Picture |
Laser Device |
Type |
Price |
Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tria Home Laser 4X |
Laser |
$$$$ |
||
Silk'n SensEpil |
IPL |
$$$ |
||
Boots Smooth Skin Gold |
IPL |
$$$ |
||
Remington I-Light Pro |
IPL |
$$ |
||
Philips Lumea IPL |
IPL |
$$ |
||
No!No! Hair Removal System |
IPL |
$ |
New technology has given hair removal manufacturers the ability to create new laser hair removal products that can be used from the comfort of your own home. But, are they any good? And which product is the best on the market?
We took time to compare the following products in the home laser hair removal sector:- Boots Smooth Skin Gold, Remington I-Light Pro IPL, Tria Laser 4X, Philips Lumea, Silk'n SensEpil and No!No! Pro Hair Removal System.
Useful Background Information
Before you look at the range of products available, it's worth educating yourself about home laser hair removal. We've compiled a list of resources for you:-
Does home laser hair removal work?
Home laser frequently asked questions
How to choose which home laser/IPL device to buy
Regrowth rates with home laser devices
How home laser hair removal works
Laser vs IPL - What's the Difference?
For the purpose of this review, we'll be treating laser hair removal devices and IPL devices as one and the same thing. The underlying technology between the two is slightly different, however there is no current solid scientific evidence to suggest that one performs better than the other.
Use Our Interactive Tool to Find
the Right Device for You:-
Choose your requirements by checking the boxes on the left and the display will update with a list of suitable home laser hair removal devices:-
Suitable for large body parts?
Wireless capability
Doesn't require refillable cartridges
Suitable for dark coloured skin
FDA approved
Suitable for Men
Suitable for Women
Clinical data
Can be used on face
Home Laser Hair Removal Products - Complete Roundup
Comparison Matrix of the Home Laser Products
Here's a more technical comparison of the home laser hair removal products.
- Clinical data refers to scientific studies that have been carried out to prove the efficacy of the product.
- Spot size is the size of the head that emits the laser - this is essentially the size of the treatment area for each pulse / laser emitted.
- Rep rate - this is the time delay between each pulse / laser emission
- Time per cm2 - this is the amount of time it takes to treat 1cm2 of the body with the device
What Does This Data Mean For You?
From this data you can see that the Tria 4X is the slowest per cm2 making it quite impractical for treating larger areas (such as the back or full body). On the flip side of the coin, however, the smaller head size means that it's great for areas of the body that require precision.
The Silk'n SensEpil has the largest head size and consequently has the fastest time per cm2. It is therefore more suited to larger treatment areas than any of the other devices. It wouldn't, however, be suitable for use on areas where precision is required.
The Remington I-light is the only device that doesn't have any scientific data to back up its effectiveness - all other devices have some form of clinical data to prove the efficacy of the product.
Some devices, such as the Philips Lumea, have clinical data that is not readily available for viewing. The study for the Philips Lumea was not offered on the manufacturer's site and we couldn't find the study online despite substantial research. Therefore we can't analyse how well the study was carried out.
Time per cm²
Time per cm² is a useful measurement if you want to use the home laser kit for full body hair removal. Using a machine with a small spot size and slow rep rate can be painstakingly slow for larger body parts.
In the chart above, the smaller the bar, the faster the treatment per cm².
As you can see, the Silk'n SensEpil is clearly the fastest per cm², however it also has one of the slowest rep rates at 4.1 cm. This makes it useful for larger body parts, but has a head size of 6cm² making it useless for smaller treatment areas.
Cartridge Replacements
There are two types of home laser hair removal machines:-
- This type of machine contains a high set number of pulses and can last for an extended period of time, however once you use the total amount, then you'll need to replace the entire device at a high cost.
- This type of hair removal device comes with cartridges that have a low number of pulses (often these can do a few full body treatment sessions at max) before you'll need to purchase a replacement cartridge. The cartridges need to replaced a lot more often, but also are cheaper.
Here's what you need to know about the home laser hair removal devices we've reviewed:-
Click here for the full and complete cost analysis of home laser hair removal devices
Cost Comparison of Home Laser Devices
In order to help you further analyse the cost of ongoing use with each of these devices, we have compiled a chart:
Looking at the chart, we can see that the cheapest device is the Philips Lumea comfort. This device is both the cheapest to purchase and, because it has a long lifespan, carries on being the cheapest for the first 24 full body sessions.
The SensEpil starts off as the second cheapest, but over time gets more and more expensive relative to the other options due to the expensive cartridges that only last for one full body session.
The Remington I Light is the only other home laser hair removal device that uses cartridges and is cheaper in the long run than the SensEpil because the cartridges are cheaper and can provide 3 full body sessions each.
What You Should Know About Buying Home Laser Hair Removal Machines
I've noticed from comments and emails through the site that a lot of the same questions keep popping up again and again. Instead of replying and answering on a 1 by 1 basis, I've decided to document the answers here.
Will Home Laser Hair Removal Work For Me?
The truthful answerfact
Unfortunately, at the moment, home laser hair removal (and indeed professional laser hair removal) is a bit of a gamble.
However, I will say this: If you have light skin and dark hair then the chances of home laser hair removal working for you are really quite good. There have been numerous studies performed and most of the participants have achieved in the realms of 50 - 75% hair reduction of the course of the treatment.
In some rare cases hair growth has actually been triggered by laser hair removal. Before you get too worried, this occurrence is very rare and scientists don't yet understand why this happens.
Does Home Laser Hair Removal Work for Darker Skin Tones?
If you have a skin colour that is darker than four on the Fitzpatrick scale, then there are currently no home laser hair removal machines on the market that will work for you.
However, there are certain types of lasers that are used professionally in laser hair removal salons that are designed to work with such dark skin types. Learn more about professional laser hair removal with dark skin.
Are Home Laser Hair Removal Products Safe?
As long as you choose a reputable brand (preferably one that's FDA approved like the Tria 4X or the Silk'n SensEpil) and you operate the device in line with the instructions, then the devices are safe.
Home laser hair removal devices operate at a lower fluence than the higher powered lasers used professionally at laser hair removal clinics, so the likelihood of burning is lower. Even with the lower fluence, however, if instructions are not followed and the laser is misused then there is a possibility for burns and other side effects to occur.
There are also a number of lesser well known and non FDA approved products trying to break into the home laser hair removal space. I strongly recommend that you avoid these products - most don't work and some could be dangerous.
All products home laser hair removal devices on this post (even the ones that haven't been FDA approved) have been proven safe amongst the masses.
What are the Possible Side Effects?
A recent study looked at the side effects experienced by patients that self administered home laser hair removal treatments. These were the results:-
As you can see from the chart, most people will experience redness (erythema) in the treatment area in the hour following a laser session.
In some instances swelling can occur (edema). Other less common side effects include hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin), crusting, hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin) and blistering.
It should be noted that all the side effects listed in the study were temporary and cleared up within 12 weeks after the final treatment.
Got Any More Questions?
We've tried to be as exhaustive as possible with our FAQ's, but if you have any more questions about home laser hair removal devices then let us know in the comment box below and we will get back to you with an answer!
