Laser hair removal works by heating up and damaging hair follicles to stop them from producing new strands of hair, often leaving finer and lighter-colored hair behind when new growth recurs.
Results may differ for each patient, but most realize a significant reduction in unwanted hair after laser hair removal. Here are a few things to keep in mind before and after laser hair removal:
How long does it take?
Laser hair removal can help eliminate unwanted hair anywhere on your chest, back, arms, legs or underarms. While one session won’t give results quickly enough on its own, multiple visits will likely be needed in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.
Before starting laser treatment, it’s advisable to let your hair grow out slightly so as to make the process more comfortable as the light pulses strike your skin and give your technician an idea of which areas need attention in each session.
As part of your preparations for laser treatment, it’s also wise to avoid waxing, tweezing and plucking hair during the weeks preceding your appointment. Doing this may prevent the laser from reaching down into its root to eliminate it effectively. Furthermore, two days prior to each session you must shave the area being treated so as to ensure there are no excess hairs wasting energy on its surface surface that could detract from treatment success.
Once your full course of treatments are finished, they should show significant reductions in unwanted hair growth. Your scalp hair grows in cycles, so each treatment hits it when its in its active phase of growth.
Regular maintenance treatments – three to 12 appointments depending on your hair cycle – should result in permanent reduction in hair growth, meaning less time and money spent shaving and waxing! That is an incredible win-win in our books!
What are the side effects?
Laser hair removal may cause side effects in some people. Common examples are redness, irritation and folliculitis (swelling). Some individuals also report temporary color changes around their treatment area that could include lighter or darker spots; this occurs more frequently among those with light skin than dark. These changes typically dissipate over time.
Before your procedure, your doctor may apply a numbing gel to the area in which you will receive laser treatments. Shave the area two or three times to prepare as lasers only work on hair that is shorter than a grain of rice; waxing, tweezing and plucking must also be avoided before your laser sessions start.
As part of your treatment, protective goggles will be worn to shield your eyes from the laser beam and you may experience a mildly uncomfortable stinging sensation similar to that caused by snapping rubber bands against skin. Your doctor will move the laser beam over your skin removing any hair that blocks its path – this process may take as little as minutes or up to an hour depending on its size and location of treatment area.
After treatment, your skin may become red and swollen for several hours afterward. A cold compress can help hasten recovery. Additionally, avoid exposure to direct sunlight as much as possible by wearing high-SPF broad spectrum sunscreen daily to avoid permanent discoloration of your skin.
If any scars or marks do not fade after receiving laser treatment, contact the clinic where you were treated. If it is medically run, they will be able to advise how best to address them.
How many treatments will I need?
Instead of shaving, waxing and plucking hair from its root, laser hair removal destroys it completely, stopping new growth from sprouting from it. Therefore, multiple sessions spaced out about six-8 weeks apart may be needed in order to achieve desired results – this ensures we can catch hair follicles at different growth phases so we can treat them effectively.
Your number of treatments depends on your skin type and thickness/color of hair; we’ll discuss these in your free consultation. In addition, we consider how often and quickly hair grows back as well as its location/frequency of removal by other methods before making a determination if laser treatment would be suitable for you.
Some individuals with extra hair due to genetic or hormonal causes, like hirsutism (extra hair in areas typically associated with men) and hypertrichosis (extra hair on female bodies). Others find having extra hair convenient – they want freedom from having to shave, wax, tweeze or pluck unwanted follicles every few days or weeks.
After your laser hair removal treatment, redness and swelling may occur for some time; however, this should subside soon enough. A cool compress may help ease any discomfort experienced from direct sunlight on the treated area; in order to minimize these risks it’s important that a broad spectrum sunscreen be worn every day over it.
As your treated hairs begin to regrowth, they’ll likely be finer and lighter in color than before. They might also appear slower; although not entirely. That is why it is essential that regular maintenance laser treatments be scheduled to maintain results; some patients remain hair free for several months or years!
How do I prepare for the procedure?
Preparing for laser hair removal might seem less like work than shaving, but preparation for laser treatment is crucial – prepping can reduce pain, protect skin health and help ensure optimal results.
As part of your preparation for laser hair removal, the most essential thing you can do is locate a certified dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon with experience performing it. While spas and salons may offer this treatment option, for optimal care it is wiser to visit one that has extensive knowledge in performing it safely and efficiently.
Prior to your laser hair removal appointment, it is wise to avoid tanning the area you will be treating, as this could alter skin color and increase sensitivity, potentially resulting in side effects during sessions. If you decide to tan, use only high-quality self-tanner that won’t discolor the skin. It is also wise to refrain from plucking and waxing as these practices disturb hair follicles which could potentially result in skin damage during laser therapy sessions.
After laser hair removal, it is normal for some redness and swelling of the skin to appear post-treatment. You may experience a tingling or slight prickly sensation, which you can relieve using an OTC pain reliever such as Paracetamol. Furthermore, some people find the area itchy – excessive rubbing may open pores which increase scarring risk; exercise or activities which increase sweating should be avoided in these cases as this could increase redness further.
What happens during the procedure?
Laser hair removal involves placing the skin directly under a laser and applying numbing gel prior to treatment to minimize any discomfort. Once in contact, the laser emits pulses of light that damage pigment while disabling hair follicles to stop future hair growth. The number of sessions needed depends on each person’s hair color and thickness as well as area being treated and type of laser used – typically 10%-25 reduction can be expected after their first treatment session.
Your skin may remain slightly pink for one or two days after treatment, although this typically fades quickly. You may also experience some itching, similar to razor burn, as the laser beam penetrates deep into hair follicles and disrupts their structures – this is normal and a sign that treatment was successful; any itching should subside within 24-48 hours and it’s best not to rub the area or use other methods of hair removal to hasten their natural fall out over time; alternatively you could choose shaving, plucking or waxing as alternatives; although these methods will speed up their fallout or cause some discomfort during their transition out!
At hormonal areas such as the face or bikini region, it is crucial to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection, including SPF 30 or higher, that offers both UVA and UVB coverage. Furthermore, regular maintenance treatments should also be undertaken in order to inhibit hair regrowth; typically every four weeks for facial hair and six to eight weeks for body hair regrowth; when new growth does emerge it tends to be finer and lighter in hue than previously.
