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It’s almost springtime again in the northern hemisphere, which means soon it will be time to break out bathing suits and shorts. Although no concrete statistics exist, it’s clear from anecdotal evidence that many people stop shaving during the winter months, and who can blame them? The average woman spends about 11 minutes shaving their body twice a week, including their legs, underarms, upper lips, and other body hair. If you can get a reprieve from the mundane task, why not? Yearly, that’s an average of nearly a full day spent on nothing but shaving. Some people even shave their entire bodies every day!
For women and others with a lot of shaving needs, taking a break during the winter months can be a relief. With laser hair removal services from medically-trained treatment providers like Ideal Image, anyone can feel that relief year-round. If you want more hair, you can look into weave hair extensions.
Here’s what to expect when you receive laser hair removal from the #1 national aesthetic services provider: Ideal Image.
What’s Laser Hair Removal Like?
Laser hair removal is a lot more common than it used to be and is used by people of all genders and ethnic backgrounds to achieve their ideal body hair balance. It’s used for more than just elective cosmetics and is often used in gender affirmation procedures to help people minimize the impact of gender dysphoria.
Laser hair removal works by targeting hair follicles with light pulses, eventually halting hair growth. Customers will come in for their first session to receive treatment, and hair will naturally fall out between two to three weeks. Laser hair removal requires several treatments, but with all subsequent treatment, fewer hairs come back, and hairs that do come back are lighter. Eventually, hair growth is so minimal that you can stop treatment and shaving altogether.
Some of the most treated areas of the body include:
- Bikini Line: Hair around the part of the public area that shows from a bikini and where your thighs meet your pelvis.
- Brazilian: Hair from all around the genitals.
- Underarms & Arms: Unwanted or thick hair under the arms and on the forearms.
- Upper Lip & Face: Unwanted hair on the face, including upper lip hair, chin hair, and hair from moles.
- Legs: Any hair on the calves, shins, knees, and thighs.
- Body: Any unwanted hair on body parts that might cause body image issues, including chest hair, back hair, and belly hair.
- Eyebrows: Any excess or unwanted hair around the brow region, especially the “unibrow” or connective hair between the two brows.
While unique areas of the body do take different amounts of time and require personalized treatment plans, many general questions about laser hair removal may be answered before you even go to a treatment center like Ideal Image.
Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Hair Removal
It’s natural to have questions about any body-altering procedure, including laser hair removal. One of the most frequently asked questions? What does it feel like?
Laser hair removal requires lasers, so it’s expected that some discomfort comes with the procedure. Luckily, testimonials commonly point out that discomfort is minimal. To quote Jasmine Alley, a beauty influencer and Ideal Image customer,
I’d describe the pain as a mild to moderate pin-prick sensation. Most moderate pain is in the center of your underarm, and the mild pain is around the edges. If you’re afraid of pain like I am, don’t worry! It only lasts for about 30 seconds. Then it’s over, and it’s on to the next underarm. Afterward, for about an hour or so (for me at least), there was a very mild stinging sensation- emphasis on very mild. It faded pretty quickly. By the time my second treatment came around, I no longer had a mild stinging sensation afterward.
What’s important to note is that while most people do not experience intense discomfort during a laser hair removal session, everyone’s pain levels are unique. Therefore, it’s essential to get a consultation before booking a session.
Some other commonly asked questions about laser hair removal include:
How are Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and laser hair removal different?
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a procedure used to treat specific cosmetic and dermatological issues, such as dark spots or scars. IPL does not use lasers; instead, using intense light to do its job. Laser hair removal uses safe laser therapy to stop hair growth in follicles by pinpointing it directly.
Is laser hair removal permanent?
Laser hair removal is both FDA-cleared and permanent. Rather than removing hair from follicles, it treats the follicles themselves, permanently stopping hair growth.
Can laser hair removal be done for people of all skin tones?
An urban legend circulating beauty communities is that laser hair removal is impossible for people with darker complexions. While specific lasers cannot be used on people with darker skin, reputable laser hair removal providers offer removal via GentleYAG©. This laser system emits a different laser wavelength designed to be safe for people with darker complexions.
Should I be worried about my hair color for laser hair removal?
Although it is harder for laser hair removal tools to target hair removal for people with blonde hair, it is still possible for people with blonde hair to get laser hair removal. A simple consultation will help your provider personalize a plan for you based on your hair color.
Does it matter how thick my hair is?
Fine hair can be more difficult to pinpoint than medium and coarse hair. However, like your hair color, it doesn’t automatically disqualify you from laser hair removal. Consultations will come in handy for those with fine hair.
