Both Tria Beauty Laser 4X and Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 IPL rank among the best hair removal systems that can be used safely at home, both are easy to use and effective, FDA-cleared, and come with different intensity levels to choose from.
But the two devices are very different from each other. The most important difference is that while Tria 4X uses Diode laser, Braun Silk-expert 5 relies on IPL technology, which means many differences in terms of ease of use, lifetime, functionalities, speed, and more.
Overview
The Tria Laser 4X was launched in 2008 with Diode Laser Technology, it is the only FDA-cleared laser hair removal device. It targets and permanently disables the hair follicle to inhibit hair growth on the face and body for permanent results.
Key Features & Specifications
- Most powerful hair removal system
- Skin tone sensor
- Cordless operation
- One laser window (5mm)
- Number of intensity levels: 5
- LED digital display
- Battery operation – 30 minutes
- Weight- 560g
Shape & Design
The elegant Tria 4X feels well robust. It comes with a gun-shaped white smooth plastic with a slight sheen. Both Braun Pro 5 and Tria Beauty 4X have superb shapes and designs. However, the long pink silicone-coated handle of the Tria 4X is more comfortable and easier to use.
There is no trigger to press, so you can wrap your fingers securely around the slenderest part of the handle and feel no strain.
Skin Tones & Hair Colors
The Tria 4X is safe for light-medium skin tones, Fitzpatrick types I to IV; it is not suitable for dark and black skin. It works on black to dark blonde hair.
User-Friendliness
Power Intensity & Safety
The Tria 4X comes with five intensity levels, level 1 being the lowest (7 J/cm2), and five the highest (20 J/cm2), which is three times more energy than any IPL hair removal device. The higher the intensity, the better your results will be.
Regarding safety, Tria laser 4X comes with a skin sensor that will unlock only if your skin tone is safe for use, it also comes with an additional eye safety mechanism that ensures the laser only operates if the entire window is covered by your skin. The device has also been FDA-cleared and clinically proven to be safe for home-use.
Corded or Cordless
The Tria Beauty Laser 4X is cordless, so it can be maneuvered with ease. While most IPL devices need a cord during use, this device is cordless, increasing the range of places you can use it. This creates a more comfortable experience.
You can’t use the device while it’s charging, but it only takes two hours to charge up. One battery charge is enough for about 30 minutes of operation.
Lifetime of use
Tria laser 4X is designed to provide about 90,000 flashes. However, the laser energy is powerful, so the results are longer-lasting.
Note that you should charge the device each month or so even if it is not in use in order to maintain the battery life as long as possible.
Number and Frequency of Sessions, And Results
For the start-up regimen, you will need about eight sessions, one every two weeks, but you’ll start to notice a gradual reduction in hair regrowth after between 2 to 6 sessions. Then you must do maintenance sessions, otherwise, the hair will regrow back.
Keep in mind that due to the size of the treatment window, which is very small, treating a large area with Tria 4X will be very tedious and time-consuming. As such, we recommend using Tria 4X only for small areas, such as the face, underarms, forearms, and bikini line.
Tria Beauty Laser 4X Pros
- The only FDA-cleared laser for home use.
- Features a skin tone sensor for skin safety.
- Includes an eye safety mechanism.
- Features five energy levels and a pulse counter.
- Easy to use, comfortable, and beautifully designed.
- Great for small areas and face.
- Most powerful home hair removal device.
- Delivers permanent results at a fraction of the cost of professional treatments.
- Cordless.
Tria Beauty Laser 4X Cons
- It is relatively expensive.
- It’s pretty heavy due to the built-in rechargeable battery.
- Some users report mild discomfort.
- The small laser window does not suit large areas.
Review of Braun Silk-expert Pro 5
Overview
Key Features & Specifications
- Number of intensity levels: 10.
- Number of flashes: 400,000.
- Technology: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology.
- Comes with a skin sensor (SensoAdapt).
- FDA-cleared and accredited by the Skin Health Alliance.
- Corded.
- Comes with a precision head, a premium pouch, and a Venus razor.
- Weight- 285g.
Skin Tones & Hair Colors
Shape & design
User-friendliness
Power Intensity & Safety
Corded or Cordless
Lamp Lifetime
The Braun Pro 5 IPL is one of the best in terms of lamp lifetime. The device provides you with 400,000 flashes. Braun claims that the flashes should deliver an equivalent of about 24 years of treatment. This is significantly long-lasting as compared to the three years lifetime of Tria laser 4X.
Face and Body Windows
The Braun device has a big body flash window for large areas like the legs and torso. It has a dimension of 3cm by 1cm; hence the total area is 3 cm2.
A smaller, precision attachment makes it effective for tricky areas like the upper lip, underarms, and bikini line.
Number and Frequency of Sessions, And Results
With Braun Silk-expert, a whole-body session takes around 30 minutes. After achieving the results you want, you need to perform follow-up treatments in order to get the most out of your hair removal treatments.
Braun Silk-expert 5 Pros
- Comes with 10 intensity levels, along with 400,000 flashes.
- FDA-cleared, CE certification, accredited by the Skin Health Alliance, and clinically proven.
- Suitable for varied skin tones (I to V).
- Precision attachment for tricky areas.
- Comes with SensoAdapt skin tone sensor to automatically adapt the intensity to your skin tone.
- Lightweight, elegant, and high-quality.
- Ease of use, fast treatment times, and great results.
- Dermatologist-tested.
Braun Silk-expert 5 Cons
- Corded-only.
Tria Beauty Laser 4X vs Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 IPL - Comparison Table
 |  |
|
| Technology | Laser | IPL |
| Best suited for | The face and small body areas | The face and the whole body |
| Skin tones |  |  |
| Hair colors | Safe for hair colors black to dark blonde | Safe for hair colors black to dark blonde |
| Operation | Cordless | Mains-powered |
| Number of flashes | 90,000 | 400,000 |
| Windows | 1 laser window | 1 big body flash window, and a smaller precision attachment |
| Intensity levels | 5 | 10 |
| Ease of use | Easy to use, precise, but takes extra time, and concentration | Easy to use, super-fast, lightweight, and comfortable |
| Sessions | 8 treatments, one every two weeks, then maintenance treatments. | 4 to 12 weekly sessions, then maintenance treatments. |
| FDA & Certifications | FDA-cleared, clinically proven, CE certification | FDA-cleared, clinically proven, CE certification, accredited by the Skin Health Alliance |
Summary (Which one should you buy)?
Both of these are excellent devices that have been proven effective and safe for home use, you won’t go wrong with either of them. The two products have been FDA-cleared, which means you don’t have to worry about their safety. However, they are very different from each other.
The Tria 4X laser is most ideal for face and small body areas. Being the most powerful home device, it will give you long-lasting results. We love the comfy gun-shape and cordless option. Tria’s laser window covers a tiny area, so as you can guess, treating a large area can take a lot of time and effort. However, Tria does deliver what it claims and has a lot of happy and satisfied customers.
The Braun Silk-expert 5 is best suited to the face plus all body areas. Among the countless permanent IPL hair removal devices available, Braun stands out from the crowd for its efficiency, lowest effort, high-quality, and ease of use. It offers 400,000 flashes and has a unique skin tone sensor. It can take up to 12 weeks to get the results you want, but you will most likely get them as Braun also delivers on its claims.
Conclusion: Tria Laser vs Braun Silk-expert
You don’t have to worry about getting your hands and legs shaved or waxed with any of these devices. Depending on your skin tone and hair color, give yourself a treatment from either of these fantastic hair removal devices.
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