL At Home Laser Hair Removal Device
- My Personally Results
- Safety
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Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent
It is a fallacy that laser hair removal is completely permanent. Some areas are much more stubborn than others. I’ve lasered my entire body for years and after just 8 treatments I have not had to shave my legs in over 15 years. Yet I’ve probably done my Brazilian and underarms 20 times and they still will eventually grow back.
This can often depend on how coarse the hair is in a particular area as well as the color of the skin. Laser hair removal work better on lighter skin tones. A benefit of having an at home laser hair removal device is that you can just laser away anytime you see the hair growing back.
What Type of Laser Do At Home Hair Removal Devices Use?
Almost all at home hair removal devices use IPL technology. One benefit of using an IPL laser is having additional settings that can be used for IPL on the face to treat hyperpigmentation and acne.
Does Laser Hair Removal At Home Hurt?
You should feel laser hair removal. At the medical spa is can feel like a quick snap of a rubber band. The sensation you feel at home should be very similar, but since it is an IPL you will also feel heat. If you feel nothing at all, the settings are too low or the device is simply not strong enough to give you any results.
Many devices also come with a cooling mechanism that can help and this is an option if you have a very low tolerance. Personally, I want to feel and no the device is working.
Important Safety Tip: Don’t let your laser hair removal device get too hot. This will happen when you are doing numerous consecutive pulses. Give it a few extra seconds to cool down a bit before delivering your next pulse to avoid burning your skin.
What Determines If My Device Will Actually Work?
When looking for an at-home laser hair removal machine, you want to find a device with high Joules. At home IPL machines are measured in Joules and this will tell you the strength of your device.
When a hair removal device does not list this information anywhere it’s usually a sign that the joules are too low. You should look for an at-home device that has 16-20 joules on its highest setting.
Laser Hair Removal Is NOT For Everyone
Not everyone is a candidate for laser hair removal. Laser hair removal will NOT work on red, white, gray, or blonde hair. It will also not work on darker skin tones, that includes if you’ve been tanning. The lighter your skin and darker your hair the better.
This is because laser hair removal machines target pigmentation. You want the machines to specifically target the dark pigmentation of your hair follicles. If your hair is too light, the machine will not be able to target the hair. If your skin is too dark, the machine will also target the pigmentation of your skin and you run the risk of burning.
Popular At Home Laser Hair Removal Machines That Don’t Work
When I was searching for at home laser hair removal devices, tons of Facebook advertisements started popping up. I personally reached out to several because they did not list the level of joules the device operated at. I can tell you that Noom & Nood are both a joke. Nooms highest setting is 5 joules!
I also reached out to 5 Minute Skin which gave me the run around with answers like the email exchange you see above. Eventually, they finally gave a direct answer that the machine only puts out 12 joules on its highest setting.
What are the BEST at home laser hair removal devices?
Here is a list of the best at home laser hair removal devices. I am also going to tell you which one I use at home, how to use it, and my results so you know exactly what to expect. IPL laser hair removal is completely different from the type of hair removal you would receive at a medical spa so it’s important you know how to use it correctly!
- Ibboria IPL Laser Hair Removal Device $169: This device has 10 levels and goes up to 21 joules which is the highest I’ve seen. It also has a cool setting.
- Imene IPL Laser Hair Removal Device $229: This device goes up to 18 joules and also comes with 2 additional attachments for both acne and skin rejuvenation. No cooling function
- Niceable IPL Laser Hair Removal Device $139: This device is occasionally heavily discounted by as much as $60 off. It goes up to 17 joules and is 60 watts. It has a cooling function but does not come with additional attachments or settings for acne and skin rejuvenation.
- 3 in 1 IPL Hair Removal Device $119: This device often has a $40 off coupon you can apply and is the lowest cost hair removal device on the list. It has 9 levels and reaches 17.6 joules on its highest setting. There are also 3 settings for hair removal, acne, and skin rejuvenation, but there is no cooling feature.
- Ulike Air+ IPL Hair Removal Device $299: This device offers both high joules at 19.8 and has a Sapphire cooling technology to keep the treatments comfortable.
How does at home laser hair removal compare to a professional?
An at home IPL device is not like the type of laser hair removal machines that have in medical spas. It also does not react the same way. When you go to a medical spa, you only go once every 4-6 weeks and the hair actually falls out once it completely grows out.
IPL is the complete opposite. You are going to start by using your device 3-4x a week. With an IPL machine, the hair does not fall out, it thins and stops growing back in. Follow the steps below.
How to Use an IPL At Home Laser Hair Removal Device
- First, do not wax, you want to let all of the hair grow in and then shave it.
- Next, after you shave the area, start at a low setting and progressively increase the settings so you can feel the device, but its not painful.
- Then, go over the entire treatment area 1-2x.
- In a few days, you should notice only some areas are growing back in. Once those areas start growing back in, shave them, and zap them again.
Eventually, you will notice that you are going longer and longer without having to shave.
My Personally Results
When I first started doing my own laser hair removal at home, I noticed a difference after the first treatment, but I also used the device on the highest setting. I did my underarms, full Brazilian, and lower face. I started about 3-4x a week, but would only zap the areas that had grown back.
After about 1 month, I was only shaving 1x per week as opposed to every day. I purchased the device at the end of December and by February only a few stray hairs are growing in here and there. For the most part, I have absolutely no hair and my skin is baby smooth.
Safety
Here are some safety tips that are important to follow when doing your own laser hair removal at home.
- Do not attempt at home laser hair removal if you have a darker skin tone including a tan!
- Always wear your protective glasses
- Let your device cool if it gets hot to the touch. For this reason, I never use the feature which has consecutive pulses. It will get too hot and can eventually burn the skin.
- Do not begin at the highest level. Work your way up to see what your skin can tolerate best, but again, you should feel something.
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