Coming soon: DIY laser hair removal

It looks like its booming days for the hair-removal business, with Philips recently scoring a patent for its light-based razor technology and Palomar now snagging the all-important FDA approval needed to market its StarLux laser hair removal system for home use. It's not the first time the company's done the FDA dance, however, initially getting the go-ahead to start eradicating unwanted body hair in 1997, although the technology was strictly was limited to professional use at that time. This new home version apparently boasts the same core technology that the pros use, employing pulses of intense light emitted into the hair follicles to wipe 'em out and prevent new hair from growing. What's not so clear is when the system will actually be available to the general public, or how much it'll cost, although it will apparently be an over-the-counter deal.

[Via Medgadget]

[Shignami @ Dec 12th 2006 5:22PM]

hmm.... i don't know if this would be entirely safe for more.... sensitive areas, but it sounds like a good idea

[andy @ Dec 12th 2006 5:24PM]

When my son cut my other son's hair with scissors, that was bad. The clippers were worse. This is going to suck.

[nightryder21 @ Dec 12th 2006 5:25PM]

Sweet!!!! Ass hairs be gone!!!

[Ben @ Dec 12th 2006 5:43PM]

This will become a staple of frat house shenanigans EVERYWHERE!

[Lonin @ Dec 12th 2006 6:28PM]

Women no longer have any excuse!

[Aaron @ Dec 12th 2006 7:11PM]

Kinda takes that Jackass clipper prank to a whole new level...

[Big Al @ Dec 12th 2006 7:26PM]

This should be interesting. My friend's wife works in a dermatologist's office where they do laser hair removal, and apparently the denser and thicker the hair the more painful the procedure is. A guy came in to have his neck done (front & back) and never came back for the follow up sessions due to the immense pain. I wonder how they're going to solve that issue...

[Eric @ Dec 12th 2006 7:54PM]

"A guy came in to have his neck done (front & back) and never came back for the follow up sessions due to the immense pain. I wonder how they're going to solve that issue..."
They're gonna solve it by telling the person: "If you're a pussy, leave now."

[Brian @ Dec 12th 2006 7:55PM]

Laser hair removal isn't what you all think it is. Speaking as someone who's going through the "professional" route, it's a 1-3y process and each time you come in it decreases your hair count slightly. It is more painful for denser hair but the techs who do the work should be able to adjust the intensity of the laser to suit your pain threshold.

Of course, given the cost of a single year of treatment is in the thousands, this device will probably also be in that range. And being the first of it's kind, it's going to be fraught with all sorts of problems: burns, slow results, and of course the infinitely stupid users who will try to laser off their eyebrows and end up blinding themselves.

[thrill @ Dec 12th 2006 8:32PM]

WARNING: DO NOT LOOK INTO LASER WITH REMAINING EYE

[Joe @ Dec 12th 2006 9:42PM]

Better print that in Braille as well.

[PEZ @ Dec 12th 2006 9:38PM]

Can I overclock this bitch and cook a whole chicken in 20 seconds from 100 feet?

[XenonD @ Dec 12th 2006 10:28PM]

Oh man don't pass out if you're friend has one of these. Eyebrows be gone FOREVER!

[drb @ Dec 12th 2006 11:55PM]

I was the laser tech in a dermatologist office for several years. Although you can adjust the level of the laser down to decrease the pain you risk not removing the hair all the way, just making it finer and lighter. I agree that lasers are definitely not the "quick and easy" method to hair removal that advertisers claim. It doesn't work on very fine hair or blonde/gray/red hair and many of the models don't work well on darker skin tones(but this has been improving). And yes, as others have said, it is one of the most painful procedures to have done to yourself. As for being blinding, apparently that has already happened to a couple of physicians/techs according to the laser reps that came to our office(they shot it at themselves, not the patient). I'm not quite sure how that happened as it's pretty easy to determine which end you are holding. We had a policy not to do eyebrows at our office, but I can definitely see that being a problem with home use. All that being said, I no longer work at that office and would jump at the chance to finish removing all my hair!

[Pexy @ May 23rd 2007 3:50PM]

I am facing problem of facial hair from quite sometime. I tried a product called finallyfree but it did not worked, I have to wax every 4-5 days in order to get rid of my facial hair n I am already tired of it. My boyfriend has left me because of my facial hair problem & I am not able to find a match for getting married. since you have worked as a laser technicain can you pls. guide me someone really authentic. with this facial hair problem of mine I end up crying every single night with the thought of being single for rest of my life

[mrflibble @ Dec 13th 2006 2:36AM]

Old! - http://www.riobeauty.com/LAHR.htm

That's been on the market for a good couple of years now..

[laser @ Dec 13th 2006 11:54PM]

If this product worked. It would be selling for a lot more than 99 Euros. It looks like one of the many products on the market that is just there to take your money. Even the website looks shady. I'd buy it if it worked, but Laser centers don't spend $200,000 on two sets of lasers (one for dark skinned and one for light skinned) because they like spending that kind of money on their laser machine. They would gladly spend 99 Euros...this is a scam unless there is a third-party that isn't biased that can prove otherwise.

[Landlocked @ Dec 13th 2006 10:48AM]

Nice...but how am I going to get those pesty nose hairs?!

[rewl @ Dec 13th 2006 1:47PM]

%s/general public/general pubic/g

[laser @ Dec 13th 2006 11:46PM]

I've been going to have Laser Hair Removal once every other month since 2004. It's a very long process even with the best laser machines on the market. These machines are about the size of R2D2 and cost nearly $100k, so I am skeptical that this machine will do what they will advertise. Kinda like those Ab Belts. Well, they have professional machines that work muscles at a physical therapist's office, but they are in a totally different league. So I'm skeptical, but it would be good for others as Laser Hair Removal is expensive. I've spent around $7k....maybe more, I've lost count. There is a lotion you can buy from the pharmacist which is over the counter yet they keep it behind the counter called LMX cream. It's around $50 to $60 for 30grams. It helps some but not a lot. Even prescription pain pills help some in high doses. Women tend to handle the pain better than men.

