Is a home laser hair removal product a good Christmas gift to give?

When thinking of a gift to give an older daughter, some mums might consider a laser hair removal product. Or maybe some daughters might think about giving one to their mum!

There are many of these on the market, starting at around £60 right up to £600. They are all IPL rather than laser, which can only be delivered in a clinic.

What do you get for your money?

The range available goes from budget versions such as HoMedics Duo Quartz at around £80, compact models like Silk’n Infinity 400,000 approx £205, all the way to a Philips Lumea Prestige for a tidy £599. Things you need to look at when researching include:

• How many times the device flashes before you need to get a replacement lamp (not always available anyway)
• The level of intensity, which impacts on how often you will have to use it
• How many treatment heads does it have?
• Are there different ‘modes’, such as glide, stamp and gentle?
• The time between flashes
• Whether it automatically detects safe settings and optimum intensity for your skin tone.

Pros and cons?

Generally speaking, machines used at home are said to be ‘pretty safe’ – although not 100%.

But do they work the same on every type of skin? Unfortunately not. Someone with a darker skin tone may actually experience burning and blistering, even hyperpigmentation from using home devices.

Something else you need to know is that home products won’t work on light, white, grey or red hair. You’ll only get a result for this type of hair through electrolysis.

As for effectiveness, these products all have a lower energy setting than the setting used in a clinic. So seeing any sort of result will take longer. And it takes patience to make sure that every area of skin is treated too, so you may end up with an uneven result.

There are other issues to consider too. Such as keeping out of the sun, avoiding tanning products and tanning beds. This too can cause burns. On an area you want to treat, you’ll need to avoid Botox and dermal fillers for a fortnight beforehand, and retinol or hydroxy acids for at least three days. Also you shouldn’t use other hair removal treatments including waxing and creams in conjunction with your IPL machine. Although, just to confuse you, you should shave a few days before you use your product!

Is a clinic treatment better?

With so many things to think about, the expertise of an experienced practitioner can’t be underestimated. Before you start a course of treatments the clinic will provide a consultation with the chance to discuss the options available, including which treatment is best for a particular skin and hair colour and type.

All I want for Christmas is….

In all honesty, if you really want to give a gift of hair removal treatment, you can’t beat gifting a series of treatments at a high quality laser hair removal clinic.

Rather than a DIY approach which will achieve hit and miss results, a good clinic has so much going for it: the most modern, effective and comfortable machines, trained, experienced practitioners who know how to treat different hair and skin types, and a results guarantee which shows the clinic is determined to get the right result for clients.

It’s not the cheapest option. Typically a treatment will need 6 to 8 sessions to get the best results and make a real and permanent difference. But most clinics will offer a payment plan. True, for a larger area of hair, such as legs, this means the gift will cost more than the most expensive home machine – although for a smaller area it is likely to be cheaper.

But the trade-off is that your gift will really make a difference to the recipient, for the long term. That’s got to be worth it!

To find out more about what we’ve touched on here, you can read our blogs on problem hair types, top tips for preparing for laser hair removal, and how much it will cost.

You can also read reviews about Brigstock Skin & Laser hair removal treatments here and get in touch with us to discuss booking a free consultation and treatments for your loved one here.

Give the perfect Christmas gift for a hair-free future!