A common question asked by new clients is “Does the treatment hurt?” This is the misconception that many people still have about laser hair removal in general.
Laser hair removal works by laser energy being absorbed by the pigment in the hair. This energy is then converted into heat in order to destroy the hair bulb and prevent hair growth. Naturally, it is common to feel some heat on the skin. When the treatment is performed it feels like the flicking of an elastic band against the skin with each pulse.
Laser hair removal offers permanent hair reduction and can be performed on almost all areas of the body. Certain areas of the body are more sensitive then others for example areas such as the brazilian, under arms and upper lip can feel more painful.
Certain factors which can influence pain experienced by the treatment include:
- Skin type (Darker skin types find treatments more painful as there is more pigment in both the hair and the skin)
- Hair type ( Thicker and darker hair will generally be more painful)
- Hormonal Fluctuations (Menstruation for example) or if you are tired and stressed may increase sensitivity to the treatments as well.
Any form of tanning will affect your treatment and results, whether it’s from sun exposure, fake tan moisturisers or sprays and solariums. This will increase discomfort felt but also reduce the effectiveness of your treatment, as you will need to be treated at a lower intensity. The best thing to do is to avoid tanning altogether if possible while having laser hair removal treatments.
Topical anaesthetics are also available at an additional cost; these are applied by your therapist about 30 minutes prior to your treatment to numb the area. But before you opt for this option it might be best to have a treatment without the numbing cream just to see what the treatment really feels like as you might find it’s not as bad as you imagined (plus you’d be avoiding the additional cost of the anaesthetic).
Everybody’s pain tolerance varies, some level of discomfort should be expected however treatments should not be excruciating. Let your therapist know if the treatment feels too hot or too painful, as they will be able to adjust the settings to increase comfort.
Laser hair removal has come along way over the last 10 or so years and treatment times are less then what they used to be. A full leg treatment can take as little as 30minutes and a face treatment only 10 minutes, so you are not having to go endure discomfort for hours and hours; Plus you only have to have treatments every 6-8 weeks for the body and once every 3-4 weeks for the face for the course of 6-8 treatments. A little discomfort to be hair free….definitely worth it!
** Ask about our new GentleYAG laser! It is perfect for darker skin types without compromising on treatment intensity and results! Contact us now!
