Best home laser machine for zapping hideous facial hair - votes/suggestions please.

[Callisto]

I have neither money nor inclination to go to a clinic and have someone zap my increasingly obvious and revolting beard so I am looking into buying a home use one. I have heard that the Boots version is very good and zaps an area rather than a single hair so good for other parts too I would think?

Any suggestions or recommendations? And please don't try and talk me into going to a clinic - it really isn't going to happen. Thanks so much.

No personal experience but funnily enough had a conversation with a good friend who has the boots one and swears by it.

She is Asian but quite fair with thick dark hair. She uses it on her upper lip, chin and sideburns area and says that she has seen a massive difference but gets lazy about using it regularly.

Apparently you have to shave the treatment area before zapping.....mmm not sure what else I can tell you. Oh also...I'm not sure whether it's permanent.

Nothing to add I'm afraid just watching with interest :)

I go to a clinic, and wish I had spent the money on a home kit instead. I didn't actually know that these were available, good luck with it.

It is supposed to be permanent, and really does not hurt at all. I have only had 3 sessions, and have seen a very small difference so far, but have signed up for 6 sessions in total.

I haven't seen the Boots one though.

Thanks for the replies - interesting about the shaving first thing.

Oops, meant to add: Vanimal - why do you wish you had spent money on a home one instead?

I wanted to buy this a long time ago but the reviews are too mixed IMO. It doesn't seem permanent as many complain the hair grows back if left alone when you finally think you have achieved desired results. Unless you want to keep maintaining the areas you use it on, I would save up and go to a salon, which is what I am going to do.

If you go to a clinic you shave 4 days before appt.

What i would say is that you need to get the treatment , whichever you choose, before you start going grey as it will not work then!!

I paid a fortune to have my bikini line dine at a clinic about 5 years ago. It's all grown back, it's a total waste of money.

I have the boots one and am also lazy about using it. You don't have to shave first but it helps if the hairs are shortish. Also it works on contrast like any IPL system and so works best if you have pale skin and dark hairs. It won't get rid of light downy hair and its not nearly as good on darker skin.

My experience is that it takes a lot of time but that it does work. after zapping an area a few times (over a few weeks) if you gently pull the hair it falls out. You're supposed to do it every week in the same area for ten weeks. some will come out uickly others will take longer and if you do it over ten weeks you also stand a better chance of getting the whole hair cycle (ie some will not be fully grown when you zap for the first few times but will appear later and will also need zapping iyswim) . You have to be really careful with moles I was careless last time and didn't use a white eyeliner pencil to cover mine up and ended up burning myself.

Thanks for the feedback. I do have pale skin and dark hairs so it should work on me.

Virgil - do you leave the hair then rather than pluck after treatment? You just shave it to stop it getting too long?

I have the Boots one and to be honest it just takes ages so I haven't used it enough to make much of a difference. Its so much quicker to epilate or shave. The head is quite small and I think it is only useful for small areas.

I've been doing my chin and so I've been trimming the hairs so that they dont show and then zapping them and then pulling them out when they are loose. It does take ages. You certainly wouldn't want to do your legs for example.

I spent about £300 having my upper lip done (think I had 7 sessions) three years ago. It was the most painful thing ever, like having a cigarette stubbed out on your face (I imagine). That said, I was pleased with the results, it did make a big difference. Sadly I am back to square one. It really doesn't last more than a year or so.

I agree Mrs Milton, it' a. Con. The results are great as long as you keep going, there's no way the recommended course of 6 is enough.

To be fair, I had acculight which was marketed as hair reduction rather than permanent hair removal.