How to Tackle Laser Hair Removal at Home (Plus, 10 Devices That Get the Job Done)

The Dermatologist Pick

As the only FDA-cleared home laser hair removal tool, the Tria gets a stamp of approval for safety and efficacy. It uses the same in-office Diode Laser Technology used by dermatologists, which targets pigment in the hair follicles to deliver three times more energy than any other home hair removal device and has shown through rigorous lab testing to reduce new growth without causing irritation.

Most Inclusive

ORA's Iluminage Precise Touch Permanent Hair Removal Device combines both Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Radio Frequency (RF) to remove body and facial hair on the widest range of skin tones and hair colors. The derm-approved settings range from low to medium and high, so you’re able to adjust it to your tolerance and target the hair follicles with precision (and less pain overall).

Best for Travel

Compact and more lightweight than most of the others on the list, this petite device packs a powerful punch with its patented elos technology that uses enhanced pulsed light to target each hair follicle. Thanks to its size, it’s also much easier to maneuver around smaller areas like the upper lip or bikini line. Simply select your preferred energy level and glide the device across the skin according to the manual, which recommends one minute per underarm, two minutes for your face, four minutes for the bikini line and 10 minutes for each lower leg, once a week for six weeks.

Best Budget

Sure, this device doesn’t have some of the fancy add ons as some of the others on the list (i.e. it’s not cordless) but it’s also a fraction of the cost and uses the same IPL technology to remove hair gradually over time. Reviewers praise the user-friendliness of the device saying, “the instructions are easy to read and are clear about what settings you should use” and that “if you follow the directions and are patient, the results are worth it.”

Best for Coarse Hair

If you have dark, coarse hair, this device comes highly recommended thanks to its five different levels of power. Delivering 12 to 18 joules of energy per flash, it efficiently blasts each follicle with more heat to reduce hair growth in fewer treatments. As one reviewer shared: “I started using this once a week on level 5. By the end of the second month, I [no longer] have to pluck hair around my mouth or chin anymore. My daughter has started using it on her bikini area and says it’s already made a huge difference in just two weeks.”

Most Durable

Yes, the price tag is steep, but when you consider the longevity of the device, it may soften the sting just a bit. With the capacity to store 400,000 pulses before it gives, the Silk’n Infinity lasts much longer than most home devices on the market. It uses a combination of eHPL light pulsing and galvanic energy technology to halt hair growth at the root for longer lasting results. We also appreciate its sleek, cylindrical design and five customizable energy settings to treat a variety of skin tones.

Best for Beginners

Fans praise this budget conscious device because it’s easy to use and covers a large surface area with each zap. To use, simply press the power button on the back of the device and press it again to increase the level of intensity (which goes up to a level five). Once it’s at the desired level (always start low and work your way up), place the flat head of the device against the area you want to treat and press the big button on the front to deliver the IPL energy. “I can honestly tell you, after using it once a week for about two months now, I can actually see a difference! The hair is less and those that do grow back, they're softer,” says one fan.

The Fan Favorite

Chances are you’ve seen this guy on your Instagram feed at some point during the pandemic. The buzzy Kenzzi is beloved by many for its ability to deliver results quickly (usually in three to four weeks) and relatively painless experience. Featuring five power settings and long lifespan (they claim up to 10 or more years of flashes in each device), you can use it to remove hair from anywhere on your face and body. As one reviewer shared, “I had a mix of beard-like hair and peach fuzz. I cut the stronger hairs with baby scissors because I was too afraid to shave and make the peach fuzz worse. After about two months, I saw a reduction of about 80% of the strong hairs with only a couple of stubborn hairs left, but even they have definitely thinned.”

Best for Sensitive Skin

If your skin is easily irritated or you’re nervous about feeling any sting during treatment, we’d point you to the BoSidin. With a pre-cooling mode that preps your skin before the heat is administered, users with sensitive skin reported feeling less pain or intensity when using this device as compared to others. Add to that the precision head, which rotates from side to side to reach the curves and contours of your body (like, say, the backs of your thighs), and it’s easy to see why fans have called it “an absolute dream” and “innovation at its finest” for home hair removal.

The Amazon Favorite

With over 9,000 reviews (where 83 percent gave it five stars), this popular pick uses a gentle IPL heat to reduce hair growth. The built-in sensors continuously scan your skin and automatically adjust the intensity with each pass, so you get optimal light delivered to each follicle. For best results, use it consistently and remember that your hair comes in at different stages, so the progress will be gradual. “I admit, I was skeptical about how well it would work, but I've used it [on] my arms and neck and the hair [there] is virtually gone,” shares one reviewer. “