Tria Home Laser Experiences

Hair Removal Methods Do-It-Yourself Laser/IPL
#1

The old Tria thread is getting pretty long with speculation and technical debate, so I thought I’d start a thread focusing on actual experiences. Hopefully this will help others determine if it’s right for them.

For those that haven’t heard about it, the Tria is a home laser hair removal system which retails for around $1000:

http://www.triabeauty.com

I’ve put more overview details at:

http://www.geocities.com/vulpresults/tria.html

Years ago I had commercial laser on my arms and legs which gave me permanent results. I purchased a Tria in July to do my chest, stomach, shoulders, and other areas, after weighing the cost of having these done professionally (around $200 per session, per area).

My hair is dark brown on Type III skin. When I shave, hair becomes noticeable stubble within 12 hours, and if I wax, it regrows in 1 week.

It’s been 3 weeks now since my my 3rd chest session and I have what I feel is completely bare skin (at least for now). A couple of hairs have grown here and there which I attribute to previously dormant follicles.

One of the nicest things about the Tria is that you can treat hairs the moment you notice them growing. No more waiting for a clinic to squeeze you in for a touchup or your next appointment.

My stomach, shoulders and lower back have responded the same way. My underarms look like they’ll need 5 sessions to get bare. I’m trying not to get too excited in case these results aren’t permanent, but it’s really encouraging.

I’d also like to quickly comment on Tria customer service. They checked up on me a week after my purchase, and when I called about a possible issue, they sent a FedEx pre-paid return box. Once they received my suspect unit, they overnighted a brand new one (covered by their 1 year warranty). I’ve never had such a great customer experience with a company.

So, my results so far are that if you use a Tria on its highest setting, and you have dark hair on light skin, you will see long-lasting hair reduction after 3 - 5 sessions.

I’d also like to point out their 90 day money-back warranty. Considering how great their customer service has been, I wouldn’t see a problem buying a Tria for a trial to see how your hair responds.

If you’re using or have used a Tria before or have questions about it please post.

#2

Vulpes, your not worried about using emla too often? How would you know if your doing damage to your liver? How large is a 35 sq patch? 6x6 inches, and that would take about 25 mins to do with tria?

Do people actually use emla on there entire chest or back?

#3

I would not advise doing both at the same time, but one is usually ok.

I hope your happy with the product a year or two from now. Your one of the few who have posted a positive review.

#4

Yes, what really matters is observing the area one year after the last treatment. Thanks for your report, but I’ll be anxious to hear about your observations one full year without doing anything.

Dee

#5

The permanence test will take years I know. The nice thing is that, even if it’s not permanent, the Tria makes a compelling alternative to waxing. You don’t have to wait for hairs to grow back like with wax, you just zap new ones if you see them grow, for a perpetual waxed-like appearance. From this point of view I’m pleased… so it’s a big bonus if it turns out to be permanent.

And yes, boy, I’ve gone through my share of Emla and other Lidocaine alternatives. I’m 128 lbs and use at most 60 grams of Lidocaine 4% or Emla. With the Tria, you’d do a full chest and stomach in 2-3 sessions at first, so only 30 grams are needed at a time.

Speaking of which, I strongly recommend a product called Lido 4%. It works very similar to Emla, but is about half the price. Emla is $1.07/gram, and Lido 4% is $0.50/gram (if you order in pairs, use Buddy Code FOX483, and Coupon SAVE3443):

http://www.hairproducts.com/view_product_BEA-LID100.htm

Like Emla, the worst side effect is skin blanching (turns skin red temporarily) and sometimes slight tongue numbness for a few hours.

As far as positive reviews, I haven’t seen that many reviews period (in English anyway), which is why I’m hoping to get some posts here. Two of the reasons I’ve seen such promising results might be because I have dark hair, and I’ve only been using the highest setting. Other reviews I’ve read have stuck to level 1 or 2, but even these seem to be promising, for instance:

http://triabeauty.wordpress.com/

#6

vulpes…

When you purchased the TRIA laser…did UPS ship it in a brown box with the colored one inside…or just the colored one?

#7

Actually it was FedEx, but yes the Tria arrived inside its carrying kit, which was inside the colored Tria box, which was inside a protective plastic bag, which was packed in stiff foam inside a plain brown box. :smiley:

For me at least, FedEx required an in-person signature for it. So, be sure to have it shipped to your workplace, have someone at home to sign for it, or be ready to pick it up at your FedEx/UPS center.

#8

Thanks alot…would you honestly say its working effectivly? I am light skined and have dark hair so i am a good canidate for laser hair removal…the reviews ive read on forums seem somewhat skeptic that its not powerful enough to actually work, but the hype of this product from TRIA’s website and press releases make it hard to shy away from…so from your experience, would you say it works as well as you previous laser treatments and recommened is as well?

