I have always been intrigued by the process of hair removal. As someone who has shaved a good portion of their body every time they showered for years on end, finding a way to be silky smooth and hair free always seemed quite appealing. I debated going to get laser hair removal treatments, but many of the establishments that offer this service provide a set amount of sessions, so if the hair isn’t gone or if it comes back, well, you’re out mucho dinero and still prickly. My go-to method of hair removal has always been shaving, which offers decent results, especially with the right shave cream (like the one’s from Lush). I had a small stint using an epilator on my bikini line, but I could never mitigate the pain quite enough to make it a habit.

Over the past couple years there has been an introduction of hair removal devices designed for home use touting permanent hair removal. Many of them received quite mixed reviews. After much deliberation I finally bit the bullet and bought the Tria Precision. I really wanted to get the larger Tria Laser 4X, but then they came out with the Precision, which was a lower price and I figured if it worked I’d spring for the larger version.

Now, there is nothing that drives me crazier than an awful, useless review, and there are many of them out there. I saw the Precision had some mixed reviews as well, but then some of the contributors had hardly used the product, appeared to not be able to figure out the registration process to activate the device (It’s easy!), did not have the patience to achieve optimal results, thought it would be painless (more on that later), had skin/hair color that did not work with the device, or gave a poor review based on their purchasing experience (shipping issues, problems with the seller, etc.) There are also restrictions on who the device will work on. Basically those with a light to medium skintone with brown to black hair can use this device. So after seeing many great reviews along with the afore-mentioned I decided it was one of the best options out there.

Well, I can now say I’ve been using it on/off for almost 8 months on my underarms and bikini line and I have seen a reduction in hair.

I’ve found it does take a little time and patience as you must zap each hair follicle, going over the treatment area in an overlapping pattern. Additionally hair grows in cycles and can only be deactivated during a cycle, and not all hairs in an area are on the same cycle. Also, as previously stated, the unit must be registered to activate before using the first time.

Tips:
1. Apply ice to help numb the treatment area or Tria’s SmoothStart Calming Gel, or both, prior to application. Though there is a bit of a pinch or zap, discomfort is mild.
2. Be sure to go over the treatment area thoroughly, moving only a 1/4″ each time.
3. Use the highest tolerated power setting.
4. Perform a treatment right after a close shave.
5. Wipe off the treatment window with a slightly damp tissue during a treatment if needed, and definitely after for storage.
6. Pull the unit away from the skin and place on a new treatment point. There will be a tone and flash. If the treatment tip is coated with gel or the unit is moved too quickly without being raised off the skin and then placed back flush there will be a sound to indicate an error and no flash. There is a rhythm to it that comes easily with practice.
7. Let the unit cool down before charging or the fan seems to run quite a bit.

Now, I must say I like the Tria Precison so much I recently added the Tria 4X Laser to my collection of beauty gadgets. It has 5 power settings (versus the 3 on the Precision) and a longer run time – perfect for legs. I haven’t started treatments yet, but hope to be hair free by this Summer! I’ll give a full review after a few months of use.