How to Choose the Right Home Laser Hair Removal Device

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We all dream of a smooth and perfectly depilated skin without having to bother with a bunch of beauty products and equipment, but also without having to worry about appointments and long waits at the doctor’s office.

Investing in a home hair removal device is the best way to get rid of those unwanted hairs from our bodies, and save you time, money, and discomfort.

Now, with all the laser devices available on the market, you are maybe asking, how to choose the right laser hair removal device from all the models available on the market? And what are the criteria to consider before buying it?

In order to help you make the best choice, we will tell you here the main points to remember about laser hair removal systems before purchasing one.

Table of Contents

1 Main Criteria for Selecting a Quality Home Laser Device
2 How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
3 Is At-Home Laser Hair Removal Safe?
4 Is Laser Hair Removal Suitable for Everyone?
5 What are the side effects of laser hair removal?
6 Conclusion

Main Criteria for Selecting a Quality Home Laser Device

The main criteria that you need to know before selecting a quality home laser device include the following:

Wavelength

Wavelength is a crucial criterion in the choice of a laser hair removal device because it determines the effectiveness of the device according to the tone of the skin to be treated.

Wavelengths typically range from 695 nm to 1064 nm.

Thus, for most skin tones, especially pale to medium, a wavelength of 810 nm (Pulsed diode array) is very effective.

For light and fair skin tones (phototypes I, II and III), choose a 755 nm wavelength (Alexandrite).

For treating tanned and dark skin, the best wavelength is 1064 nm (Nd:YAG).

A wavelength of 695 nm (Ruby) will provide satisfactory results for very pale skin tones, the paler you are the better the results will be.

Safety

The safety of laser hair removal equipment is one of the most important criteria, especially if you have children. For this reason, it is generally advisable to choose models that offer you a security key and code.

They must also be equipped with a built-in skin sensor that will not let the device start if it is not directly in touch with the skin.

Operational Power

It is known that the more power the machines use, the more effective they are, which is true for this machine too, the higher the power of the laser device, the better the results. If the power is lower, the treatment will take a little longer before the hair disappears.

To get the best results, don’t hesitate to invest in a good laser hair removal system.

Corded or Cordless

As with pulsed light epilators, there are laser epilators that are mains-powered, and others that are battery-powered (cordless).

Battery-powered laser epilators are much easier to handle and facilitate the treatment of sensitive and delicate areas, but you must recharge them before each session.

As mains-powered laser epilators, the charging problem does not exist and they are more powerful, however, the wire can sometimes be annoying.

The Different Modes of The Device (Scan or Single)

If you want to remove hair from sensitive areas such as the face, armpits, or bikini area, we recommend a laser hair remover with Single function, it will allow you to treat one hair at a time. On the other hand, if you want to treat larger areas such as the back or legs, we recommend that you opt for a device with the scan function, which means that you can treat several hairs at once and at the same time increase the speed of your hair removal session.

Spot Size

A machine that has been designed with a larger sport size is best for hair removal. This is because this kind of spot size will allow you to get deeper penetration in the tissue and faster treatments when the laser procedure is being carried on. Conventional systems have spot sizes of about 10-18 mm, but there are newer fashions in the market that have even larger spot sizes.

Price

The prices of laser hair removal devices are not very high; they range from 100 to 500 Dollars.

Prices vary according to the brand and the features and characteristics of each model.

However, do not rely on it to make your choice, but rather on its functions and especially its compatibility with your skin type.

How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?

Laser hair removal is a durable and effective technique that consists of permanently removing hair from certain areas of the body. To achieve this, the laser hair removal device produces a beam of light, when it is absorbed by the hair follicle; the light energy is converted into heat.

If there is enough generation of heat down the hair follicle, the hair growth center will be destroyed. This means that the creation of new hair will be hampered if the process succeeds.

It is good to know that body hair goes through a growth cycle of three phases (anagen phase, catagen phase, and telogen phase), however, the laser treatment only works during the active hair growth phase (anagen phase). This means that you need to have a series of sessions to achieve the desired results.

Is At-Home Laser Hair Removal Safe?

Most of the people that have used it have found that laser hair removal is one of the safest at-home procedures. The best thing is that there are no long term health side effects that are connected with the use of this kind of machine.

However, there might be some minor side effects for users. It is always advisable to test the device on a small patch of the skin and see how it reacts with the treatment before you carry it out on a larger area.

Is Laser Hair Removal Suitable for Everyone?

No, we found out that this is not a process that can be done by everyone. If you are among those people that have red, blond, strawberry blond, and even white hair, you will get a harder time in getting to achieve the results that you desire. This kind of people gets it hard because no enough pigment can absorb the laser light into the hair, which means that the treatment will not be successful.

What are the side effects of laser hair removal?

After hair removal, you will experience a few side effects. But you need to note that the majority of them are just minor and also temporary.

– You may experience redness and irritation
When you remove hair by use of a laser, you will damage the hair follicles of the area that you had targeted. That is why the skin might appear slightly swollen. That’s not something to worry about because the symptoms are only short-lived.

– The skin might change color

According to the skin type, some might experience some minor changes to those areas that have been treated. The skin might get a bit darker or even lighter, those that will experience the darker kind of changes are people that have a lighter type of skin, those with dark skin experience lighter pigmentation changes. The changes though tend to fade away with time.

– The eyes might get injured

As we have seen, lasers are very powerful and when you work on your face, potential eye injury might occur. It is recommended that you should wear specific FDA-approved eye-protective equipment to help in the prevention of injury.

– Skin infection

This is one of the cosmetic hair removal equipment and as we all know about them, damaging the hair follicles creates room for infection. That’s why you need to treat the infected area as a wound as it heals and report any signs you think of being infected to a dermatologist.

Some rare side effects can be noticed after the procedure, like experiencing burns and blisters if the hair removal is not done in a correct manner, so keep in mind to thoroughly read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent any inconvenience.

Conclusion

You don’t have to feel freaked after you experience any side effect after the process. If it was well done, any side effect will usually subside on its own within 24 hours. It’s good to remember that your skin will now be extra sensitive to the rays of the sun and therefore, avoid exposure to the sun for around 2 weeks. If you must be outside, then use sunscreens with high SPF on the areas that have been treated.

Judy Rose

Hi, it’s Judy!

I’m a passionate skincare specialist and writer. I have more than 7 years of experience as a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle writer and editor, and I’m extremely passionate about what I do.