How much is laser hair removal, and are there financing options?
Laser hair removal is a personal procedure, so the cost will vary from person to person depending on the number of sessions needed to remove hair permanently. Ideal Image does offer financing and membership options that can help with the cost of laser hair removal.
How To Choose The Right Laser Hair Removal Provider For You
As laser hair removal has become increasingly popular over the years, laser hair removal providers are available almost everywhere. So, how do you find the right provider for you?
It is essential for those new to laser hair removal to choose a provider with positive customer reviews, experience, and a medically-trained staff. Having these on their resume can reassure you that you will be safe and comfortable during your session. Ideal Image checks all those marks, with over 19 million laser hair removal treatments done nationwide in the span of their career. Ideal Image reviews show that customers are satisfied with the service they receive from their providers. Finding a laser hair treatment center with plans that fit any budget can be challenging but not at Ideal Image.
What To Expect From Ideal Image Laser Hair Removal
What helps Ideal Image stand out from the crowd is their medically-supervised staff and commitment to customer satisfaction. Laser hair removal procedures at Ideal Image are only performed by a trained staff of medical professionals and are always supervised by someone with medical training. Additionally, Ideal Image staff only performs FDA-cleared procedures, which laser hair removal treatments fall under. Their staff nationwide is backed by doctors and medically-certified board members who continually update their offerings to ensure product offerings are always safe.
Each Ideal Image customer receives a free personalized consultation and treatment plan based on their skin type, hair type, and budget. Here’s what a typical treatment plan with Ideal Image looks like.
- Free Consultation. Customers head into one of 150 locations in the United States and Canada to meet with a provider and learn about their treatment. During this time, the provider will develop a personalized treatment plan based on hair texture, hair color, and skin color. You will be asked to avoid and limit sun exposure, self-tanning creams, and tanning beds for four weeks before your treatment date, and you will also be reminded to avoid using hair removal creams, waxing, and plucking hairs the four weeks before your appointment.
- 24 Hours Before Treatment. Patients should spend the day before treatment preparing. Set aside some time to shave the treatment area (do not wax, use hair removal cream, or pluck it). Layout clothing that will make accessing treatment areas easy – for instance, if you are going in for a bikini hair removal treatment, wear bikini-line underwear of a bathing suit.
- Day Of Treatment. Patients should avoid wearing makeup or lotion in treatment areas before they go in for their treatment. Arrive a little early to treatment if your provider needs to apply numbing cream or do a shaving touch-up. If you require this cream for other parts of your body, your provider will schedule a different date – as they can only use it in one area at a time. Additionally, you may not use this cream if you have certain medical conditions or become pregnant.
- During Treatment. You can expect your treatment to last just under 30 minutes. Staff will prep the area by drawing on the exact areas of treatment. During the treatment, you should experience minimal pain – which means it’s a great time to read, listen to your favorite podcast, or catch up on work emails.
- Right After Treatment. After treatment, your skin will likely be delicate from the procedure. You may notice discoloration or red areas around the areas you were treated. It’s unlikely that pain will persist, but in the event of any discomfort, you may treat the area with ice and aloe vera – as you would a sunburn. Although laser hair treatment does not damage your skin in the same way a sunburn would, your skin will still be sensitive to the sun. Your provider will have you avoid sun exposure and use a high-SPF sunscreen to protect that sensitive skin.
Keep an eye out a week after your appointment – this is when most people first start to notice the treated hair falling out, and it will continue falling out for another 21 days. After this, hair that does grow back may grow back lighter, in fewer places, and may look shorter than usual. After your skin begins to heal, use moisturizers as necessary.
- After Final Treatment. After your final treatment, you should expect smooth, healthy, hair-free skin. You won’t have to deal with irritating razor burn, stubble the day after you shave, or dermatitis bumps that pop up out of nowhere after treating your skin with hair removal creams.
Why Choose Ideal Image For Laser Hair Removal?
Choosing a laser hair removal treatment center can be difficult, especially with the vast amount of information available on the internet. What can be said about Ideal Image reviews is that they are overwhelmingly positive.
It’s clear why they break the mold in aesthetic treatments. Over the past 15 years, their trained and licensed medical staff has successfully performed over 20 million treatments with FDA-cleared products. They’ve made it easy for anyone to access their services by creating over 150 locations in America and Canada with virtually-accessible information. Finally, their services cater to everyone – not just the rich and famous – with a lifetime guarantee membership and payment plans to fit with every budget. Laser hair removal isn’t the most comfortable procedure globally, but Ideal Image tries to make it as comfortable as possible to look your best.
