Needless to say, the world that we live in, rightly or wrongly, is a very fast-paced one. And we are often looking for ways to squeeze more out of our little time in hands.
Many people do not wish to have unwanted body hair. But they also do not want to spend time for shaving, waxing, or plucking when they could really be doing something much more productive things with their time.
For this reason, laser hair removal has been becoming a much more popular option to achieve that hair free look that many people wish to have all the time.
But is it really effective as the ads show? And how does laser treatment work?
Read this article from start to finish to find out about this topic.
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What Is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removalhair removal method
A hair follicle lies beneath the skin in epidermis layer. Epidermis is the part of skin where the hair grows from. The laser damages those hair follicles by producing high anionic energy. So, it can no longer produce hair in that area.
You can use laser hair removal therapy almost anywhere on your body. Currently, most women use laser on the bikini line, underarms, lower legs, area above the upper lips, and back. Laser treatment is more effective than waxing and hair plucking.
This hair removal treatment works more efficiently on skin containing darker hairs. As it focuses on the melanin producing cells within the hair and produces latent heat to those follicles to damage it.
As it focuses on the melanin, this treatment is better suited to dark skin tones, as it can lighten the skin in the area being treated. If you use it in a proper way, you can get rid of unwanted dyspigmented skin in your body.
Who Can Have Laser Hair Removal?
As we mentioned above, laser hair removal works best on darker hair on paler skin. As the laser works based on the melanin within hair follicles, it will not be as effective on lighter hair similar to darker ones. You can lighten your darker skin by the laser in patches.
There are some medical conditions that requires laser treatment. Moreover, some skin types will make a patient unsuitable for this type of treatment. For example, someone who is pregnant or breastfeeding their baby, should not have laser hair removal treatments.
If you decide you want to try this laser hair removal, it is imperative for you to have a consultation with a licensed and registered technician before starting any treatment. Many companies such as Back to 30 have a great laser hair removal machine, and others will be able to discuss with you about the pros and cons, and any potential side effects associated with this kind of procedure, alongside what possible results from you can expect to see from this treatment.
Is It Permanent?
A questionlaser hair removal
Well, in the strictest sense of the word, it is not a permanent solution for removing unwanted hair from your body. However, it is much longer lasting than other methods available for hair removal, such as shaving or waxing.
The laser beams will damage hair follicles on certain area, and therefore, that area of skin will be unable to grow new strands of hair. however, the hair follicle will eventually regenerate after a long period of time and will start growing new hair again.
The good news is that any hair that regrows will be finer, softer, and paler in color. And therefore, these will be much less noticeable than normal hair in your body.
The time between having the laser treatment and the regrowth will vary from one patient to patient. So, make sure having some top-up sessions at specific time schedule set by your personal clinician.
How Long Does A Session Last?
A laser hair removal session can last anywhere from a few minutes’ maximum up to twenty to thirty minutes. The time period will depend on the area being treated, the amount of hair follicles, melanin level, etc.
Sometimes, the clinician will offer you to choose the option of having a local anesthetic cream. He will apply it to help your nerves numb the pain arising from laser energy. By doing so, he can add around twenty minutes on to your prefixed session time.
Once you have had an area treated, you will need to wait for around six weeks to have another treatment. On average, most people will need at least four to six treatments to achieve the full effect of hair removal. So, a full complement of sessions can take the best part of a year or more.
Maintenance sessions will help you to keep hair regrowth to a minimum. The regrowth rate of the hair follicles really depends on how well the treatment has worked for you, and what hair type you have. So, the best person to schedule this for you will be the technician who is providing the laser treatment for you.
Are There Any Side Effects?
Before and during this laser procedure, you will need to wear a pair of safety goggles, latex gloves, and hair mask for personal safety. By doing so, you can be safe during the treatment as these will help to stop the laser beams going directly into your eyes. If laser somehow enters your eyes, it can damage the cornea and lens by disrupting their protein structure.
Most people suffer some sort of undue discomfort during the laser hair removal treatment. Although the level of pain experienced during the therapy depends on the health condition of that individual, hair quality plays an important role. Many studies showed that the darker and thicker hair suffers more pain and damage than others.
The area treated by laser can also become quite red and swollen during treatment. Because the skin of those areas may react to the thermal energy emitted from the laser beams. In fact, in some hypersensitive people, the redness of skin can last for a few days to few weeks.
If you are considering having laser hair removal in meantime, ensure you have a consultation for it. And always remember that you should go to a registered and licensed clinic around your location.
