Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026
Author Spotlight: Advancing Facial Rejuvenation Therapy with Post-Laser Salicylic Acid Application
Published on: September 27, 2024
A review of hand-held, home-use cosmetic laser and light devices
Meghan T Hession1, Alina Markova, Emmy M Graber
1Department of Dermatology, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
Background:
As the market for home-use light-based and laser-based devices grows, consumers will increasingly seek advice from dermatologists regarding their safety and efficacy profiles.
Objective:
To review the literature on home-use hand-held devices for various dermatologic conditions. To educate dermatologists about commercially available products their patients may be using.
Materials And Methods:
A comprehensive literature search was conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of home-use laser and light devices for the treatment of the following: hair removal, acne, photoaging, scars, psoriasis, and hair regrowth. In addition, a thorough search of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) radiation-emitting electronic products' database was performed; by searching specific product codes, all hand-held devices that are FDA-approved for marketing in the United States were identified.
Results:
Of the various home-use devices reviewed, intense pulsed light (IPL) for hair removal and light-emitting diode (LED) for treatment of acne have the most published data. Although the literature shows modest results for home-use IPL and LED, small sample sizes and short follow-up periods limit interpretation.
Conclusion:
There is a paucity of randomized, double-blind controlled trials to support the use of home-use laser and light devices; smaller, uncontrolled industry-sponsored single-center studies suggest that some of these devices may have modest results.
