Your guide to the latest health and beauty treaments, with Rebecca Davies. The blurb: TRIA is the first proven hair al system for home use. TRIA is compact, hand-held and rechargeable, and harnesses advanced technology similar to what you would find in a medical professional’s office. The difference? TRIA makes hair al in the privacy of your own home possible.
The science: TRIA uses diode technology to e unwanted hair through a process called 'selective photothermolysis'. When directed at the site of unwanted hair, the is absorbed by the black or brown colour of the hair, disabling the follicle with minimal discomfort. Within one to two weeks, the hair is ejected from the follicle. With regular use (every two to four weeks) the hair will grow back finer, lighter and, in some cases, not at all.
First impressions: The device doesn't look too scary - a sort of cross between a hairdryer and the Starship Enterprise - and comes in a neat, compact carry case.
Ease of use: Very easy. Charge for two hours before the first use, then select from three different intensity settings by pressing the button on the front of the device. Shave, wash and dry the area you wish to treat (this minimises any discomfort by reducing the amount of hair to be zapped). Place the end of the device over the treatment area, making sure that the three sensors are in contact with the skin. Hold in place until you hear two consecutive beeps (these can sometimes be a few seconds apart), then lift off and repeat on another area. If you hear a buzzing sound, the sensors are not properly in place, so try again. Comes with a demonstration DVD.
The treatments:
SESSION 1: After a few minutes of psyching myself up, I finally muster enough courage to use TRIA on the lowest setting on my shin. I hear two beeps but I don't feel a thing. Heartened, I turn the setting up to the second level and try again. I feel a slight tingling warmth this time, but no pain. By now I'm starting to get a bit brave, so I crank it up to the third and highest setting... Ouch! I feel a brief stinging sensation, a bit like being pinged by an elastic band. But the pain subsides almost immediately. I switch back to the lowest setting and tackle my bikini line, slowly.
SESSION 2: Two weeks have gone by since session one, and no noticeable difference in hair coverage yet. I take a deep breath and zap my bikini line on the medium setting. It's not too bad and feels like I'm achieving something. Though it takes time and patience to make sure I don't miss any bits.
SESSION 3: Still no noticeable difference. I'm starting to get impatient...
SESSION 4: It could just be wishful thinking, but is that tiny patch on my upper right thigh starting to look a bit smoother and clearer? I plough on using the medium and, occasionally, the high setting. I'm getting quicker and more used to the slight discomfort. I can even watch TV while I'm doing it. I've also learned that the closer I shave, the less it hurts.
SESSION 5: Regrowth is definitely getting finer and lighter in some places. Very encouraging. Must keep at it!
SESSION 6: My boyfriend comments that I'm getting less hairy. This is good. I think.
SESSION 7: I happen to glimpse myself in the mirror wearing fancy knickers that I could only usually wear after an intense waxing session. I haven't waxed for weeks, but my bikini line looks remarkably smooth. On closer inspection, there are some hairs, but they're much finer than they used to be.
SESSION 8: The final session. The hairs have hardly grown back at all in the last two weeks, and the ones that remain will be easily manageable with waxing or epilating from now on. Hooray! If only I didn't have to give TRIA back...
Pros: TRIA really works, provided it is suitable for your skin and hair type in the first place (see below).
I have tried every home hair al treatment available - shaving, waxing, sugaring, tweezing, epilating, Silky Mitt-ing, depilatory creams - and none of them is in the same league as TRIA in terms of efficiency. Even the treatments that left me smooth and hair-free for a week would eventually lead to the unattractive red bumps caused by in-grown hairs, a problem which TRIA has greatly reduced.
The fact that you can do the treatment yourself at home means that you don't have to endure the indignity of contorting yourself into compromising positions while a Latex-gloved beautician zaps you in your most delicate indelicate places. No time is wasted travelling to and from salons for appointments and you can fit in a TRIA session whenever you have a spare moment.
If after a few months you notice that the hair is starting to grow back a bit thicker, you can simply whip TRIA out again for a top-up session.
Cons: TRIA is not suitable for people with very light hair, as the light will not be absorbed efficiently. It is also unsuitable for anyone with medium brown, dark brown or black skin, as the -light could be absorbed too intensely and cause serious burns.
To avoid -related eye damage, TRIA can't be used on facial hair near the eyes, so eyebrow zapping is strictly forbidden.
You can't wax over the period that you are using TRIA, and shaving is not the most pleasant or practical temporary hair al solution in certain areas, especially for the first couple of sessions while the hair is still quite thick.
Hair al is long-lasting, but not necessarily permanent, and top-up treatments will more than likely be needed every few months after the initial, more regular treatment sessions.
Price: £695
Value for money: 5/5 The average salon price for one (thorough) bikini area hair al session is £110, £880 for a course of eight. TRIA in comparison costs just £695 and can be used for as many sessions as required over a period of several years if necessary.
The verdict: 4/5 TRIA is not a 100 per cent fail-proof miracle cure, but it comes pretty close to it (at least as close as its salon equivalents). For those lucky enough to have the ideal colouring for the treatment (light skin and dark hair), the score would be 5/5.
By Rebecca Davies
More and more people have testified that TRIA has been an effective tool for hair al.
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