At-Home Skin-Care Products
TWO TO THREE MONTHS
Hair removal
When you consider that high-end laser hair removal can run you up to $3000 per area, the $995 you'll shell out for your own at-home laser kit is a deal. The downside: You won't be completely hair-free (i.e., you'll still be shaving) for a few months. It takes a full two weeks before you see any hair loss, and treatments are recommended every two to four weeks thereafter. As with in-office lasering, an average of 70 percent of hair is gone after three treatments (after eight treatments most hair follicles should be gone).
Pain is minimal and touch-ups (needed every six months to a year, depending on the individual) can also be done at home. Neither professional nor DIY lasers are recommended for those with blonde hair or dark or tanned skin tones, as the laser literally can't "see" the hair, which means it could target — and burn — skin instead. The new at-home versions are equipped with safe skin scanners: If your skin and hair are too close in color, the laser won't activate.
Redness
Had one too many power peels? Chances are you've traded wrinkles for redness. Time for some TLC. If used religiously for several months, new extra-potent antioxidants, like the apple-and-pear-derived Phloretin, will soothe redness and restore calm, while warding off free radicals. "By the third day, skin will already be less flaky, and after a week it will look plump and hydrated," says Lupo. "Three months in, the redness should be completely gone, and you'll see a new, luminous complexion."
MC RECOMMENDS: Tria Laser Hair Removal System, SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF antioxidant serum