Home Electrolysis

Technically, these devices work the same way as those for professional usage do (they also carry the same health risks). However, the risks for the home machines are not very great because the voltage is fairly low, which means they also aren't as effective. We've all seen the machines you can buy via mail order (for about $100) that claim to remove hair painlessly and permanently. The chances of operating these devices successfully are at best slim. You would probably end up just tweezing instead of zapping the hair because getting the device to work right is extremely tricky. Given the time it takes for a hair to grow back, it could take months before you knew if it was really working (Source: FDA Consumer magazine, September 1996).

Perhaps the most advertised at-home product is IGIA's Hair Removal System ($119). It is supposed to be a "painless home electrolysis system that helps keep hair from growing back! Unlike common [tweezing] and depilatory devices that can cause skin irritation, this system uses mild radio frequency pulses that is absolutely safe and is delivered through the tweezers to remove hair without touching the skin." Well that much is true. This overpriced machine delivers low-voltage radio waves through the hair shaft. Does that kill a hair follicle? There is no research indicating that these machines do anything but tweeze the hair. The low voltage makes these machines extremely low risk, but also ineffective. Still, in comparison to the other IGIA products, this one is the safest in the bunch.