14 DAY TRIAL // Cosmetic surgeons are again warning women of the risks inherent to using do-it-yourself beauty kits, with lasers for hair removal in particular. There is absolutely no chance such kits would return the same results as the machines used in specialized clinics, while women also have to think that they might actually be putting themselves at risk, surgeon Barry DiBernardo tells Wired Science, following an American Society of Plastic Surgeons conference.
The problem with the many products now available on the market, either in specialized stores or online, is that few come with proper accreditation and approval. What this is to say is that countless of them are illegal and have not received the FDA stamp of approval for risks and results, DiBernardo says. This is all the more troubling as the laser market is estimated to explode in the following months, thus surpassing that of traditional hair-removal products.
“We have to make sure that the patients are getting good, safe treatments. If they are getting good, safe treatments, then whether they are doing it at home or not, I’m not as worried. What I’m worried about is that they are seeing things in the Skymall on the airplane and spending hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars on something that is not going to work or is unproven.” DiBernardo says.
Of course, there is also the question of whether these devices are as good as they say they are, aside from them being safe. DiBernardo, for one, believes they are not, which means they’re money down the drain. “In general, these devices are low-powered versions of the doctor versions. We’ve been doing hair removal since 1998, so we know that they work and how well they do. I think these home devices have some effect, but they legally can’t have the power of what we fire at people.” the New Jersey surgeon explains for Wired.
With all this, new cosmetic devices are about to experience a boost in popularity. This, of course, also includes the DIY home laser kits for hair removal. By 2013, these devices will probably make up for $1.3 billion of the cosmetics market, up from $296 million in 2008, analysts believe.