Laser Hair Removal Red Hair: What Are Your Options?

laser hair removal red hair
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Have you ever had laser hair removal red hair treatment only to end up with a rather disappointing result?

You are not alone. Redheads worldwide have experienced the same problem.

Why is that? Does laser hair removal work on red hair at all? Can redheads get laser hair removal only in professional beauty salons and cosmetic clinics?

Until recently, IPL devices were known to be ineffective for red hair. That is because they target brown and black pigments at the root of every hair follicle and red hair has tiny amounts of those.

You must be asking yourself if IPL on red hair actually exists? 

The answer is YES. 

The  developers of IPL technology have found a way to use less intense light and penetrate deeper into the skin by combining IPL with Radio Frequency.  Those newer generation devices promise laser hair removal red hair success. Read on to explore our comprehensive product reviews and make an informed decision.

How We Review The Products?

At Best At Home Laser Hair Remover, we highly value honesty and transparency. That is why our product reviews are 100% authentic based on facts and genuine user experiences.

To create unbiased reviews of  the best laser hair removal red hair devices, we follow  a five step process:

  • Sifting through all the available user reviews online to gain a clear insight into user experiences with the devices
  • Testing the products ourselves to give you a firsthand review of all the features
  • Consulting with our expert skincare team, led by Dr Rosmy Barrios, to verify all the manufacturers’ claims
  • Comparing the products and listing their benefits and drawbacks to help you make an informed decision
  • Providing subjective product ratings based on buyers’ personal experiences

Product Comparison Table

BEST LASER HAIR REMOVAL RED HAIR DEVICES

Product Skin Tone/Hair Color Lifetime in Flashes Replacement Cartridges Score
mē Smooth q? encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B074BM9W4T&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format= SL160 &tag=bestathomel03 20ir?t=bestathomel03 20&l=am2&o=1&a=B074BM9W4T Silk'n Infinity skin tone chart 200,000 Yes 4/5
Iluminage Touch q? encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B07PM92W38&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format= SL250 &tag=bestathomel03 20 Silk'n Infinity skin tone chart 120,000 Yes 4/5
Silk’n Infinity q? encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B07CBP8PQ3&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format= SL160 &tag=bestathomel03 20ir?t=bestathomel03 20&l=am2&o=1&a=B07CBP8PQ3 Silk'n Infinity skin tone chart 500,000 No 5/5

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IN DEPTH PRODUCT REVIEWS

Syneron Beauty, a pioneer in developing energy based home beauty devices brings you one of the best laser hair removal devices for red hair – mē Smooth. Founded in 2011 as a subsidiary of Syneron Medical Ltd., it has become one of the leading companies in the global medical aesthetic device market.

mē Smooth is a corded model powered by patented dual wave elōs (electro-optical) technology that brings together IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and RF (Radio Frequency) waves.

The combined light energy and radio waves can penetrate deeper into the fair skin to target red hair follicles at the root and inhibit their growth permanently – all with less intensity than other IPL devices use. There are three intensity levels to choose from depending on your skin tone.

The technology makes it suitable for every skin type (I to VI on the Fitzpatrick scale) and all hair colours, except grey. Women can use it to remove unwanted body hair and facial hair (only below the cheekbones and not on intimate areas), while men shouldn’t use it on the face.

This innovative laser hair removal red hair device is the latest me Smooth model and it comes with 200,000 flashes. Replacement cartridges are also widely available. 

Its Epilator, Shaver and Precision Adaptor cartridges (sold separately) can make your at home hair removal much easier. The precision adaptor cartridge is ideal for treating areas around birthmarks, moles and tattoos.

Syneron Beauty promises up to 94% hair reduction after seven weekly treatments. After testing the mē Smooth device ourselves, we can verify that claim. We can also confirm that mē Smooth is an effective and painless device for laser hair removal for redheads

Pros

Cons

Iluminage Touch is another superb IPL and RF device that you can use for at home laser hair removal red hair treatments.

