Advantages: Permanent results,once and for all.
Disadvantages: Substantial outlay,fleeting sting.

...I first heard of 'laser hair removal' over a year ago now and was immediately intrigued, having battled with dark hair on my upper lip since adolescence. Some say that it's hardly noticeable, but to me its always been a reason to feel unfeminine. So, fed up with the bleaching and failed attempts at home electrolysis, I made my way to my local branch of Boots which has a 'Lasercare' salon upstairs, to get some information and idea of prices. How Does It Work? The laser technology works by emitting a beam of light from a 1cmx2cm head passed over small areas of the skin at a time, taking only a few seconds between each pulse of light. The light energy is carried by the melanin pigment in the hair to its root, or follicle, increasing its temperature, de-naturing its cell proteins and destroying its growth capacity, either killing... Read review

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Advantages: None I can think of
Disadvantages: Price, not suitable for every skin type, difficult to use

...Well basically I bought this and think it is a total waste of money. I paid £99 for this item and thought it would be worth it, and would save a lot in the long run as I wouldn't need any other hair removal products. The instructions were easy enough to follow. Just plug in the machine, turn it on and enter a security code to start (the security code was given in the instruction leaflet). You then choose the setting you feel is correct for your skin, dampen the area you wish to treat, aim and press the button on "gun" to set the laser. The laser only stays on for a few seconds so you can't go burning yourself with it it. Easier said than done. It was unbelievably difficult to aim the laser in the right place. More often than not, I missed completely or just burnt the hair itself which left an unpleasant smell. When I did manage... Read review

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Advantages: Nothing
Disadvantages: Didn't see any results, waste of money, impossible to use

...I bought this product as I have been paying to have laser hair removal done professionally and at £140 a time it is very expensive and each area has to be done 6 times. I decided, considering I was paying so much to see if I could buy this product and see if it worked. I paid £60 for it from e-bay and have now tried using it about 15 to 20 times, the area's that I’ve used the pen on haven't showed any results at all. I have very thick hairs so I don't know whether it is me or not but I have used it on all the power levels and I got the same results from all of them. I did read before I bought it that it takes a lot of time and effort and you have to be very patient but it is more than that. You have the main base and it has a pen that you use to destroy the hair on the end of the pen is a small plastic box that you put the hair... Read review

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Advantages: Is quite gentle and doesnt hurt
Disadvantages: Takes a long time

...I bought this system around four months ago and, after using it religously (i.e approx 2 to 3 times per week) I am now starting to see results. I am fair skinned and bought the laser kit to target the dark hair on my upper lip. I used the highest setting and found it to be really gentle and no blistering or anything like that, however you must be careful not to overdo it or yes you will be burned. Follow the instructions carefully but, as has been said on several other reviews now, it takes a long time so you need to be committed to it. I also think its effectivenss varies from person to person depending on skin type so if you olive or dark skin or want to treat light hairs then it may not be the product for you. I have also in the past had electrolysis treatments and wish I had of tried this product first (electrolysis can... Read review

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Advantages: PAIN FREE AND EASY TO USE
Disadvantages: CANT THINK OF ANY

...RIO SCANNING LASER HAIR REMOVAL SYSTEM I had quite thick hair on my chin and face. I used every method including bleach, threading, waxing etc, but all in vain. Then some one told me about the salon laser hair removal, which was expensive. I managed to have 10 of these professional laser sessions, which managed to get rid of 80% of my facial and chin hair but I was not 100%.satisfied Due to the texture of my hair I needed more sessions. (Normal person needs about 7 to 10 sessions) Most stubborn hair was on my chin and neck. . One day as I was going through ARGOS book, found this new revolutionary idea of having laser treatment at home. It was much cheaper than salon treatment. We went to get the machine to get the machine but had to make choice, as they stocked two different varieties of the machine. NORMAL RIO LASER... Read review

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Advantages: Practically Permanent removal of hair, Ego Boost
Disadvantages: Cost may be prohibitive for some

...about the Chiltern Medical Clinic and the treatments that they offer, in particular their Laser Hair Removal treatments. Now comes the Science bit !!:- The clinic uses a laser called the Alexandrite (Apogee Elite). This has 2 different lasers to allow the clinic to treat all kinds of skin types. When the laser beam penetrates your skin it gets absorbed in the hair follicle residing under the skin surface. The laser energy destroys the follicle with the heat that it generates. So basically an ideal patient has pale skin and dark hair as this means that all of the laser energy is absorbed by the hair follicle and not your skin. Every area on your body can be treated by depending on where it is and how large the area is dictates the number of treatments needed. For example, I started having two areas treated (my lip and chin... Read review

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Advantages: Can be used at home
Disadvantages: Expensive, difficult to use, lengthy process

...I bought the Rio Laser Hair Removal system thinking it would be the answer to all my prayers - how wrong could I be? The systems works by killing the root of the hair by laser. The wand is placed over the hair, a button is pressed down for 3 seconds while the laser works (a red light indicates the laser is working) and that's basically it. The hair falls out within a few days and regrowth is minimal. However, hairs grow in 3 stages. Anagen (the growing phase) - this is where the hair grows. Can be in this stage for several years. 85% of hair is in this stage at any given time. Catagen (the intermediate phase) which lasts about two weeks, during which the hair stops growing but is not yet shed. About 3 - 4% of our body hair is in this phase at any given time. Telogen (the shedding phase). which lasts 5 - 6 weeks... Read review

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Advantages: painless, easy to use
Disadvantages: can be slow

...I have been using my laser for just over a week . I've been using every 2 days and I have noticed less time to do following treatments and best of all less hairs!! To use you have to turn the key and tap in a code using the keys on the front. You then choose the power you want. Ive used 5 the highest ( I am blonde, pale with dark hairy bits!!). For different skin types you have to vary the levels i.e olive skin no higher then 3. The laser is not suitable for dark skin types. You have to press the enable key. The yellow light then lights up. You then putting on damp skin ( slightly wet skin with damp cotton wool) Put the prongs either side of the hair. The laser tube over the hair aimed at the root. Press and hold the button on the wand and the red laser light bleeps for 4 seconds. The hair is then treated and you move... Read review

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Advantages: Huge savings!
Disadvantages: It is a lengthy process.

...This portable laser kit has recently made a new addition to my beauty accessories cabinet. When it comes to permanent hair removal for home use, there is usually some skepticism due probably to previous experiences with other products. So, does it really work? The good news is that it does work. I had laser treatments done professionally in the past, and Rio Laser Hair Removal works and feels about the same. BUT, it does so at a smaller scale. Lasers used in clinics and approved centres are built in such a way that the laser beam is amplified in order to cover areas of about half squared centimetre at the time. So the treatment is quite fast. Our portable laser on the other hand, emits only one beam, just enough to treat one hair at the time. This proves to be a lengthy and tricky task. I found it hard to aim at the hair root at first... Read review

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Advantages: No pain and permanently removes hair
Disadvantages: Expensive and takes a few sessions

...This is the ultimate hair removal treatment. I regularly exercise and play sports which means wearing vests and sleeveless tops and having hair free underarms is of high importance to me. Shaving I started off shaving but found the hair would grow back by the end of the day (no kidding) I never wanted to raise my arms above my head as I always had a dark shadow and it looked awful. Waxing From shaving I went to waxing which had a better end result, a lot smoother albeit more painful! However, this had its disadvantages as I had to let the hair grow a certain length to have it waxed which would mean a week or so of covering up. Laser It was time to find an alternative treatment as my hairy underarms was affecting my exercise routine and really getting me down. I found a local beauty clinic, the only one... Read review

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