Laser hair removal is far less painful and quicker than waxing; most sessions last only minutes compared to an appointment for waxing that may last an hour or more.
However, it can still feel quite unpleasant for some individuals; how your skin reacts during an appointment depends on a number of variables.
Hair Density
Hair density refers to the number of strands on your scalp. It can change throughout your life due to factors like genetics, age, diet, lifestyle and medications; on average a human head contains roughly 100,000 strands that vary in density from area to area on average. Understanding your density can help determine how quickly your hair grows as well as which products and treatments would best meet your needs.
Thick and thin hair are often confused with density versus thickness; however, these two concepts are actually distinct. While thickness refers to the width of an individual strand, density refers to how closely together your hair follicles are; thus enabling thin locks with dense follicles to still break ponytail holders!
Phototrichogram is the gold standard method of hair density testing, and requires having your scalp photographed under controlled lighting conditions in a laboratory environment. This enables researchers to analyze both density and growth phases of each individual follicle; unfortunately this expensive process makes at-home testing impractical, yet still provides an accurate way of determining hair density.
One quick way to assess hair density at home is pulling back your hair into a ponytail and seeing how easy it is to see your scalp – easily visible means low density; medium difficulty and impossible visibility indicate medium or high density respectively.
Hair density is determined largely by genetics; however, there are a few steps you can take to accelerate its growth and encourage more follicle activity. You can use scalp and hair treatments, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and supplement that support follicle health to boost growth rates for healthier hair growth rates; taking these steps ensure that laser treatment works at its full potential regardless of whether you have thick or thin locks.
Skin Tone
Before scheduling laser hair removal sessions, it’s essential that you understand your skin tone. Your laser technician needs to determine the ideal settings and settings for you. Tanned skin attracts light from laser treatments which could result in failure and serious side effects such as burns.
If you’re unsure of your skin tone, take a close look in natural lighting conditions and observe how your skin appears in the mirror. Observe whether or not it has warm or cool undertones; for instance cool skin may feature pink, red, or blue hues while warm skin contains peach, yellow and gold tones; in between lies neutral tones that lie somewhere on the spectrum.
Your skin tone could determine whether you experience pain during laser hair removal sessions. This is due to the laser’s energy targeting pigment in hair follicles, and this may cause discomfort. Thankfully, many modern lasers come equipped with built-in comfort features – such as bursts of cool air during sessions or topical numbing cream to assist in pain management – which may provide some relief during sessions.
Most clients report that laser hair removal hurts less than waxing or tweezing on the face, especially in sensitive areas like upper lips, cheeks and forehead.
Laser hair removal tends to be less painful than other methods due to its lack of sharp edges that accompany tweezing or razor shaving. Some clients report feeling some pain upon completing their sessions – however this could simply be their hormones changing and producing new unwanted growth of unwanted hair.
Laser hair removal involves rapid pulses of laser energy being directed at each individual hair follicle, which may result in discomfort similar to snapping a rubber band. To minimize discomfort during your procedure, wear cotton clothing during and after treatment sessions as well as avoid moisturizers that might irritate or numb the area before and after being treated.
Preparation
Laser treatment works by sending pulses of light energy through the skin and into hair follicles. Once inside, this energy is absorbed by each hair follicle and causes pain through nerve ending pinching; thicker hair tends to have more nerve endings which increase intensity of pain sensation.
Before any laser session, it’s vitally important to prepare the area beforehand. Shaving, plucking or waxing could disturb hair roots, making it more difficult for your technician to target them effectively. Furthermore, skin creams that darken skin tone could interfere with laser treatment, as can blood-thinning medications like aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs that thin blood too rapidly – therefore taking measures such as these could decrease success of treatment altogether.
To reduce the discomfort associated with laser hair removal sessions, consult with a dermatologist prior to your appointment to have them apply numbing cream in order to make the experience less painful. The amount of numbing cream required depends on both your treatment area and individual pain threshold; your dermatologist will be the best source for advice in this matter.
Be sure to find an experienced practitioner when selecting a clinic for laser hair removal treatments, as it takes many hours of training for one to become proficient with lasers. Clinics offering this as an add-on service may not possess as much experience and training, as well as using inferior machines.
Laser hair removal does not hurt more than waxing; however, its pain varies based on which method you choose. Waxing involves pulling the hair from its root; to reduce discomfort during laser hair removal sessions while using the Zimmer cooling device, use may help ease some of your discomfort by blasting a jet of icy-cold air onto your skin while the laser pulsing.
