Hair removal treatments continue to be one of the most sought-after aesthetic treatments for men and women seeking smooth, hairless skin. In 2018 alone, the global laser hair removal market size was valued at $587 million , and it’s expected to grow at a rate of 15% from now until 2026.

For many years, companies have been endeavoring to meet this consumer need by producing at-home hair removal products like waxing kits, depilatory creams, and most recently, gadgets that mimic the effect of laser hair removal technology.

We say mimic because these at-home devices, though they do use laser or intense pulsed light technology, in no way match the power, accuracy, and effectiveness of the medical-grade devices professional clinics use. However, their quick-fix appeal and low-price tag have made them attractive to consumers.  

The question is, how do you position your hair removal services as superior to at-home equivalents to clients? With a two-pronged approach, we will brief you on how you can educate clients about the drawbacks of at-home hair removal devices, while highlighting the benefits of hair removal treatments  in a professional clinic.

The good news is, the majority of people already put their hair removal needs into the hands of professionals. Only about 15% invest in an at-home laser removal device, but that number could grow as the technology becomes better, cheaper, and more widely available. So, it’s important to start letting your clients know about the drawbacks of using these devices compared to getting their treatments done by a professional.

They’re less effective

The laser technology in these at-home devices is less powerful than those that are medical grade, but that’s not the only reason the average at-home treatment won’t have the desired results. Most people won’t know that timing is everything when it comes to effective hair removal. Let clients know about the three stages of hair growth, and that a professional treatment provider knows how to target the hair follicle in the anagen phase, which is when the hair responds best to the treatment.  

They’re more time-consuming

Because the at-home devices are less powerful, they require more sessions to achieve smoothness. Furthermore, an experienced treatment provider with a sure hand will simply be quicker at applying the devices at hard-to-reach spots, like the back. The general treatment plan for hair removal in a medical aesthetic clinic is around 10 sessions, every 4-8 weeks, each session lasting no more than 15-20 minutes. By then, patients will see a significant reduction in hair growth. Whereas at home treatments needs to be done every 2 weeks or so. Taking the DIY approach can turn out to be less accurate, patients could end up going over the same spot over and over again, which can cause injury to the skin.

They’re not as safe

A medical grade device used in a clinical setting is always going to be safer than using an at-home device, which is held up to less rigorous standards by the FDA and other licensing bodies. Additionally, at-home devices are not necessarily safe for darker skin types. While Some at-home devices are targeted for dark hair on light skin but don’t always cater to dark skin which could increase the chances of creating a burn.

You’re probably aware of the many benefits to hair removal treatments using the advanced medical technologies such as IPL or diode laser. However, it’s never too soon to refresh your knowledge, especially so you can communicate the advantages to your clients. Here are the main highlights of why clients will have better hair removal results at your clinic than at home:

They’re more powerful, and therefore more effective

There are two types of at-home devices for hair removal. One is a true laser, and the other uses intense pulsed light. Although the technology mimics a professional device, the scale and power the manufacturers put into a consumer product is much less. The main metric to see how powerful a laser is wavelength and fluence. The wavelength tells you how powerful the laser is; shorter wavelengths has more energy and a longer wavelength implied less energy. Fluence, or energy density, is the laser’s ability to heat hair follicles enough for effective treatment.   

The results last longer

The results of most at-home devices last only 4-6 months, and require frequent maintenance to keep areas hair-free. Conversely, completing a hair removal treatment plan over the same amount of time in a clinic can garner results that lasts. At the least, they can expect a 90% reduction in hair that lasts one year or more. Maintenance sessions should still be done at least once per year for results to remain as new hairs grow

They’re safe for all skin types  

One of the biggest drawbacks of at-home laser hair removal is that the tools only work on a narrow range of hair and skin colors. Because these less powerful lasers work on pigments in the hair follicle, they’re only effective when there’s a lot of contrast between skin and hair. That means that for people with darker skin, there’s a risk of burns — though to prevent that, many at-home devices have sensors that block them from working on darker skin.  

In conclusion, you can also gently remind them that while at-home devices tend to be cheaper at the beginning (around $400-$600), the overall value of letting a professional curate their hair removal experience is much greater. At a clinic, they’re going to get a better result that’s longer-lasting and safer on their skin.

Hair removal is one of today’s biggest cosmetic treatments. If you don’t offer these services yet, consider adding them to your repertoire to harness this lucrative market. At Venus Concept , we offer three exceptional hair removal devices: the Venus Velocity ™, Venus Versa ™, and Venus Epileve ™. Each of our hair removal machines use cutting edge technology to provide patients with a fast and comfortable experience that provides a long-lasting solution to their hair removal needs. To learn more about Venus Concept’s IPL and laser hair removal options, contact us today.