DIY At Home Laser Hair Removal
Hair Buff Mama is dedicated to the education of at home laser hair removal. From testing devices, to providing tips and insights on how to make your at home IPL experience better and more effective, we feel confident enough to talk about the subject after years of self testing.
Laser vs IPL, What’s The Difference?
Am I A Good Candidate for IPL Hair Removal?
With the pandemic of 2020, many women and men were recently stripped of their daily/weekly beauty privileges.
COVID-19 has taken an incredible toll on the beauty and cosmetic industry and left customers to fend for themselves. Hair removal is an area in the beauty industry that receives immediate satisfaction and pleasure.
While most drive 20 minutes or more to visit their favorite aesthetician in a salon and pay outrageous prices for specific services, more are captivating these services into their own hands.
Why pay an arm and a leg for waxing services, plus tip for a service that you can do at the comfort of your own home? Waxing can not only be painful but can take time out of your already busy schedule.
Over the past 24 months, we’ve gotten more requests for at home laser hair removal tips and questions than ever before. We’ll jump into some of the most commonly asked questions as we take a deep dive into this guide.
Are at home laser hair removal devices to good to be true?
Actually, they’re worth a try. Here are some before and after at home laser hair removal pictures from our own personal use. The chances you’ll regret laser hair removal, whether in a salon or using an at home device, are highly unlikely. These devices have soared in popularity for good reason!
How to do DIY laser hair removal at home
- Do you research
- Buy what you can afford
- Practice on your legs first
- Adjust your device settings and intensity
Obviously, doing your research is paramount to achieving salon like results in the comfort of your own home. We could write about the subject of at home laser hair removal tips a thousand times and still get the same questions time and time again. If you’re considering learning how to do in home laser hair removal, or even considering trying this out before going to a salon, be patient! Like anything, it takes practice.
One of the things
It’s important to note that not ever device is made the same. When you buy something that’s on the lower end of the price range, you’re sacrificing results in order to save a buck. Now, that doesn’t mean that excellent results cannot be had on the lower end of the price spectrum. That’s not what we’re saying.
It’s just that if you go out and buy the most expensive device on the market, well, you’re buying the most expensive device on the market. You’re going to get results.
Choose an IPL Device You Can Afford
All that being said, it makes sense to buy what you can afford. My husband is big into bird watching, and he always says that when it comes to binoculars, you buy the most expensive set you can afford.
The same holds true for at home hair removal devices.
At home laser hair removal is an effective way to achieve smooth and radiant skin but it can also save you some cash. Some may say you don’t get the same results from a salon with licensed aestheticians but doing it at home can slow down your hair growth over time.
Practice on your legs first
It goes without saying that practice makes perfect. For your first time around, make sure that you take the time to practice on areas that are a little more forgiving than, say, the pubic region.
When making the decision to take your beauty routine to your home there are a few things to consider. Understanding what type of skin you have can help you determine which device is suitable for you. Whether you have dry, oily, rough, or sensitive skin there are options for everyone.
Lastly, keep this in mind. Different devices are engineered to service specific areas of the body.
As an added bonus, we’ve added in 5 high end at home laser hair removal devices that we’ve had success with below. These might not be the cheap at home laser hair removal devices, but what they lack in savings they make up for in results.
Adjust your device settings and intensity
The #1 reason people don’t get results from their in home laser hair removal device is because the settings aren’t set high enough. Every manufacturer makes it explicitly clear that you’ve got to increase the intensity to one that’s comfortable for you for the best chance of getting great results.
Don’t be afraid to increase the intensity of your device!
Our Top Devices for DIY At Home Laser Hair Removal
Keep in mind, these are not your run of the mill, cheap at home laser hair removal devices. These are top of the line, buy them once and never have to invest again.
#1 Tria Hair Removal Laser 4X
The Tria 4X is the top rated at-home laser hair removal device on the market. Not only does it rank #1 it is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved laser device for at-home hair removal. The Tria 4X offers the same laser technology as going into the salon but at a fraction of the price. It also offers 3x more hair-eliminating power than any other at-home device.
If you’re the type that has to have the best of the best, you cannot go wrong with the Tria 4X. Is it expensive? Absolutely. Does it deliver salon like results?
Let’s just say that the price justifies itself.
Here are some of the main benefits of the Tria 4X Hair Removal Laser.
- Treatment Window that helps you visually see hair follicles
- Battery Indicator
- Easy on off switch
- Customize treament levels
- Pulse counter
- Skin sensor technology
Although it has the price of $449, keep in mind that this would be your one-time purchase.
It’s worth every penny.
The Tria 4X Beauty laser is one of the most effective hair removal lasers on the market. While it isn’t the cheapest laser, it’s highly crafted and removes hair quickly.
#2 Tria Beauty Precision Hair Removal Laser
If you are looking for something to remove hair in small places, or for sensitives parts of the body, this is the tool for you. Like the Tria 4x, this device is also approved by the FDA.
