I’M ON A MISSION
Everyone should beg borrow or steal – not literally, of course, to have laser hair removal on the face while the hairs are still dark and treatable. It’s no good once the hair turns grey or white. If only the technology had been around when I was younger. Hair removal cream, waxing and electrolysis, I’ve tried them all. All equally unsuccessful. I have been scarred by electrolysis, the result of a badly trained therapist and still I am left with this ongoing problem.
Age has changed my hair
As I’ve got older my facial hair has mostly become white and therefore unsuitable for laser hair removal. My mirrors have become more magnified and I spend a disproportionate amount of time peering in a magnifying glass plucking out the hairs, which seem to appear from nowhere over night. They are pretty strong and annoyingly healthy. Hairs I miss one day become monsters the next. I catch myself sometimes having seen my face in a mirror with the sun shining on me, being fixated on the ones I have missed that day. Also, I’m fine in my own bathroom but holidays and overnight visits are tinged with the angst of finding good light for my mirror the next morning. I know I am not alone and this is a great taboo. Nearly all women have facial hair, some more than others and if you are unfortunate enough to suffer from polycystic ovaries life is a nightmare because this condition makes everything worse. I have travelled and visited countries where the women have happily sat in a chair outside and their friends have either shaved or threaded them in public. We don’t have that sort of mindset in this country. We are happy to talk about other bits needing de-fuzzing but somehow not the face. I have other body hair which is suitable for laser and I have in the interest of reporting here had everything zapped at least once. I’m happy to report that my legs and underarms after two sessions are really nice and smooth and I can’t get my head around how very quick and effective a couple of laser sessions have been. As I’m older my hair growth is going to be slower and weaker than someone younger but I am impressed with the technology.
Laser hair removal
I spent eighteen months researching laser hair removal machines. I wanted Bare Beauty to be able to offer this at an affordable price. I found it interesting that hair laser removal has firmly been in the hands of ‘qualified doctors’. All the information put out is quite scary and there to protect the medical domain. Well, it’s like everything else there are good and bad. Harriet, in order to become qualified to use the laser machine, went through a very comprehensive training course and trained to level 4 which is the highest qualification you can get. She trained alongside the medical profession and now holds the same qualification for laser hair removal that you would find in a medical environment. Her knowledge of laser and the capabilities of the machine is impressive, as it should be when welding such a powerful force. I firmly believe that if you trust the salon, they have the right equipment, are trained and certified you couldn’t be in better hands. Often a well-trained therapist understands your body intimately and the client-therapist relationship makes for a better laser experience. After all, if your therapist has been intimately waxing for you it’s much nicer for you to have them do laser in that area.
The do’s and don’ts of laser hair removal
I was really surprised to learn and I would bet not many people are aware is that you shouldn’t have laser hair removal if you either have a tan or a fake tan – how many clinics/salons tell you that? Dark skins, black skins are harder to treat because the laser needs some contrast with colour to aim at. Black skins are also best suited to a YG Laser. The best easiest skin to treat is fair skin/dark hair – that’s the optimum and anywhere in between. The laser treatment isn’t painful and the machine we use at Bare Beauty has a handle which freezes the area as it lasers, therefore, the procedure is comfortable – even on that most delicate of areas, the bikini line. We have had a couple of men who volunteered their backs and beard line. For men, it would seem the procedure is a bit more uncomfortable. Their hair is denser so more follicles to laser so more impact. But still made comfortable by the cooling handle. And men hate their unwanted bits of hair as much as women do.
If you decide to go with laser or just stick to waxing or shaving I have found a great product to use for after – Its called Tend Skin. It closes the pores and helps to stop ingrowing hairs. Suitable for both men and women. Buy it through Amazon. It makes a huge difference to the skin and I would highly recommend it.
