Hair Removal Machine
Waxing and shaving aren’t the only ways to get rid of unwanted hair. If you’re ready to take your tweezing and plucking to the next level, consider an at-home hair removal machine.
These machines use intense pulsed light, or IPL, to heat hair follicles and prevent them from growing back. While they’re less powerful than lasers used at a dermatologist’s office, the process can be quick and painless.
Best at Home Device
This next-generation home device uses both IPL and RF technology to deliver an impressively efficient and painless treatment that’s safe for all skin tones. We were impressed by its ability to kick-start significant biochemical changes that will improve your skin’s elasticity, tone and texture.
In a nutshell, this FDA-approved machine scours your entire body for hairs, making it the perfect tool to keep you from resorting to waxing and shaving. It’s also a great way to boost your skincare routine.
One of the most important elements in a successful at-home skin care routine is consistency, says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Sarah King, and this device is a surefire way to get there. She recommends using it three times a week for five to 10 minutes each session, and following the accompanying directions closely. Hopefully you’ll see the best results in a month or so, as that’s the average time it takes to start seeing visible improvement with any type of skincare regimen.
For more info on the best at-home devices for your face and body, check out our full guide to home skin-care solutions.
Philips Lumea Prestige
The Philips Lumea Prestige is one of the best at-home hair removal machines on the market. It comes with a number of smart features that make it stand out from the rest, including the SmartSkin Sensor that scans your skin to pick the right light intensity setting for optimal results.
This device uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to target the root of your hair. Over time, this inhibits the growth cycle, so you need to carry out treatments less frequently to achieve long-lasting results.
Using a combination of five light intensity settings and a’smart sensor’, the device automatically chooses the perfect setting for you based on your skin tone. This makes it far easier to get the results you want, as opposed to the more manual approaches required by some of its rivals.
It also comes with curved attachments to address different body areas. These are designed to fit your curves and work both cordless or corded for optimum treatment coverage.
Another great feature is the SenseIQ button, which helps decide which light intensity setting to use. During the process, you’ll press a button to see the device’s optimum light indicator flash and then a tick icon appears to confirm this.
To ensure that your Philips Lumea Prestige is safe to use, you’ll need to test it on a small area of skin and hair before you go ahead with any treatments. It’s important to check that it suits your skin and hair colour, as not all skin types and hair colours absorb the light efficiently.
The device works on naturally dark blonde, brown and black hairs, as well as on skin tones from very white to dark brown. However, it should not be used on light-blond or red hair, nor on very dark skin.
In terms of how quickly it reduces your hair, Philips’ claim that you can achieve 92% reduction in just three treatments is pretty impressive. That’s not as fast as some of the other IPL devices out there, but it is still a lot faster than traditional shaving or waxing.
Bondi Body IPL
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) hair removal machines use a special type of light to target follicles to prevent hair from growing. They can be used to remove any kind of unwanted body hair, including arms, legs, bikini line and underarms.
IPL devices are often marketed as ‘flash-free’, so they’re designed to be gentle on sensitive skin. They also have a cooling tip that helps reduce irritation.
This device is one of the most powerful on our list, but you’ll need to set up a routine for it to be effective. It works best when you use it at least once a week for the first four to 12 weeks, and then every two months to maintain results.
It’s also worth checking whether you can use it on a variety of different areas, as some machines only treat specific body parts. Generally, they work by gliding over large surface areas (like your legs) or stamping over smaller ones (like underarms).
The Braun Silk-Expert model comes with a smart sensor that adjusts the intensity to match your skin tone and hair colour on contact. It’s also got a range of energy settings, so you can treat the body in different ways, and a handy precision attachment for treating smaller areas.
Another top-notch device is the Sensica Pro. It’s cordless, so you can use it anywhere, and has a skin tone sensor to ensure it will work on your hair and skin colour. It has five energy levels and a life of 300,000 flashes, and it’s made to treat both face and body hair.
In addition to being a great hair removal tool, it’s also an anti-ageing treatment, with an LED attachment that helps ease fine lines and dark spots. This is another great product that’s easy to use and offers fast results.
If you’re looking for a fast-acting IPL machine, this Bondi Body machine is the best choice. It’s a little on the expensive side, but it’s backed by a strong track record of safe and effective hair removal. It has eight speed settings, and the device’s cooling technology helps to reduce irritation if you have more reactive skin.
Tria Beauty
The Tria Beauty Hair Removal Machine is one of the most popular at-home laser hair removal systems available. It uses the patented diode laser technology preferred by nine out of 10 dermatologists, and is safe and easy to use for home treatments.
The laser works by targeting the melanin in the hair follicle, which disables its ability to grow hair. This prevents regrowth for up to 6 months, giving you smoother and hair-free skin.
You can treat areas of your body with the device, including the face and arms. To use it, place the handle-base onto your treatment area, and press the power button to cycle up the intensities. The laser communicates with you via a series of beeps and buzzes that sound like a raspberry blowing against your skin.
Its unique design is easy to operate and the purple light it emits lets you know that you are using it properly. It also has a built-in pulse counter that helps you to get consistent results.
To start with, make sure your skin tone is safe for the device to unlock (Fitzpatrick I to IV). When the sensor recognises it, it beeps confirming that the padlock disapears and defaults to level 1. Next, place the glowing-red pad against the area of your skin where you want to treat.
Then, press the pink power button to cycle through the levels. It’s a nice touch and it means you can use the highest tolerable intensity that will give you the best result.
After a few sessions, the device should be able to reduce your hair growth by up to 70%, according to Tria’s clinical studies. However, it will take around half a dozen sessions for most people to achieve the desired result.
Once you’ve completed a full course of treatments, the hair will be permanently reduced to the point where it will not grow back. As with any hair-removal treatment, you will need to do the occasional top-up to keep your skin hair-free.
To get the most out of your Tria Beauty Laser, be prepared to invest time and effort in its use. Typically, it takes six to eight treatments for most users to achieve results.