There are many spots they are hard to reach, and the Tria Beauty Precision is a perfect addition to your at-home routine. It is also compact and light weight so you can bring it anywhere and bring it on your adventures and vacations. You’ll never miss a treatment when you can fit it in your back pocket or makeup bag.
This is a great device for those wanting to start the hair removal process and gradually advance onto bigger areas of the body.
#3 Remington® iLIGHT Ultra Face and Body IPL Hair Removal System
If you are looking to remove hair from every inch of your body the Remington iLIGHT is the device for you. The Remington iLIGHT is fast, gentle and easy to use. It has an added bonus of having a separate facial attachment that is specifically engineered for facial hair.
This is one of our top recommended At Home Laser Hair Removal devices for those of you looking to combine budget AND results 👇
#4 Philips Lumea IPL Hair Remover
For all of the Amazon lovers out there the Philips Lumea would be a great investment and ranks at 4.4 stars. For someone who has a fair skin tone with dark blonde, brown or black hair will benefit the most with Philips. It comes with many attachments to help you target areas of most concern. This device is not recommended for those with dark skin tones.
The Philips Lumea Advanced IPL is no doubt one of the most popular IPLs amongst its peers. It removes hair in up to 4-5 treatments and is safe to use.
#5 Braun Silk Expert Pro3 Permanent Hair Removal System
If you are looking for something that won’t break the bank the Braun Silk Expert Pro3 is one to give a try! This device is perfect for those who only have 15 or so minutes to squeeze into their busy schedule. The Braun Silk Expert Pro3 offers full leg hair removal in 9 minutes. Now that’s worth $249!
Say good-bye to driving to appointments, going through the pain of waxing and paying for services that could fill your gas tank 3 or more times. Anything that can save someone time and money is going make this troubling time easier! Braun is one of the most popular hair reduction brands in the industry for their 100-day guarantee and effective IPLs. The Expert Pro 3 is a compact device that has smart skin sensors and can treat legs in just 9 minutes.
Other things to consider when thinking about DIY at home laser hair removal
How often can you use laser hair removal at home?
Each manufacturer of at home IPL devices varies. The average time between uses between the major 5 manufacturers is 2 weeks. In fact, it’s actually recommended that you use the device regularly for maximum effectiveness, as IPL devices target hair in the growth phase.
Good luck!
Removing Hair from Specific Regions of The Body
With each region of the body, there are specific tools and pieces of equipment or creams that will help us remove unwanted hair.
Removing Hair from Pubic Regions
Removing hair from the pubic region, otherwise known as the bikini line area, is one of the most commonly requested body parts we get questions surrounding.
Best IPL for Pubic Hair Removal
Removing Hair from Underarms
Removing Facial Hair
At Home IPL Devices
There are quite literally, thousands of IPL devices you can use at home. They’re not all created equal. Our goal is to provide honest feedback on devices we’ve actually tested ourselves. Each time we write an IPL Review, we’ll list it here.
How To Do IPL At Home
If you’re looking to start doing IPL at home, this is the place to start. We cover things such as FAQs, to step by step processes for getting the best results.
Accessories for a Safer At Home IPL Experience
IPL Reviews
We’ve reviewed a large number of IPL devices specifically for home use. For a list of every IPL device we’ve ever reviewed, please check out the guide we’ve linked above.
FDA Cleared Home Use IPL Devices
One of the most commonly asked questions we get surrounds the use of FDA cleared IPL devices. In the guide linked above, we talk about the FDA cleared home use IPL devices.
Best Cheap IPL Devices
In the do it yourself world, affordability and effectiveness is the name of the game. We’ve done years of research and testing on each of the devices we talk about in the article linked above.
IPL Devices for Dark Skin
In our IPL for Dark Skin guide we cover devices like the Me Elos Touch, iluminage Touch, Me Smooth Original, and more.
DIY At Home Laser Hair Removal FAQs
We’ve addressed thousands of questions pertaining to at home laser hair removal. Here, we’ll link up some of the top frequently asked questions we get here at HBM.
Best Time To Get Laser Hair Removal
In this article, we discuss the best time of year to have your laser hair removal treatment scheduled, whether it’s home based IPL hair removal or professional treatment from a laser hair removal clinic.
Can IPL Remove Hair Permanently?
Professional vs At Home IPL Hair Removal Treatment
Side Effects of IPL Hair Removal
With every type of self care, it’s possible that you experience some side effects of your treatment. In fact, you should experience a positive side effect after laser hair removal treatment, and that’s that the unwanted hair begins to be removed!
What To Do if IPL Didn’t Work
In this guide, we cover 11 tips for IPL when things didn’t go quite as you planned.
IPL Ruined My Skin
While it’s highly uncommon, there is a small chance of IPL care having a less than desired effect on the health of your skin when used incorrectly.
Creams for Hair Removal and Recovery
Using creams for both the removal of hair in unwanted regions of the body, as well as for recovering from laser hair removal procedures is highly popular amongst do it yourselfers.
Using Numbing Creams for Laser Hair Removal Recovery
In our IPL for Dark Skin guide we cover devices like the Me Elos Touch, iluminage Touch, Me Smooth Original, and more.