FDA approves first at-home laser hair removal system
The Food and Drug Administration has approved do-it-yourself laser treatments that promise permanent hair removal.
“Having been someone who has waxed and shaved since I was 14, I knew this was something I wanted desperately to have,” said Darcey Hart, who lives in a rural area Oklahoma far from a doctor’s office or spa.
A few months ago, Hart bought the TRIA, the first laser FDA has approved for at-home use.
“I can use this when my kids go to bed at night,” Hart said. “I don’t have to go to a doctor’s office and actually be exposed in certain areas, especially your bikini area.”
For years, doctors have warned of the dangers of lasers operated by unskilled hands.
For News 8, Dr. Lori Stetler, of Dallas, took a close look at the small, rechargeable TRIA device and compared it to the heavy-duty machine she uses in her reputable dermatology clinic.
“I actually think the device is very safe,” she said.
Laser hair removal works when high intensity light destroys hair follicles. At most, the portable version uses about half the energy of the professional machines, Dr. Stetler said.
One patient, who has had traditional laser hair removal, said the TRIA is also more tolerable.
“You feel a little heat, but it’s not painful,” she said.
But that doesn’t mean it still can’t be dangerous, especially when aimed at the eyes or used on those with dark skin.
Dr. Stetler said the device, when used on the wrong skin color, can cause serious burns.
“So, read the instructions very carefully,” she said. “Do not use this if you are any of those skin types we talked about, and absolutely no recent tanning either.”
At home lasers come with a long list of warnings, but Dr. Stetler said there is one more unknown.
“It was just FDA cleared in, so we really don’t have long-term follow-up from lots of consumers using it, saying it works [or] it doesn’t work,” she said.
Hart said it has worked for her, and in only a few treatments.
“Definite reduction in hair, it’s very effective,” she said.
At home lasers cost about $1,000. A series of spa treatments on one part of the body can cost more than that. The device is currently on sale online for $795 at TRIA Beauty.
Source: WFAA
