Is Laser Hair Removal at Home Worth Your Money?

Thanksgiving is near. An at-home laser device might be on your wish list. The holiday season is just getting started. Many of us will go to many family gatherings and year-end social events. But it also means you need robust hair maintenance now more than ever. So what options are available? Moreover, which one is the most cost-effective?

We already have compiled a comprehensive guide for laser hair removal at home. It was detailed but also very long. That said: we understand why you might be in a hurry. So today let us focus on the pros and cons of remove hair by yourself at home. Let us jump in.

How at-home laser device works?

Enter: laser hair removal at home. You will find a gazillion of laser devices on online stores like Amazon or Ebay. These handheld lasers cost between $100 -$400. Now you might wonder: what is the difference? To answer the question, we need to understand how laser hair removal works.

In short, the laser beam penetrates your skin and burns out the hair in follicles. It targets the hair root using the contrast between hair and skin color. Your skin will stay hair-free long enough, so that the result might look permanent. Long enough is good enough, because lasers are almost painless and very convenient.

Continue reading: The Science of Laser Hair Removal

The pros

Using at-home laser device is more cost-effective than laser treatment at beauty clinics. You can find online a handheld laser for as low as $100. At first, you might find that suspicious because it is cheaper than one laser treatment. That is understandable because the public's mindset relates efficacy to cost. It does not mean the general consensus is wrong. But higher price does not equal to guaranteed result. In reality, the price tag by large depends on advertising investment, not its tech or material. If you own a smart phone, then you already knew that reason.

Laser beam focuses light of a specific wavelength spectrum. It is precise and conveys thermal energy. That is why surgical lasers are good at operating on small and delicate regions. Moreover, the tech is more than half-a-century old. The first application in dermatology took place in the 1970s. Since then, laser medicine thrived and became popular in cosmetic surgeries. But the tech itself has not changed that much.

Advertisement is one of the main contributors of the added costs. For example, a laser session for both legs costs around $400 at a dermatologist's office. But you will need at least 6 sessions to complete the treatment. Which means, the final price is more than $2,000. No kidding. That is a lot of MONEY. In comparison, you can reuse a home laser as many times as you want with no extra cost.

Moreover, removing hair at home saves time. Even if a professional session might take less than 20 minutes, you need an appointment first. As a result, you might have to reschedule for your favorite technician. That is because beauty salons and clinics usually provide comprehensive services. Laser hair removal is one among many.

The cons

At-home laser devices are easy-to-use. But the laser technician – aka. YOU – would be lacking in experience. At first, your technique is inaccurate and might miss a tuft of hair. So if you are dealing with a delicate area, such as the pubic region, you might get annoyed. But you are going to get better overtime as your coordination improves. It is called "muscle memory." You train yourself by repeating the process.

Some of you might find the process tedious and time-consuming. It is difficult to check the progress if you cannot see it. That is true. But what if you find a friend and remove hair for each other? Problem solved. Anything related to beauty is about sharing. That is why some people do haircuts for each other instead of going to hair salons. The mindset will also save you more money in longer term.

Removing hair at home is not for people who procrastinate. That is because you must do it at least once a week for 2 months to see some results. In other words, it requires a commitment to yourself. But some of us are already occupied with our lives and cannot tolerant one more thing. Even if it saves money, you might not get the expected results.

The one last concern would be laser safety. At-home laser devices are not the professional models in your doctor's office. Their capabilities are limited to people with brown to light toned skins. If you have darker skin, you might get your skin burned by the laser. That is because the laser might target on the dark pigment in your skin instead of hair. As a result, you will spend more on skin recovery and medication.

That is why you need to see a dermatologist before removing hair at home. The doctor will determine whether your skin type is fitting for laser treatment. It also helps to find the best hair removal solution for you.

At-home laser device: The takeaway

Laser hair removal at home is a great idea if you have lighter skin with darker hair. These laser devices are effective and affordable. They are a great option for people who like to DIY. But the process is long and needs your patience. So, at-home lasers are worth the investment if you plan to use them on small and easy-to-reach areas (like the face). That way, it is easier to maintain accuracy and get satisfactory results.

The FDA regulates all at-home laser devices. It also maintains a list of approved manufacturers. If you have doubts about the model you bought, you can look it up on medical devices database online.

How does laser work?

Laser hair removal has been becoming dynamically more well known throughout the ten years or so and presently you can even purchase home laser hair removal machines.

Laser hair removal works by sending serious throbbing light (IPL) down the hairs and wearing out the follicle. It is regularly alluded to, and mis-sold as an extremely durable hair removal framework yet it is really a hair decrease treatment.

By focusing on the melanin which is the compound that gives our hair and skin its shading the laser coordinated into the follicle and annihilates it. The procedure is flawed and some re-development will happen, thus the contrast between the 'removal' and the 'decrease' terms.

Created during the seventies laser hair treatment presently normal spot and the adequacy of the lasers is being expanded constantly. While some time ago laser treatment was just reasonable for dull hair on light complexion the reach is presently developing to even red hair which was once remembered to untreatable.

Types of at-home laser device lasers

The kind of skin you have and the shade of your hair decides how appropriate you are as a possibility for laser hair removal. Albeit the reach is extending care should given to what specific kind of laser is utilized. To assist you with seeing a portion of the various sorts of laser here is a short diagram of which kind suits which hair/skin blend.

• Ruby: Pretty much old as a hair removal framework as the aftereffects which included consuming or shade changes were very extreme for individuals who didn't have white skin.
• Alexandrite: This is potentially the most adequate treatment yet is just reasonable for light complexion.
• Beat Diode Array: This is a near infra red light that is extending the skin type out to a medium shaded skin like hispanic.
• Nd YAG laser: This laser is reasonable for pretty much every shade of skin yet the proof isn't there to demonstrate it has any durable impact.

Laser hair decrease a decent choice is as well? There is no question that it can incredibly diminish how much hair development in individuals with the right hair/skin shading mix. It is fast, somewhat effortless, albeit some momentary bothering can capable and these days genuinely reasonable.

The idea of laser hair removal frameworks has been a famous decision since it gives semi-long-lasting answer for undesirable hair. Dissimilar to waxing or electrolysis, this hair removal strategy is effortless. Laser hair removal frameworks generally utilized on the shoulders, underarm, pubic region, thighs, swimsuit line, face and different pieces of the body.

How does hair removal technique function?

Laser hair removal includes waxing, trailed by applying a warmed moisturizer to the hair follicles. This technique has been well known in view of its adequacy and speed albeit this, obviously, is as yet subject to a few elements, for example, the experience of the laser administrator, the center where the method performed and the accessibility and decision of the innovation.

Particular photothermolysis is the standard behind this laser innovation. Radiation specifically harms the melanin or the dim objective matter in the follicle without warming different pieces of the skin. The hair follicles harmed until they never again permit the development of new hair. Once in a while, hardly any hairs in all actuality do return, yet these are typically exceptionally light and slim and may not so clear contrasted with its appearance before the laser hair removal.