Looking for the best at-home laser hair removal devices back in 2009, I conducted a year long reader trial of Tria on my website. At that time, I’d already become a big advocate for home laser devices which were relatively new, giving me years of hair free legs – still hair free to this day other than the odd stray. My friend and BBB reader, Cemo, who is of Turkish heritage, was the perfect person to trial Tria and she did so over an entire year. Cemo had long complained about the dark hair on her arms – perfectly natural, but she wanted them gone. After a year of consistent use, Cemo reported a significant reduction in hair growth and finer hair texture.

Later, in 2013, I updated on the new version of the device, Tria 4X. Here we are in 2026 and I have no leg hair to eliminate and very little underarm. I don’t think I’ve done enough yoga yet to tackle my bikini line but that’s fine – I swapped the bottom half of my bikinis for board shorts so it’s a non-issue. I am more than happy to now update further on the Tria in 2026 with new features such as updated tech to improve thermal performance, LCD display and a rubberised grip handle which honestly makes a difference in grip.

[after 4 sessions – not my armpits!]

What’s The Difference Between AT Home IPL and At Home Laser Treatment?

Tria is the market leader in at home laser hair removal and while it seems an expensive out-lay initially, in terms of time, parking anxiety, salon fees and even shyness, it pays for itself easily. I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of salon laser hair removal treatments when the same can be had at home – it feels like quite an intimate thing to have someone else do – don’t start me on salon waxing! I haven’t had that done for years and quite honestly, never will again – the pain, the awkwardness, the louder farts (it’s true!) – I’m shuddering.  Many salons use the Tria device because the difference in power for a salon device compared to Tria is now very small and if you wonder what the difference between laser hair removal and IPL is, I can tell you. IPL (intense-pulsed light) uses a broad spectrum of scattered light wavelengths, where as laser uses a single, focused and powerful beam of light that penetrates the hair follicle more deeply.

[After 8 sessions – not my back either!]

Does At Home Laser Hair Removal Hurt?

The Tria Hair Removal Laser works with your hair phases. If you don’t know the process, it’s one in which we are bound by hair growth cycles which have their own rhythms, and initially, you shave the area that you want to treat because it’s far less painful that way. The laser picks up on melanin in your hair (however short), meaning that if you are very light haired or grey, it’s not going to work for you. But, if you have light brown or darker hairs, all is good. The laser uses a focused beam of light to target hair pigment – the pigment absorbs the light, turns it into heat and damages the follicles so that they are no longer able to grow. To be more specific, the process is called selective photothermolysis (don’t try saying that after wine). If you think that sounds like it should hurt, I won’t fudge it and say it doesn’t – but it’s not extreme pain – it’s almost like a twang on your skin as the laser delivers the beam and yes, I did re-try it to remind myself that I wasn’t remembering through rose-tinted spectacles!

When Should I Start Laser Hair Removal At Home?

My advice is to get a white eye liner and draw a grid on your skin (not quite so easy if you’re doing your bikini line or under arms but they are a smaller surface area, but possible). You can work your way around the grid without repeating beams – it’s quite easy to lose focus on an entire leg, trust me. In theory, after two treatments, you should see a reduction in hair as the present hairs lose their ability to grow. After eight treatments – one every two weeks – on the high setting you should find that your hair doesn’t make a return, although it works best and most thoroughly on light skin with dark hair. Each time you treat, you are targeting hairs at different cycle stages so, being realistic, you may find that it takes a little longer than the initial eight to be fully hair free and be prepared to occasionally top up if some stubborn hairs put up a fight.  The end of summer is a good time to start the process because it gives you plenty of time to play with to be hair free by the next time bikini season comes around.

I’ve got a 10% discount code on the £549 device – use JANE at checkout HERE.