There is also a procedure called IPL which gets rid of freckles, sun spots and dark pigmentation in general which works well on light skin types. I've had that done as well.

It's expensive to have done and very dangerous, but then again so is a Framing Pneumatic nail gun or a zillion other products. It'd be nice to see it become more affordable because so many people would do it if it was more affordable. It is painful as anything so I am skeptical that their machine would be able to go up to 20 Joules with a decent spot size in the same way that these expensive machines do.

There is also a Laser procedure that will make you stop smoking. A friend of mine did that who smoked for years and he tried everything. Pretty amazing stuff.

There is also a laser on the market that is suppose to stimulate hair growth but it's still under development.

[Hair Removal @ Dec 19th 2006 4:34AM]

Find full range of hair removal products from an online store in UK at Shytobuy.co.uk. Buy male body hair removal and female facial hair removal products and get rid of unwanted body hair.

[Karie @ Jan 9th 2007 8:26AM]

It's a kind of therapy that still present someproblems and dangers. See for example http://www.hair-transplant.org.uk/
for alternative choices to act on your health hair

[jessica @ Mar 4th 2007 1:45PM]

Im getting laser hair removal done right now, from american laser centers. and its working for me. i went when i was 16 and it didnt work but i never knew i had a hormone imbalance, but i wasnt going to american laser centers i was going somewhere at 16. now that i got that straigthened out i tried laser hair removal again, and i have to say it is working, and i take the pain although i dont think its that bad but if i want to get rid of hair i dont want then i need to suck it up! my face just turns red and i dont think the pinch hurts at all. i think its well worth it. and if your gonna go anywhere i recommand american laser centers, cos if it doesnt work for you then they give you your money back.

[hanrose @ Mar 20th 2007 2:11AM]

Laser hair removal and other methods to hair removal professional information,Including treatment,machine,clinics,cost and others which you must understand for hair removal.
http://www.hairlaserremoval.co.uk

[cecetennessee @ Jul 20th 2007 1:26PM]

I am currently going to the American Laser Center in Brentwood, TN; and the laser isn't working for me. I'm now doing double sessions 3 weeks apart, and I hope this will help. I hope they will refund my money if this procedure doesn't provide me with smooth skin. I am willing to deal with fine hairs, but my area is very coarse which leaves me with ingrown hairs. This is discouraging.

[Mark Bentz @ Apr 1st 2008 9:18PM]

http://www.electrahealthfloor.com
phone: [phone]
Electra Health Floor Inc. is a shared office floor for healthcare and wellness professionals. The floor is located at Burrard and Nelson in downtown Vancouver and is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm.We offer Laser Hair Removal, Physiotherapy, Naturopathy, Registered Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Chiropractic and Counselling services. Call our receptionist or go online to book your appointment.

[Beli @ Aug 23rd 2008 11:58PM]

laser is working for me, I did it in Paraguay, South America, with a Doctor called Dr. Melano... 10 sesions and now I have much less than half of the hairs i used to have. And that is considering i don't have the whitest of skins and neither the darkest of hairs ... Now I am living in Dubai and have been looking at the prices here, to continue my treatment till absolutely all of hairs are gone, but gosh is it over expensive here!! Don't sunbath or remove your treated area of hairs in any other way while under the laser treatment.

I believe in this very much cause before, long time before, also in Asuncion, Paraguay, another doctor tried his new laser hair machine on my baby forehead hairs, the ones you have just before our thickest head hairs, and I have never ever seen a hair in that area, since then, which is something like 6 years ago...

I have never heard of being reinbursed though... I wonder if they have the American Lase center here in Dubai... i'll check in the net.

Ahhh, and I wouldn't be so skeptical about this or other products "because it's cheaper" ... that just tells you how many people are in the chain of fabrication till final consumer, in the case of the expensive ones ... plus, since they're big it's more expensive to export- import... Plus these portable ones always say they are less powerfull but do the same thing ... I'm sure it will just take a little bit longer to get to the same result ... That's why I'm looking these products up: to continue my treatment but this time with a portable device... Beli

[lazer epilasyon @ Dec 7th 2008 1:37PM]

It's a kind of therapy that still present someproblems and dangers. See for example http://www.lazerepilasyon.org
for alternative choices to act on your health hair

[Laser Hair Removal @ Jan 2nd 2009 9:18PM]

I have had profession laser hair removal at a clinic in london on my chest area it has taken over a year and 8 treatments but the results are worth it. I think business in this industry is booming because if we want it bad enought we will pay! I gained my knowledge about laser hair removal from http://www.medic8.com/cosmetic-surgery/laser-hair-removal.htm

[homongsteve1 @ Jan 18th 2009 11:13PM]

The cost of laser hair removal depends on several factors including the area to be treated, the amount of hair growth on the area, the number of treatments needed, the type of laser used, the individual physician or practitioner, and your geographic location.
http://www.baywoodclinic.com/

[Alice F @ Feb 27th 2009 4:34PM]

I had my bikini done and underarms. It took 7 treatments, but I haven't had to shave or wax at all since. It cost me less than $1500 total, and it was done professionally. The place I went to was really cool. Very clean, no hype and no pressure to buy packages. Their prices were on their website too - so I didn't have to haggle. http://www.pamedspa.biz/laser-hair-removal.html. Ask for Kathleen or Maria - they are the best. I don't think I would trust myself with a laser at home. Besides, some of the areas where i had hair removed are just not that easy to reach. :)