When it comes to body hair, we’d rather it not be there. Lip hair, chin hair, leg hair, bikini line hair, armpit hair… it can just go away. If you haven’t heard of Laser Hair Removal yet, let us take a moment to educate you: it’s awesome!!! Safe, effective, and virtually painless, it offers a low maintenance way to permanently reduce unwanted body hair.
Before you throw your razors in the garbage, let’s review a few things to expect with Laser Hair Removal treatment.
1. You don’t have to let your hair grow out before treatment!
Unlike waxing, laser hair removal treatment is done on freshly shaven hair. Because the lasers target the hair at the shaft under the skin, vaporizing it at the root, any hair growth at the treatment area will burn off from the laser. We recommend shaving within 8 hours of your service time to get the best results.
2. It’s not painful, but it will sting a little.
Laser hair removal technology
3. It works on most, but not all, hair and skin types.
Apologies to our friends with light blonde, red, or silver body hair, but laser technology has not advanced enough to treat your hair follicles yet. Per our friends at Skin, Inc., it comes down to the color of the hair being treated:
Both laser and IPL work by targeting melanin in the hair shaft. When there is no or little melanin, there is no result. Therefore, until there is a way for either laser or IPL hair removal to work its way around the melanin issue, the answer will remain the same.
4. It will take 6-8 initial treatments for results.
The ensure that the hair follicle is completely vaporized, it will take anywhere from 4-8 treatments with the laser. Treatments are done 4-6 weeks apart, to allow the skin time to heal after each treatment. This also ensures that hairs that have not been fully removed have time to regrow so the laser can target it again.
5. Hair reduction is permanent, but you might need some maintenance.
Depending on how stubborn your hair is, and how well it reacts to the laser, you will likely need occasional re-treatment. The good news is that, for most, this means they will only need to see their esthetician once or twice a year for a session. And, the hair that does regrow will be thinner and lighter.
6. Lasers and sunlight don’t mix well.
Sun exposure before and after laser hair removal treatment can have a significant impact on the outcome of your treatment. If you’ve been tanning or in the sun recently, the melanin in your skin will be activated, making it harder for the laser to find and treat the hair follicle. Sun exposure within 24-48 hours after treatment can cause your skin to burn and scar. As always, wear sunscreen everyday to protect your skin from damage from UV light. To find out if you are a candidate for laser hair removal, we recommend scheduling an initial consultation with your licensed medical esthetics provider. The experienced Medical Spa professionals at Senara are available for consultations and treatment every day of the week.