Offered by Iluminage Beauty Inc., a luxury beauty company founded by Unilever Ventures and Syneron Medical Ltd. in 2011, it is one of the company’s most cutting edge skin care devices.

Owned by the same parent company as mē Smooth, Iluminage Touch also uses dual wave elōs technology and is therefore more effective than most at home IPL hair removal devices that rely only on IPL.

Like mē Smooth, it is mains powered, offers three intensity levels and supports Epilator and Precision Adaptor cartridges (sold separately).

Iluminage Touch comes with 120,000 flashes and you can replace the cartridge with a new one that offers the same pulse capacity. It emits pulses automatically upon skin contact so you do not have to trigger the flashes. Thanks to this continuous energy output you can enjoy quick treatment.

This device is quite gentle on the skin so it is suitable even for those of you with sensitive skin.

Furthermore, both men and women can use Iluminage Touch safely on most body areas. Women should not use it above their cheekbones and on intimate areas. Men should avoid using it on the face and neck. 

You can expect up to 94% hair reduction after seven weekly treatments. 

Pros

Cons

Dr Rosmy Barrios IM Clinic

Editor’s Choice:  Silk’n Infinity is our favourite IPL hair removal device for redheads. It comes with a built in skin color sensor that enables one out of five energy levels according to your skin tone. To top it off, the eHPL Galvanic energy it prodices not only removes red hair permanently but stimulates skin rejuvenation as well.

Silk’n is a popular brand by Home Skinovations, an award winning global leader in professional aesthetic devices for home use founded in 2006. Its new Silk’n Infinity IPL device is the latest state of the art laser hair removal red hair solution.

It features eHPL (enhanced Home Pulsed Light) technology that combines Galvanic and Optical energy to ensure permanent hair removal while leaving the skin smooth and irritation free.

Its Galvanic energy is perfect for rejuvenating your skin which is a game changer you don’t want to miss.

Silk’n Infinity comes with a whopping 500,000 flashes, five energy levels and two application modes (Pulse and Glide). It has a skin colour sensor to prevent skin damage and an eye safety mechanism that activates the pulses only when the treatment window covers the skin entirely.

You can expect up to 92% permanent hair reduction after eight bi-weekly treatments. To keep track of your progress, you can download the Silk’n App that will remind you of your next at home appointment.

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Laser hair removal devices target brown to black pigment at the base of the hair follicle and rely on great contrast between fair skin and dark hair. Since red hair does not contain enough pigment in the hair base, the laser machines find it difficult to distinguish between the fair skin and the fair red hair and therefore the treatment is ultimately ineffective. However, if you have auburn hair (more brown than red) and your hair is thick and coarse, then laser hair removal can be an option for you but it may require more treatments.

There are 2 alternatives you can explore that provide excellent results for redheads: 

  • Diode Laser  effective for various skin tones and hair colours, including red hair. However, you will only find it at beauty salons
  • Electrolysis  the only 100% permanent hair removal solution for any skin tone and hair colour  

Electrolysis is the only hair removal method that has proven to achieve 100% permanent hair removal regardless of skin tone and hair color. Electrolysis involves inserting a fine needle into the hair follicle and sending an electric current to completely destroy the hair follicle which will never produce a hair again. Originally, electrolysis was only performed by professional electrologists in clinics. With the advance in technology,  DIY electrolysis has now become increasing popular. If you want to explore home electrolysis, please refer to our buying guide Best electrolysis machines for home use.

Conclusion

All the at home IPL devices on this list can help you remove unwanted facial and body hair permanently and forget all about frequent trips to beauty salons. They are suitable for all skin tones and nearly all hair types, including red hair.

Silk’n Infinity might be our top pick, but mē Smooth and Iluminage Touch aren’t far behind in terms of quality, fast treatment and brilliant results. If you want to give at home laser hair removal red hair treatments a try, you can’t go wrong with any of them.