Current and future trends in home laser devices

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Medical Devices
• Aesthetic Medicine

Background:

• Laser and intense pulsed light (IPL) procedures are expanding beyond medical settings into non-medical sites like spas.
• Regulatory variations exist across the U.S. regarding who can perform these treatments, sometimes leading to operators with limited expertise.
• The availability of at-home devices for hair removal and hair loss is increasing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current landscape of at-home laser and IPL devices.
• To discuss the implications of increasing direct-to-consumer use of light-based aesthetic treatments.
• To consider the future potential and indications for home-use devices.

Main Methods:

• Review of currently available Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved home-use light-based devices.
• Analysis of trends in device accessibility, safety, and efficacy.
• Comparison of home-use device outcomes with professional office-based treatments.

Main Results:

• Two FDA-approved light devices are available for home hair removal, with more expected.
• Home laser devices for hair loss are also on the market.
• While results from home-use devices are promising, they are not as effective as office-based lasers and IPL treatments.
• Complications from laser treatments are rare when performed correctly.

Conclusions:

• The increasing availability and affordability of home-use laser and IPL devices will likely lead to greater patient adoption.
• Current home-use devices demonstrate impressive results but are inferior to professional treatments.
• Future indications for home-use devices are probable, given the similarity of their wavelengths to office-based equipment.