5 Reasons you should avoid at home laser devices

At home laser devices, we’ve all seen them and right now I think I have 4 different companies targeting me with direct facebook advertising. I am their ideal customer, a 27 year old female who is constantly googling the phrase “laser hair removal”. The ads are real click bait and it just looks so easy!

Let me give you 5 reasons you should save your money and shouldn’t buy one. 

1. It isn’t a laser!

You trust me right? Don’t let them pull your leg! 

I can tell you now as an experienced laser technician it is NOT laser hair removal. It is in fact IPL which is intensed pulsed light. So, it is light therapy like a laser but it is not a laser beam. It is actually a broad spectrum of light and is very low in energy and because of this it finds it difficult to destroy the hairs. 

2. It isn’t suitable for Asian or black skin!

Because the device is actually intensed pulsed light (IPL) this means it isn’t suitable for darker skin tones. Let me explain.. all laser hair removal treatments rely on being attracted to the colour in the hair to work effectively. When the skin is darker the light gets confused between the pigment (colour) in hair and the pigment of the skin. This results in both being “warmed up” by the light and this can cause burns and pigmentation on the surface of the skin. You can read more about dark skin and laser suitability here.

Some of these at home devices are pretty clever and they only unlock if your skin is a certain tone… but I still wouldn’t trust it. Use a clinic with an experienced therapist and get the job done properly. 

3. It takes ages!

Be prepared for a massive commitment of doing it weekly and then monthly for a really long time…

Because the device has such a low energy it takes a while to destroy the hairs and when I say destroy I actually mean for them to have a snooze for a couple of weeks and then grow back! 

You do see a difference from a couple of sessions but it could take months or even years to get results like you get with a medical grade laser. 

I forgot to add, you still have to shave before you use it. Every. Single. Time. Professional laser hair removal from our Manchester clinic, The Laser Lounge Media City could see you more permanent results in just 6 sessions. 

4. It blooming hurts!

The woman on the ad is trying not to wince whilst doing her top lip. It says it’s pain free but IPL is notorious for being painful. This is because a lot of the heat energy is lost on the surface of the skin. And most of all there is no cooling tip like there is at the clinic! The cooling tip is sooooooo important for keeping it comfortable. 

5. It’s hard work! 

Laser hair removal in general is really hard work anyway. It’s a full body workout for me every time I see you guys. I know I should be a size 8 but unfortunately I have to keep my energy up with biscuits between clients! 

So, standing in your bathroom, throwing all the shapes trying to get into all the nooks and crannies is not what you want to be doing on a weekly basis. You’ll definitely work up a sweat. 

So there it is! 5 reasons you should avoid at home laser hair removal.

Professional laser hair removal may seem like an investment, but you could join 100’s of happy customers and be hair free and carefree. 

If you are interested in laser hair removal in Manchester, our independent clinic is ideally located on MediaCityUK just 5 minutes outside the city centre. Click here to book a consultation today.