The primary difference I have found so far is the size of the treatment head. The tria has a very small treatment head (maybe a 1/4 inch circle). This is fine for small areas, but a bit tedious for larger areas. I have been getting laser hair removal at medical spas for years and I am familiar with the technology behind tria. It is a pulsed diode laser (superior to pulsed light, i.e. "Silk'n"). It does work for hair removal on pale skin and black (or near black) hair. If your hair is not black, it won't work as well (and it will not work at all on gray, white, blond, red or light brown). If your skin is not pale, it won't work as well and will be more painful (because the melanin in your skin is absorbing the lazer energy away from the dark hair). Dark melanin (the pigment that gives color to skin and hair) absorbs near-infrared radiation from the laser and creates heat. This is how Tria works. It flashes near-infrared radiation into your skin, the black hairs absorb the radiation and heat up, frying the follicle. A rash-type effect means the laser is working. Little red bumps that form immediately after zapping is normal and they should subside within a few hours (but not everyone experiences the bumps). A couple weeks later, the dead hairs shafts fall out (or are easily pulled out with tweezers). The laser diode technology has been in use for years and it is effective on black hair/ pale skin. For best results, I use the highest power I can tolerate (not the highest power that is "comfortable"). The highest fluence that the Tria is capable of is 22 with a wavelength of 810nm. This is a fairly low fluence compared to the med-spa quality machines which can go into the 40's, but is somewhat compensated by the small size of the head and the treatment instructions that direct you to overlap the pulses. This is also the reason why the Tria is limited in the hair and skin colors it can handle, but these limitations are also what makes it safe for untrained consumers to use. It does not have the versatility of settings that the med-spa machines have. In my experience, if it is working, it will hurt. You can chase it with an ice pack or use some numbing cream before hand if it is too much for you. Tria is not approved for use on the face by the FDA, but it is the same technology that is being used on the faces of people all over the country (for years) and I have used it successfully on my face. Never laser around your eyes! Eyes contain melanin! I have used Tria *everywhere* (more or less) and am seeing the same results I have gotten from the bigger med-spa machines.
I have coarse black hair and pale skin which makes me an ideal user for this device. I use Tria on 5 power (highest) and the sensation (pain) is very similar to what I have experienced with LHR in numerous medical spas. However, I find the Tria more tolerable simply because of the smaller treatment head. Less hairs getting zapped means less pain per zap. This was a pleasant surprise. However, the smaller treatment head means less area covered per treatment. I find it lasts for about 10-15 minutes of use at 5 power. This is enough to do about 1/3 of one lower leg. This is okay for me because I prefer doing short sessions in the mornings before I start my day (however, it would be nice to have the option of going longer if I wanted to). Also, ladies, LHR is more painful just prior to and during menstruation. I can do it, but it really isn't worth all the extra pain, so I usually wait until the hormones are stable again before resuming.
For those of you that have never been for laser hair removal in a derm or med spa, it can be a harrowing experience. The powerful equipment they use is not as fool-proof as the Tria is. The possibility of burns is very real (I have been burned... by a doctor who was trying out his new laser without training). Ensuring that your laser technician has been properly trained can be difficult (there is no training required in any state. Some states (not most) require that the spa simply must have a "doctor" that has agreed to put his name behind it, or that a nurse actually operate the laser... but doctors and nurses do not get laser training in med school). This is why ALL of these facilities require you to sign a broad medical and liability release that includes burns, disfiguring injuries and poor/ no results. Getting a laser technician that is trained, competent, experienced, hygienic and makes you feel comfortable during treatment can be very challenging. I have found several good techs over the years, but I would always end up moving out of the area and losing my money, treatments, favorite tech, etc. Having the Tria means I can have LHR anywhere I go and for as long as I want.
A couple points about hair growth and LHR. There really is no such thing as permanent hair removal because hair follicle formation is stimulated by (genetics and) hormones. As long as you have hormones, new hair follicles will continue to form on your body (the location will change depending on which hormones are in control). This is why "permanent hair reduction" is more accurate and more realistic for all forms of LHR.
One last point about LHR (of any kind). The only hairs that are actually killed are the ones that are zapped in the growth phase. Just because a hair falls out doesn't mean the follicle is dead. Getting hairs to fall out and actually killing them are two different things. This is the biggest reason why repeated treatments are necessary. Not all the hairs you zap are in the "growth phase". You will have to go over the same areas several times over the course of months to eventually catch all of the hairs in their growth phase. And of course, as you are zapping away, it is likely that your hormones are working against you and sprouting brand new follicles (not new hairs in the dead follicles that you have killed with the laser). The laser will eventually kill all of your current hair follicles, but your body will form new ones over time. Future treatments will be needed to maintain the results. This is one more reason why I like the Tria as a concept. I anticipate the Tria is going to save me lots of time and lots of money.
If you don't follow the protocol, you won't get satisfactory results. There is no cheating or shortcuts that will cause this device to magically work. Make sure that your skin and hair colors will work with the Tria, follow the protocol, and you will get results.
Improvements I would like to see in future Tria:
-larger treatment head
-longer battery life
-lighter weight
-less "bulk" around treatment tip so it is easier to see exactly where you are zapping
Some people have asked if I am associated with Tria or was given the product for free or paid to write this review. I purchased my Tria on Amazon (see "Amazon Verified Purchase" label at the top of this review) and have not been given any incentive, payment or free product. This is a genuine review based on my first hand experience with the Tria and my accumulated knowledge of LHR. I have a condition called PCOS that has caused excessive body hair since puberty. After some really bad bleeding, scarring and results from "sugaring", epilating, waxing and electrolysis, my parents purchased my first LHR series for me in my early 20s. I am 37 now. Over the course of my life, I have researched and tried every method of hair removal out there. LHR is the only method that really made a difference and it has has changed my life for the better. I am happy to share my hard earned knowledge with others and I do this freely. I hope this review is helpful for folks looking for at-home laser hair removal.
The other common question/objection I have received is, "if you have been getting laser hair removal done for years, why do you still need a tria?". I think the main part of the answer to that question is already thoroughly explained in the above review and can be summed up with "because new follicles naturally keep forming", but the other part of the answer is that when I first started getting laser hair removal, the cost was $2,800 for a 8 treatments of a small area like "lower face" (which did not include cheeks or any part of the neck). At such prices, I could only budget to do one such area per year and I had a whole body that needed treatments! As you can imagine, such a costly process takes "years". As the technology eventually became more common, prices began to come down and LHR is much more affordable now, but sadly, there is still no training or license required to operate or own one of these powerful lasers. In fact, anyone with 50k can legally buy a used pro-quality laser on the secondary market.
Update #1, 6.9.12: Tria's most recent model has several improvements that are noteworthy (including ALL of the improvements I suggested in my original review). I don't own the new one, but if Tria had a trade-in program, I would trade up! The new Tria laser does not require you to lift the device off the skin in between each pulse. The new model will glide across the skin as it pulses away. This is huge!! As my wrist does become a fatigued working with the older model lifting it up and down so repetitively. And it is difficult (ergonomics) to treat backside areas and "overlap the pulses" when you can't see the area you are working on. The gliding feature would address the wrist fatigue and make these areas so much easier to treat. There may be other improvements as well, but since I do not own one and can not purchase one right now, I will leave it to you to do the rest of the research for yourselves.
Update #2, 11.26.12: I was all set to purchase the new "gliding Tria" for the Cyber Monday sale at TriaBeauty ($100 off!
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