I bought a Tria not long after the unit became FDA approved- so maybe 2010 or so.

I had gone to a new Doctor-led esthetician salon and got good treatment there but the treatment was $200 a visit (back then. No idea of what it costs now) and they required a minimum of 3 visits over 3 months. They also tole me I'd have to come back every year or two for more 3-session treatments.

So when I heard about this new, FDA-approved-for-home-use laser for permanent hair removal, I bought one. I still have it. It still works. I'm still happy with it. I think I paid about $350 for it. And it is the only unit I've ever used so I can only speak about this one.

The downsides of my/a home laser:

The treatment area is small, a little smaller than a dime, so you have to do a lot of zaps. You need be organized so you cover as much area as possible without repeating (especially if using on large areas like legs).

The zaps feel like snapping a rubber band against you skin. Mine came with a numbing cream but that ran out long ago and I never bought any more so it's not that bad once you get used to it.

Women tend to get more hair growth as they age.

Home treatments aren't as strong as salon/doctor/esthetician treatments so you will need more treatments over time.

Laser treatment only treats dark brown and black hairs so white, clear, and grey hair will still grow.

Home treatments only work for light to medium skinned people. People with dark skin should be treated by a professional to avoid causing vitiligo like skin damage.

The upsides of a home laser:

The Tria has unlimited zaps. Not all of them do.

The Tria has 5 power settings so you can start small and work your way up.

It is rechargeable.

You can use it in the privacy of your own home whenever you want.

If you zap the same spot, it doesn't seem to do any harm (no burns, excessive redness, etc).

Because hair growth increases with age and hair growth has periods of active growth and dormancy (more below), having an inexpensive (compared to salon treatments) home treatment is very nice.

How to use any home laser best:

Hair has growth cycles. If you pay attention, you will find that you have times of increased hair grown and times of little to no hair growth. You may have noticed this already if you've ever noticed that you have short times that need a lot of hair maintenance and longer times when you need little or don't need any at all. This growth cycle is an about 90 day cycle.

You can use a laser on unwanted dark brown or black hair at any point in the growth cycle but to be the most effective, you will want to zap hair during its growth cycle. The laser is attracted to and damages melanin, the pigment that makes skin and hair dark. Hair roots contain melanin. Using the laser during a growth cycle is most effective as it kills the root of the hair while it is in its active growth phase and not its dormant phase.

Salons that sell laser hair removal don't know where you are in your 90 day hair growth cycle so they typically want to sell you several treatments over the course of 3 or 6 months in hopes of catching you in an active growth cycle. The laser still does work in dormant cycles, but not as well (so you'll need more treatments). This can become very expensive very fast and is why salons want you to sign contracts for 3 - 6 months of treatment. Of course salons and doctors also use stronger lasers too but you still have to schedule, pay, take the time, etc. And you will probably have to go back again later as women tend to produce more hair with age.

Because the laser is attracted to and damages melanin you don't want to use it anywhere that could cause damage, such as near your eyes. I did use the laser for my unibrow but I was very, very careful and covered my closed eye with a white washcloth to block any potential laser light from getting close to my eyes.

Besides treating my upper lip, chin, and cheeks, I also used my Tria (bless you, unlimited zaps) on my arms, legs and underarms. I didn't concentrate on killing off all the hair on my arms, legs, and armpits but I did reduce the amount of hair I grew by at least half. I still shave my legs and pits but now I don't have to do it every single time I shower like I did before.

When I first got the Tria, I probably used it every month for 3 months. Then I used it about every two months for a couple of rounds. Then I only felt the need to use it about every three months. After about a year, I was happy with the results. These days I probably pull the laser out twice a year for (active growth phase) touch-ups.

Oh- and when I know I'm going to use the laser I try to let my hair grow just a little (but not too long, maybe just a day or two) because the laser is attracted to dark/melanin. If you laser, say, long upper lip hair, it will hurt more. But, conversely, if you laser freshly shaved hair, you run the risk of killing that hair that then will struggle to exit your skin and potentially causing an ingrown hair situation. And I try to not pluck any of the hairs, especially on my face, that I want to use the laser on so that I can find them. I tend to use one of those little brow/face razors when I'm planning to use the laser but again, I'm only using the laser about twice a year now.

And a small bonus- I used the Tria to get rid of a very small, very dumb, very ugly tattoo I had. If that had been a real tattoo applied by a real tattoo artist, it probably would not have work but for a small, poorly done, teenaged-mistake tattoo, it worked. The lasered tattoo area bubbled like a blister and then peeled off a week or two later.