We Tested the Best At-Home Laser Hair Removal Devices to Get You Honeymoon-Ready (2024)

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  The best at-home laser hair removal devices5 of the best at-home laser hair-removal devices, according to the experts

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At its best, a top-notch laser hair removal device zaps away hair swiftly and efficiently, but this one also does an excellent job of making the process as painless and easy as possible. Additionally, its lightweight feel, intuitive set-up, and ergonomic design send it straight to the top of this list.

In under 15 minutes, our legs were totally hairless, which we credit to the wide treatment window that made it easy to target large patches of hair at once. We were especially overjoyed at how it took less than five strokes when we used it on smaller surface areas, like under our arms. Still, despite being slightly bulkier than other options, it fit nicely in our hands and allowed us to target trickier areas effortlessly.

Even more user-friendly features include a digital display that clearly showed which of the five intensity levels we were using and a convenient side button to notch the level up or down while we worked.

What’s more, at six weeks, about halfway through our testing period, we definitely saw fewer signs of hair growth. Plus, this pick is simply an incredible value—it already costs less than other options and offers a lifetime flash guarantee, so the brand will replace it for free if we do run out.

Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: 5 | Flashes: 600,000

This pick's chic minimal aesthetic and pleasing color options aren’t its only appeal; the handset also equipped us with everything we needed to achieve the smoothest skin, including exfoliating gloves and an easy-to-follow user manual.

We admired how, in addition to the six intensity levels, we could choose from three different modes—stamp, glide, and auto—to target different body areas. We breezed through our lasering session as we could quickly stamp hair in smaller areas, like the bikini line and armpits, and seamlessly glide it over our arms without pressing a button. However, the auto mode may have been the most ingenious capability since it auto-detected when we touched the treatment window to our skin and only activated upon contact.

To our delight, our arm and leg hair started growing back slower and thinner after just a few weeks of use. Although we didn’t see quite as successful results around our bikini line, we’re pretty confident that with continued treatments, hair would be less patchy here, too.

For the most part, lasering our body with this tool was painless—though we recommend lowering the intensity to around three on your arms to avoid discomfort in this area.

Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: Six | Flashes: 900,000

Any type of hair removal is daunting for those with sensitive skin—one wayward nick or shaving with an old razor and you have irritation for days and red bumps making an appearance in all of our bachelorette beach trip photos. This device solves these woes with some pretty nifty tech using a sapphire lamp head that cools our skin to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and provides a pleasant, soothing experience (not typically what you’d expect while working with lasers).

We were also able to tailor our treatment to suit our skin’s needs by selecting from one of the five intensity levels, each geared toward targeting a different part of the body. This helped ensure our pain threshold was never met.

In addition to seeing a noticeable reduction in hair growth after using it for less than a month, another aspect that knocked this pick out of the park is its compact design, which felt lighter than an empty water bottle and made navigating the device like a pro so simple.

Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: Five | Flashes: Unlimited

Marrying luxury and utility, the JOVS hair remover’s sleek matte finish and wireless capabilities are only the baselines of what makes using it a truly opulent experience. From a self-cleaning charging dock to a skin-cooling setting, the brand thought of everything to make hair removal hassle-free (and, dare we say, fun?).

Whether we’re wearing a mini wedding dress or opting for a low-cut style, we’d feel pretty confident about showing some skin during our nuptials since we were able to use it on even the most hard-to-reach areas, like our back, thanks to its 330-degree rotating head and L-shape that conformed to different parts of our body and made the treatment fly by in around 20 minutes.

With twelve settings total—six modes curated for different body parts and six intensity levels—it also boasts more features than any other devices we tested. The auto-flash mode was one setting we found particularly handy because it activated upon making contact with the skin, meaning we didn’t have to worry about simultaneously pressing a button.

Cordless: Yes | Intensity Levels: Six | Flashes: Unlimited

Considered to be one the first brands to launch an at-home IPL hair removal tool, Smoothskin re-invented its design into an even more travel-friendlyWe can stow a slim, compact device in a carry-on for a quick touch-up while we’re on our honeymoon.

Although you can modify its three intensity levels manually, we appreciated how the smart technology took much of the guesswork out of the process for us by automatically adjusting the level of heat emitted based on skin tone. And, since it only flashes when it makes contact with the skin, it's an excellent choice for sensitive skin and eyes— just be sure the front panel is facing you because otherwise, it's hard to tell when the lasers are activated.

Another feature that differentiates this product from its competitors is the internal fan, which kicked on as soon as we plugged it in and kept our skin from feeling overheated.

Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: Three | Flashes: Unlimited

FAQ

• How does laser hair removal work?

  In short, Lasers target hair and convert it to heat, thus breaking down the dark pigmentation and damaging it to the point where hair won’t grow back. Most of the options on this list target hair through IPL, which uses multiple light wavelengths instead of one long stream of light. Not only is this safe for non-professionals (hello, us), but IPL emits a larger footprint using less light, thereby covering more surface area and making the process go by quicker.

• How effective is at-home laser hair removal?

  Dr. Rossi says that at-home laser hair removal can be very effective at reducing hair growth if you’re committed to sticking with a schedule. To make them safe for use by a nonprofessional, they emit much less energy than what you’d receive in a treatment center. However, staying consistent and keeping the tool handy for touch-ups should lead you to eventually only see the stray hair here and there. Remember that if you start using this device two weeks before your honeymoon, you may not see results in time, so it’s best to start treatments at least six weeks before your celebrations.

  
  It’s also essential to note effectiveness varies based on your hair’s pigmentation. “There are two types of melanin: Eumelanin, which makes up black and browns, and then there’s pheomelanin, which makes up reds and pinks,” explains Dr. Rossi. Since laser hair removal is targeted to pick up on darker pigmentations, these treatments probably won’t work super well on those with blonde or red hair.

  
  Additionally, at-home laser hair removal devices work best on areas with a noticeable contrast between skin and hair. Those with darker skin tones may risk burning their skin if the device cannot differentiate between hair color and tone. Thankfully (and finally, we might add), technology has advanced so that people of color can take advantage of these products, the Smoothskin Pure Mini and Silk'n Infinity Hair Removal Device For example, they can adjust their intensity based on the user’s skin tone. Still, if you fall into this category, speaking with your doctor or dermatologist before using one never hurts.

• How do I prep my skin for laser hair removal?

  Before you embark on your at-home laser hair removal journey, you must test the product before your bachelorette trip, wedding, or honeymoon to check for skin sensitivities. We recommend performing a patch test on a small, unnoticeable area of your skin and waiting a few days to see how your skin reacts to the device.

  
  If you don’t notice any long-lasting irritation or changes in skin color after a few days, start with clean, dry skin free from any lotions, oils, or soap residue before using a laser hair removal device. “You don’t want anything that impedes the transfer of the laser energy from the device into the skin,” says Dr. Rossi.

  
  And while your skin doesn’t need to be smooth ahead of time, you should shave your body free of any long hairs. Dr. Rossi doesn’t recommend plucking or waxing hair before treatment because “that pulls the follicle out, whereas shaving the follicle is still there, it’s just underneath the skin, so you can still target it with the razor,” says Dr. Rossi. Once finished, slather on a hydrating lotion or gel to calm the skin and avoid irritation.

1. Gold MH, Foster A, Biron JA. Low-energy intense pulsed light for hair removal at home. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2010;3(2):48-53.