At-Home Laser Hair Removal with TRIA
For those of you who feel like Sasquatch more often than not and have contemplated permanent hair removal but found it too expensive, I may just have the answer for you. Are you ready for this? SpectraGenics, a leader in light-based beauty devices, introduces TRIA Personal Laser Hair Removal System to let men and women remedy pesky hair from the comfort of their own home.
But with a $995 price tag, is this device really worth it? I know there are probably a few questions running through your mind right now. Like, is it easy enough for me to use at home? How long does it last? Is it really safe and a good alternative to those in-office visits for laser hair removal?
Well guys and gals, I’ll have all these questions answered for you and more - I have volunteered to be your guinea pig as one of the few ladies chosen to test the TRIA before it hits mass market this fall. Over the next few months I’ll be reporting on my progress as I attempt to get rid of my underarm hair.
First, how does laser hair removal work? I visited The Maas Clinic: For Facial Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery in San Francisco last weekend and sat down with spa coordinator Kymberly Moss to chat about the science behind it all.
Photoepilation, or laser hair removal, destroys the hair follicle using controlled flashes of light. The light flashes absorbs heat into the hair beneath the surface of your skin and damages the regrowth potential without affecting the surrounding tissue. Gradually, you’ll notice the dead hair follicle make its way to the surface of the skin where it can simply be wiped away.
While we were chatting, Kymberly talked to me about the differences between in-office laser hair removal versus doing it yourself at home. Here’s a little run-down:
In-Office means
- Professional Staff: At the Maas Clinic, you are only treated by doctors and nurses. Just in case of an emergency, the entire staff is fully trained to treat you medically if needed.
- Professional grade equipment: Equipment in-office is more powerful with higher wattage
- Time-Saver: In-office device covers a broader surface area making treatment sessions faster
At-home TRIA
- Convenience: Never make appointments; you have the flexibility to pick and choose when you do your own treatments
- Cost-efficiency: Cost of at-home device runs a cool $1,000 and depending on how many treatments you need, this could save you money. Pricing at the Maas Clinic runs $99 (lips) - $479 (full legs) per treatment. Kymberly says that the average person needs about six treatments depending on individual factors.
- Privacy: Save yourself the embarrassment of having to go out in public to get your business done
I’m getting ready to test out the TRIA for the first time this week so don’t forget to follow along. I’ll go through the nitty gritty how-to and the do’s and don’ts of laser hair removal to answer all of your burning questions. If you have any comments or questions on what you’d like to me find out for you, please let me know in Comments!
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On June 25th, 2008 Nosh said:
Oooo, I can’t waaaait to see the results! My mom and I have been contemplating getting one of these for a while now. Can this be used on the face as well?
On June 25th, 2008 Lilan said:
Hi Nosh,
Thanks for stopping by!
Currently, the TRIA is not FDA-approved for use on the face. But I believe in a year or so, they’ll release an upgraded product that would be FDA-approved for the entire body.
Let me know if you have any more questions and Happy Wednesday!
On June 25th, 2008 Mrs. Lynne, Makeupfix.net said:
Go underarms! I’d love to rid me of the hair there!! Seriously?? Is it necessary to grow it there? C’mon! Lol.
On June 25th, 2008 Jennifer said:
I agree…I hate underarm hair. Right now I am seriously considering taking a trip out to Cali and bribe you into doing a laser session. ; )
On June 25th, 2008 Lilan said:
Hey Mrs. Lynne!
This is the only place where hair really bothers me. I have virtually no hair on my legs and arms so I’m pretty thankful for that
Hopefully I can figure out how to zap the underarm area without killing myself - the hand-held device is heavy!!
On June 25th, 2008 Lilan said:
C’mon over Jenn! It’ll be a fun day of zapping and we’ll go shopping afterwards
On June 26th, 2008 MandyPandy said:
I hope that Tria gets FDA approval for use on face: goodbye sideburns!
The Maas clinic should do a test: one side of your leg with an actual machine and another side with Tria.
What type of technology is Tria? Is it intense pulsed light or an actual laser? If so, what type of laser is it?
On June 26th, 2008 Denise said:
I don’ care what they bring out, it’s never approved for the face. That No!No! thing isn’t for your face either. Good luck!
On June 26th, 2008 Lilan said:
Hey Mandy!
OMG, I would totally try this on my sideburns! Albeit I don’t know if I could do it because you have to shave the area first and that would just look WEIRD.
The TRIA is the pulsed technology and there’s three different strengths you can choose from. I STILL haven’t zapped my underarms yet but I think I’ll be able to try it on Monday while I’m on vacation from work - ha!
Do you have any weekend plans yet? I’m heading down to San Diego!
On June 26th, 2008 Lilan said:
Thanks Denise, I’ll let you know how it works!
On July 2nd, 2008 fidan said:
i ve read your message about tria in net.have you really bought it?does it work?and how much did you paid for it?please answer.i want to buy tria
On July 7th, 2008 Vera said:
I’ve done laser for my face, and either a different laser or a different setting needs to be used depending on the skin color and the facility. So I was wondering if this will work for different skin tones.
On July 8th, 2008 Lilan said:
Hi Vera,
Yes, this should work on a few different skin tones. They say that if you’re too tan or dark, you can’t use it because it will cause hyper-pigmentation. And if you’re hairs are too light it won’t work either. There’s a nifty little gadget that tests the skin tone and will actually give a green light if you’re okay to use it.
When in doubt, I would go get a consult at your derm office before trying the TRIA. They will tell you if you’re a suitable candidate before you buy it. Hope this helps and stay tuned for the next part in my series!
On August 21st, 2008 Sarah said:
just curious as to how the treatment is working for you?
did you actually go out and purchase this?
hmm i had my underarms done at work but feel like if i shave too much like cuz there are still a few hairs they come back darker.
On August 21st, 2008 Lilan said:
Hi Sarah,
The TRIA is actually working pretty well on the legs; I haven’t tried it under my arms yet. Did you get your underarms lasered? If you did, hopefully you won’t need to shave them for much longer