12 Best At-Home Laser Hair Removal Devices, According to Dermatologists

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, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “They require time and scheduled usage, but can greatly reduce the softness and thickness of hair growth, and over time yield significant results.”Because of that, it’s “a good option for people who want to manage unwanted hair themselves, and see longer-lasting results than they do with like shaving, waxing, or epilating,” says , a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY. “The benefit of at-home laser hair removal is that it can be conveniently done at home, it’s cheaper than in-office treatments, and it lasts longer than some other methods of hair removal.”However, there are some things to consider.

For one, the results won’t necessarily be permanent, Dr. Engelman says, so you may need to repeat treatments for maintenance.

Then, “in general, is most effective on lighter skin tones and dark hair,” she says. “This is because laser hair removal works by targeting melanin pigments, so a stronger contrast between the color of the skin and hair will yield the best results with minimal risk.” (It’s the same case for in-office hair removal treatments, which is why .)In fact, it might be best avoided altogether if you have a deeper skin tone. “Since dark pigment is the target, there is an increased risk of heating up the dark pigment in the skin, and therefore it is risky in darker skin types,” says , a dermatologist in Miami, FL.

On the line? You could risk discoloration, , and potential scarring, says New York City dermatologist .In fact, any darker area on the body requires special consideration, skin tone notwithstanding. “Any area that is darker on the body—for example, groin and armpits—should be lasered with caution, as the laser needs to be able to detect the.