Smooth leg’s and goodbye to razors for life? Who wouldn’t be lured in by the temptation. I was, way back when the Tria was first introduced to me back in 2013. After much debate and a twinge of buyer’s remorse for the $449 purchase from Sephora, I ordered my first Tria laser hair removal 4X in March of 2013. I was the first of my circle to jump on the bandwagon, and have actually been wanting to do this review for quite some time because honestly – I was pretty surprised with the results.

This review will be a blend of experiences from that first trial, to my most recent undertaking in collaboration with Tria to share with you all my personal journey with their laser hair removal system. In case you’ve been wanted to give it a try, here’s what you need to know (from one blogger’s perspective).

First off, how it works. The Tria 4X is the first FDA approved at-home laser hair removal device. It works by targeting hair follicles and preventing them from ever growing hair again. Note that much like laser hair removal treatment centers, the Tria targets the pigment of hair follicles in contrast with the skin. Once the laser takes effect, the hair should begin falling out from the root, never to grow again. Sounds great right? Here are the points I wanted to share with you all:

1. The ratings are in, and they’re pretty good. The product has a 4 out of 5 stars on their website, with several hundred reviews. Not too sure about the authenticity of retail site reviews? The 4X on Amazon also has a 4 star review. Sephora also continues to retail the Tria with (you guessed it), 4 out of 5 stars… plus… 10K “hearts.” which seems to stand for something. If you’re taking the advise from the crowd, 4 stars for the 4X is starting off pretty good. Plus, the device scored the 2016 InStyle best beauty buy award. I like reading the comments, because it gives some inside into what other users have experienced.
2. It’s cheaper than the alternatives. Though $450 seems to be a pretty big investment, so is a lifetime’s worth of razors, or laser hair removal in a studio.
3. It hurts like h***. Ok maybe not that bad, but I’d compare it to somewhere between a fly bite and quick-burn. The good news is, the prick is fast.
4. What you’ve been all waiting for – does it work? In short, yes. In fact, I was so impressed I started sharing my excitement, and one of my close friends became the second in chain of buyers. After 3-4 treatments, the areas I focused on literally began shedding hair. Kind of gross, but the excitement of the potential of never shaving again was pretty well worth it.
5. You need to stay consistent. The laser point is pretty small, so covering both legs is going to take you some time. Sometimes consistency is difficult with busy schedules, but I urge you to stick with it till the end.
6. Lasting results? The reason I so wanted to share this review with you all – 3 years after my first Tria experiement, I can still tell exactly where I have used the Tria. I’m not totally hair-free (mostly because of not following rule #5) but the results were enough that said friend from point #4 bought the device because she was so impressed with the difference.
7. Would I buy it again, absolutely (Though thanks to Tria for sending me a new one, I won’t need to for a while). My old one is actually still kicking from 3 years ago, so take care of your things and hopefully they will continue taking care of you.

Confronting my commitment issues full-force, I have started treatments again, and again noticing the same results. With consistency and a growing pain tolerance, I’m hopefully to be hair-free (or nearly so) in the upcoming months!

So how do you use it? The Tria comes in simple, clean packaging and requires a quick call for registering the product. After the device has been activated, the next steps are pretty easy.

• Each time before use the Tria requires an “unlock” function as a safety feature (in case you were worried about your kids or pets getting unexpected zap from the glowing red light. Yes, the laser is red.
• Unlock the Tria by placing the bottom end against the skin area you want to purge of unwanted hairs. Note that you should be cautions of areas that the laser might be a bit too powerful for, which brings me to the next point…
• Read the directions. All of them. And follow the guidelines for safe, effective user of the laser hair remover.
• After the Tria is unlocked, you can select a power setting from 1-5, depending on your personal tolerance for the intensity of the laser. You might find certain areas are a bit more sensitive than others, so take it at your speed.
• The point is placed flush with the skin, you’ll see a red flash, the laser will do its work, and you’re ready to move to the next area. Think of it as vacuuming. Cover the area thoroughly, and if you’re not sure if you’re over or under doing it, follow their guide to approximately how many flashes you need per different various angles.

Tip for the pain, I kept an icepack close by, and lifted it just long enough for a quick zap. I also try to do it with distractions (Netflix worked pretty well for me). Tria also has some pain relief creams that are meant to be calming, though I haven’t found them necessary. Though I expected irritation, my sensitive skin didn’t even flush from the treatment. In fact, after the quick flash itself, there didn’t seem to be any lasting effects other then smoother skin!

So what does this blogger think of the Tria system: honestly guys, I love it. And I’ll continue using them as my #1 choice for at home laser hair removal. If you want to know about my continued progress feel free to drop me a line. If you decide to make the purchase, do let me know how you like it! Remember consistency is key, and often the hardest part, I know you babes are all busy. But it’s definitely worth the time if you’re able to make the investment. Hope this review was helpful to you if you were curious about the Tria system! Until next time, stay smooth.