New TRIA Laser Updates Original Model

Generally, a product sold predominantly through QVC would have to be considered a tad dubious. Nonetheless, the TRIA at-home laser hair removal system is likely to gain more notoriety in 2009, as it introduces its TRIA version 2.0, with sales through the popular home shopping enterprise.

Features of New TRIA Laser

Kevin Appelbaum, the CEO of TRIA Beauty, recently announced the launch of a new TRIA system that purports to work “twice as fast” and at a “lower cost” than the original version of the product, which was introduced last year. This would appear to be good news for people who’ve been considering trying TRIA, but it’s also got to be annoying news for those who already spent over $1,000 and countless painful hours using the original version of the hand held laser. Utilizing something called “proprietary software technology,” the new TRIA supposedly speeds up the arduous process of manually treating targeted areas of the skin. The time consuming nature of TRIA treatments, along with the pain and short shelf life of the laser, were among the key complaints that Appelbaum and his cohorts are trying to quell with this improved model. Of course, the system’s $1,000 price tag was a tad intimidating to some buyers, as well, which is why the new TRIA will sell for about $800 instead.

TRIA vs Professional Laser Hair Removal

With the launch of the new TRIA just recently announced, there is no way to determine if the updated product will deliver on its promises. In fact, the jury is still out on the original TRIA, which has earned generally mixed reviews in online forums. While the appeal of an at-home laser hair removal system is easy to understand, TRIA’s limitations are numerous. Unlike most professional, clinic-based laser hair removal treatments, TRIA will not work on darker skin tones or lighter hair (red, blonde, grey). It is also not recommended for treating facial hair. Because of the added precautions required by the FDA for at-home products used without professional supervision, TRIA is also simply a less powerful laser, meaning that more time and more sessions will be needed to approach the results produced by a professional laser treatment.

Another limitation that will always hound TRIA is its simple inability to treat certain areas of the body, particularly the back, which a person simply can’t navigate without outside assistance. And if you’re going to seek out the help of another in your laser hair removal treatment, wouldn’t it make sense to pay less money for a session of professional laser hair removal, handled by a laser technician?

Privacy is the central selling point of TRIA and other at-home hair removal products. To its credit, TRIA is the first at-home laser hair removal system to gain FDA approval, and the new TRIA could very well offer significant improvements from the original model. But on the whole, at-home alternatives remain an inferior alternative to professional laser hair removal treatments, which utilize the most advanced and powerful laser systems, can treat a wide variety of patients, and are conducted by trained laser hair removal specialists who can ensure your comfort and safety. After all, you can always try handling your own hair removal, but if the effort makes you more miserable than the unwanted hair itself, it might be time to reconsider a professional session.