Laser hair removal has been around for many years now, but in recent years has become more popular.
One reason for this rise in popularity is it is becoming much more widely available, and therefore the price is being driven down, making it more accessible to more people.
Another reason for more people turning towards this permanent hair removal solution, is that people are looking for more ways to save time, and pack more into their already busy schedules.
If removing body hair is something you want to do, it can be tiresome to have to shave every day, or book waxing appointments every few weeks. So although laser hair removal does take some time initially, it is permanent, and you don’t have to bother so often with removing unwanted hair.
An area that can be particularly troublesome for people is removing facial hair, but how effective is laser hair removal for this area? Read on to find out more.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Laser hair removal
This combination goes to the hair follicle, and with repeated sessions, will damage the hair follicle so that it stops growing hair.
The hair follicle lays beneath the skin, and holds the root of the hair, so if the hair follicle is destroyed, it can no longer grow hair.
Laser hair removal can be used on all areas of the body that have unwanted hair, but as the laser focuses on areas with high melanin content, it is much more effective on darker hair.
For the same reason, laser hair removal is also better when used on paler skin, as because it damages melanin, it can cause lighter patches in darker skin, which is an unwanted side effect.
How Effective Is Laser Hair Removal?
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Unwanted hair on the face is often darker in colour, hence why it is unwanted, and so makes it ideal for laser hair removal.
Laser hair removal is often touted as being permanent, but in some cases it is not always completely permanent.
This is because the damaged hair follicles will often start to repair themselves and start producing hair again. However, the good news is that the hair that comes from these healed follicles is usually much thinner, finer, and much lighter in colour, making it much less noticeable.
This is usually a good result for those with unwanted facial hair, as it is much harder to see, and people will feel less self conscious.
Clinics such as Back to 30 do laser hair removal on the face, and they can talk you through the results you can expect to see.
How Long Does It Take?
A session of laser hair removal can take any time from five minutes to just over half an hour, depending on the area being treated.
In the case of facial hair, it is normally a smaller area than say, the legs, and will therefore take under fifteen minutes.
Your technician will offer you some local anaesthetic cream, which takes around twenty to thirty minutes to fully take effect, so this can add time to your treatment.
You will need a course of treatments, usually between four and six, and each session will be at least a month apart from the last one, so bear in mind that to see the full results can take the better part of a year.
Your clinician will also work out a schedule with you to come back for any top up treatments should there be any hair regrowth.
Is It Painful?
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The pain has been likened to a rubber band being flicked in the same pace constantly, and of course the longer the session, the more painful it is.
How Safe Is It?
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The discomfort experienced can sometimes last for a few days after treatment, with some people having longer lasting sensitivity.
The skin will also become reddened during the treatment, as this is the body’s natural response to painful stimulus, and in some cases this can last for a prolonged period of time. So, if you are planning to have the procedure on your face, it is best to not book it just before any big events you have planned.
If you do decade laser hair removal is for you, make sure you research your clinic, and go to one that is experienced, registered and licensed.