#9

I was skeptical too as you can see from my older posts. But, after seeing and feeling (yow!) it in action, I can honestly say it has the ability to stop hair from growing (at least for a few months so far). I can’t make any promises for permanency yet.

To the benefit of the laser clinics out there, I’ll be honest and say that the Tria can’t treat the wide range of skin/hair types that a a commercial laser can (e.g. lighter hairs), and the Tria is battery powered, making it very time consuming for large areas (e.g. 10+ sessions for a full leg).

Just like a commercial system, you’ll likely need a lot of pain cream if you have dark hair like me. So figure in some $15-$30 per session for anesthetic. I don’t recommend using a lower setting on the Tria.

If you’re thinking of trying it bmm, remember they have a 90 day money back guarantee. You should see some results 2 weeks after your first session on its highest setting, so 12 weeks should be plenty to get an idea if it fits your skin/hair combo.

#10

We are lucky to have you vulpes. Thanks for your observations so far.

Dee

#11

Aren’t you concerned with the possible damage your doing to your liver with using pain creams so often??

I would be very cautious - one time a month, fine but every few hours or for days in a row could be very dangerous…

It might be better to just deal with the pain.

#12

thanks for your response vulpes…i really think i am going to purchase one…keep us updated!!!

#13

I also bought the TRIA around 3 days ago. So far I have used it on my chest,lower back, and now starting towards the stomach. (i am male)

I will say this… The TRIA has introduced some of the worst pain in the world to me. I do NOT use any kind of cream and I have dense black hair on my chest. It feels like burning hot needles are going inside your skin. If this is a permanent reduction of pesky hair however, it is worth it. I will post conclusions of how the TRIA fared on my body after Ive had more time using it.

P.S. I’ve heard using ice packs on the area before using the laser will reduce the effectiveness… why will it reduce the effectiveness?

#14

With ice packs you are cooling the area. This makes it harder for the laser to heat up the hair to eventually end in burning.

#15

ahh… common sense. Is there any home remedies to numb the skin besides ice to make the pain less? or cheap options besides that expensive $37 bottle of 60g of lidocaine thats on the internet?

p.s. is it true keeping the TRIA plugged in 24/7 will help the battery last longer?

#16

About often use, I haven’t experienced any problems using lidocaine for daily treatments and see no warnings against it.

And yes, if you’ve never had laser before, you’re in for probably the worst pain of your life if you don’t use pain cream. It’s just not tolerable for me without it, and I’ve just bitten the bullet on the cost. You could try getting a prescription from your doctor or dermatologist for 4% or 5% Lidocaine in an aqueous base (none of that petroleum stuff) and see if your health insurance might cover it.

The battery is an NiMH, which is said to lose its charge gradually when not plugged in. The Tria documentation says to leave it plugged in, probably for that reason.

Look forward to hearing how your results are coming Coolness! You should notice some bare patches in 2 weeks mixed with regrowth.

#17

Daily use of anesthetics can cause sluggish bowel movements, or constipation. It can also cause nausea. Your kidney won’t be too pleased with you either, but most Americans kick their kidneys to death all day, everyday anyway, so it won’t know the difference.

#18

I do not plan to use anything for daily use. However I would use it the first time on only my abdomen because that is where my hair is the most course and my skin is the most sensitive. A one time 60g application of lidocaine will not harm me.

P.S. Do you think it would be most effective if i did the same area maybe 2-3 times over to ensure maximum hair removal with the TRIA or just wait the 2 weeks so see what I got. Doing the same hairs over and over can’t be harmful–only more effective, correct?

#19

James is right that you should use caution and you might have some side effects. Take it easy at first and wade into any kind of daily treatments until you know how your body reacts.

And Coolness, going over the area twice or three times is a very good idea. Once the area is numb, I usually just go over the area until the battery runs out (and the Tria auto shuts off). If you’re planning to do your whole abdomen though, you might only get to make a partial second pass before the juice runs out. It’s a real shame they didn’t make this thing plug-in-able.

I can usually double laser a 6x6" area if I don’t overlap too much.

#20

If cooling causes decreased results when using the TRIA this should be a clear sign to everyone that the machine is not able to cause permanent hair reduction.

If the TRIA works, there would be no reason to go over the same area multiple times. Once the hair has been thermo dessicated multiple applications in the same sitting should not be necessary.

Only time will tell but I really hope for all of the users of TRIA, that they are not causing more growth and problems for themselves.

Can someone who uses the TRIA please take a picture of an area treated immediately post treatment. Thank You.

Goodluck.