Home Laser Hair Removal – Does It Work?

Summer is around the corner and we all start thinking about one thing… hair removal! Beauty companies are always coming up with new ways for women (and men) to remove unwanted hair from their bodies. If you have watched any TV lately, you have probably seen the infomercials for at home laser hair removal systems. They promise permanent hair removal – at home.

Laser treatments work by killing the hair follicle, which absorbs heat from the laser when the hair is in an active growth cycle, thus preventing the hair from regrowing.  The hair removal is technically permanent, but the problem is that every single hair grows in a different cycle, which is why you need to do multiple treatments — you can’t kill them all at once. Hormones also play a role in hair removal.  Some patients are happy with the hair being thinned and take care of the rest with a razor.

The at home procedure is much less powerful than medical powered lasers. They come in different settings and only work on patients who have the ideal skin and hair tones. The at home treatments are much more painful than in office procedures. Numbing cream can be used at home, but it may affect the treatment because the lasers are not as powerful. The treatments are recommended to be performed every two weeks for optimal results and depending on the area being treated can take twice as long as professional procedures.  Patients have reported hair thinning, but also report giving up after 4-5 treatments because of the pain and time it takes. The at home devices may be less expensive, but do the results justify spending $$ on a device that may or may not provide the lasting results you are looking for?

Visit us and we can discuss whether you are an ideal candidate for laser hair removal. We offer complimentary consultations for all of our patients. Get ready for summer today.