The Star Wars geek within thinks that handheld lasers are cool, albeit in an intimidating Darth Vader sort of way. In real life, though, you'll soon be able to zap your hair away at home. The Wall Street Journal reports on two forthcoming hair-removal gadgets that may change the way we think of hair removal.

Tria ($995, pictured) launches next month, and the painless device requires about half an hour to treat the lower legs. While it won't eradicate hair completely, it minimizes growth. Rival product Silk'n ($800) — whose weirdly punctuated name makes Silkk the Shocker come to mind — uses pulsed light to destroy hair follicles. Tria will be sold at high-end stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, but Silk'n will be available only at physicians' offices.

Of course, there's a catch — and I'm not just talking about the high price tag. To find out what it is, read more.

Although these products are approved by the FDA, they have their limitations. They're meant for small areas such as underarms, legs, and the bikini line; if you have a hairy backside, for instance, it won't work. What's more, these products won't work on many women of color. Because the lasers and light target pigment in the hair, they can mistake dark skin for hair. (Zap, burn, ouch.)

While I have had some good results with my no!no!, I'm not sure I'd shell out hundreds more for one of these gadgets. (I also fear that somehow I'd blind myself, but that's another phobia completely.) Are you curious about these devices, or are you taking a wait-and-see approach?

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