Laser hair removal offers long-term results and eliminates the hassles of shaving or waxing, but requires multiple sessions in order to reduce hair growth and achieve your desired look.
Armpits are hormonal areas and need six to eight treatments spaced six weeks apart in order to target hair follicles at their natural growth cycle. To prepare for treatment, stop using sunless tanning creams as well as waxing or shaving – these actions could interfere with targeting hair follicles in their optimal conditions.
Treatment Time
Laser armpit hair removal is quick, painless and long-term. Unlike shaving or waxing which only remove the surface layer of hair, laser treatment destroys its roots to keep regrowth at bay – leaving smooth stubble-free skin free of ingrown hairs, razor bumps or nicks caused by traditional shaving.
Laser treatments work by targeting melanin pigment (the darker shade of your hair), converting it to heat energy that the laser absorbs and emits as light energy, damaging hair follicles so they cannot produce new hair growth.
Laser hair removal treatments typically take multiple sessions to permanently reduce underarm hair growth, with results depending on a number of factors such as your complexion, skin tone, the color and coarseness of hair as well as genetics, hormones and number of cycles of growth you’ve gone through. We advise scheduling follow-up laser treatment appointments every 12 weeks in order to maintain results.
Before your initial laser appointment, it is vitally important that the area be left undisturbed from plucking, waxing or shaving as laser treatments rely on melanin-containing hairs in an active growth phase to target and destroy unwanted follicles. Also avoid sun exposure and tanning beds in order to minimize temporary pigmentation changes within the treatment area.
Before beginning treatment, a certified Skin, Face & Body Expert will clean and apply numbing cream as necessary before donning protective goggles and drawing white lines on the treatment area to locate each hair follicle. When the area is ready, they’ll activate their laser machine and launch an effective session; during which you may experience moderate discomfort similar to being hit with rubber band flicks in your underarms. After completion of this session, they’ll apply soothing Aloe Vera gel soothing your treated area.
Numbing Cream
Laser hair removal is an extremely effective method for permanently reducing unwanted underarm hair, using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) to target individual follicles within the skin to disrupt their growth cycle and stop producing hair altogether. Over several treatments, you’ll have smooth skin in this area that won’t produce as much unwanted hair than conventional methods of removal could manage.
Laser hair removal carries with it some risks of side effects, but the likelihood is significantly diminished if patients follow good skincare practices and adhere to all pre-treatment guidelines. Sensitive skin may experience some mild discomfort during their procedure but this should only last briefly.
Numbing cream should be applied to the underarm area before each session to ease discomfort and to maximize effectiveness of numbing cream. Furthermore, it’s wise to refrain from shaving, waxing and plucking in the days leading up to your appointment as these techniques can cause irritation that hinders its use.
Due to how hair grows in three stages – active growth stage, transition phase and resting phase – only hair in its active growth stage can be targeted by laser. Therefore, multiple sessions of laser hair removal treatment for underarm area hair may be needed in order to effectively treat most of it.
Laser hair removal for underarms is a safe and effective solution to unwanted body hair, with results seen across face, chest, and back areas of the body. Ideal Image’s highly trained medical and nursing professionals perform all treatments under medical direction of licensed doctors – their expertise ensures all clients receive personalized care that guarantees optimal results of laser hair removal treatments.
Treatment Area
Laser hair removal is a noninvasive and permanent way of eliminating underarm hair. During treatment, an handheld device administers pulses of laser energy into your skin; melanin in hair follicles absorb this energy and are destroyed, permanently stopping any new growth. Furthermore, this procedure is relatively painless when compared with shaving or waxing methods and requires no downtime or recovery period afterwards.
Preparing the area before beginning laser hair removal treatment is key to achieving optimal results. Shave on the day prior, leaving enough hair behind so the laser can effectively target it; wax or pluck hair as this may lessen its effectiveness; avoid sun exposure and tanning cream use in the month leading up to treatment as these can darken skin pigmentation, making it harder for it to target hair follicles with laser light.
As part of their laser hair removal procedure, specialists apply topical anesthetics to minimize pain and discomfort during the procedure. A patch test will also be conducted to check for sensitivities in the underarm area; should none arise, your professional will use a handheld device to deliver laser energy directly into it.
Once the treatment has completed, you should return to your normal routine; however, it is crucial that you follow aftercare instructions carefully in order to avoid complications such as abrasions and skin irritation. It is advised to wear loose clothing and refrain from taking hot showers or baths. It is also advisable to use unscented body wash instead of heavy deodorants and apply only unscented creams or lotions directly on the area; finally it is important that sun exposure be kept to a minimum – particularly to your underarms which are especially sensitive.
Soon after your laser treatment begins, you should notice a decrease in hair growth. Although some stubble may remain, representing dead hairs shed from treated follicles that has shed off, this should slowly disappear with time. Most individuals require multiple sessions in order to see long-lasting and satisfactory results.
Aftercare
Laser hair removal provides an alternative to shaving that does not cause ingrown hairs and razor burn. By targeting the source of unwanted hair growth directly, laser treatment leaves skin smooth without the need to shave or wax regularly.
Before attending your appointment, it is advisable to avoid using deodorant or body spray as these products may trigger histamine reactions that cause itching and irritation. Furthermore, waxing or plucking underarms prior to treatment could increase this reaction further.
Once you arrive for your appointment, a professional will clean and anesthetize the armpit area to ease any discomfort. They will then use an device that emits laser light energy on target areas in your underarms; pigment in hair follicles absorb this laser’s energy and heat it up, damaging their structures so they cannot produce new hairs in future treatments.
Redness and swelling after your treatment should subside within hours; use an ice pack if any minor pain arises, to ease any minor discomfort. Be sure to follow your professional’s aftercare instructions precisely, such as wearing loose cotton clothing for six weeks post treatment to give the best result from this therapy; avoid sun exposure (including tanning beds) until this period has ended.
However, most people can experience permanent hair-free underarms after about six sessions!
Your professional will recommend exfoliating the armpits at least three times weekly to reduce blackheads and stubble, using fragranced soaps or body washes on treated areas only when necessary, using lukewarm or cool water showering or bathing instead of hot showering or bathing sessions.
At the same time, it’s also beneficial to refrain from other hair removal methods during your treatment, with laser hair removal as your only recommended approach. Shaving can still be performed between sessions if necessary – and waxing strips and epilators should also be avoided as part of this plan.
