Laser hair removal is a safe and effective solution to unwanted hair growth. A laser’s heat vaporizes each individual follicle to stop future growth – with treatment being quick and relatively pain-free.
On your initial session, your physician will press a handheld instrument against your skin and activate a laser treatment. Although slight discomfort may arise depending on your tolerance levels and type of laser used, results should vary based on individual tolerance levels and type of laser being utilized.
Areas of Treatment
Laser hair removal works on nearly every area of the body where undesirable hair grows, with particular effectiveness in areas like upper lips and chins where unwanted facial hair grows. Women who experience upper lip or chin hair growth, sometimes due to hormonal imbalance, can benefit from laser hair removal treatments in conjunction with oral treatments like birth control pills or Spironolactone to achieve permanent facial hair reduction.
Laser hair removal is generally safe for most healthy adults; however, selecting an experienced and board-certified dermatologist to perform your procedure will minimize side effects and ensure effective results.
Prior to any laser hair removal session, it is wise to shave the area that needs treatment in order to help the laser locate hair follicles more accurately and reduce discomfort during treatment. Also it would be prudent to refrain from tanning or sun exposure for at least six weeks prior to attending your appointment as tanning can change pigmentation of skin making it more difficult for laser to locate hair follicles effectively and treat them effectively.
As part of the process, an assistant will place a handheld device against the skin while the doctor presses a button to activate the laser and create heat that damages hair follicles, stopping new hair growth from emerging. Pain from laser hair removal typically is mild and brief; depending on the size of the treatment area it could last from several minutes up to over an hour.
After laser treatment, the treated area may appear red and swollen for some time afterward; hair typically reemerges thinner and lighter in color over time. Some patients require repeated sessions every four weeks while others can achieve smooth, hairless skin by scheduling less frequent treatments sessions. To determine if laser hair removal is right for you, make an appointment to meet with an experienced dermatologist who performs the procedure.
Time Between Treatments
Unwanted facial and body hair can be an ongoing source of frustration for both men and women alike, yet traditional methods for its removal such as waxing, shaving and plucking produce temporary results that only last briefly. Laser hair removal offers an effective, safe, and time-efficient alternative – offering quick treatments to eliminate unwanted hair in one go.
Laser hair removal works by passing a light beam over the skin and targeting pigment in hair follicles with heat damage, rendering them incapable of producing further hair follicles. Patients must avoid plucking, waxing or using shaving cream in between treatments sessions as this would interfere with targeting pigment by the laser beam – shaving is permitted but hair must reach an acceptable length before laser can treat these areas; otherwise it won’t reach all follicles that might need treating due to being too short to target by laser treatment alone.
Achieving permanent hair reduction depends on several factors, including the size and thickness of your hair, skin type and area being treated. Your treatment plan may also depend on when hair grows back out – usually anywhere from four to eight sessions spaced four to eight weeks apart is required for most people.
Additionally, your hair’s color can influence how many treatment sessions are necessary. Darker locks tend to be more resistant to laser treatment, requiring additional treatments than lighter locks before seeing desired results. Therefore, it is advisable to consult an experienced dermatology team prior to beginning laser hair removal process.
At DermaNuva, a consultation is the key to creating an individualized treatment plan. We will collaborate with you to design a schedule that aligns with your goals and allows for successful laser hair removal treatments. In addition, we’ll go over any medical history or lifestyle factors that might impede success of treatments; then tailor laser hair removal plans specifically tailored to you based on these factors. Don’t wait any longer – call now to make an appointment & let’s work towards making you more attractive than ever!
Safety
Laser hair removal is an efficient and safe solution for most individuals. In order to achieve desired results, multiple sessions should be scheduled roughly six to eight weeks apart with your provider assessing your skin and hair color needs before helping determine an ideal number of sessions necessary to provide you with optimal results. Your provider can then help determine how many you require depending on their recommendations in order to treat all hair follicles effectively and provide desired results.
Your provider will use a hand-held laser device to target areas of unwanted hair growth. This laser energy travels through your skin and into each hair follicle, vaporizing and eliminating it – this process may be uncomfortable but is safe – some individuals report feeling something similar to rubber band snapping against their skin while some report experiencing an unpleasant sulfurous-smelling odor as part of the normal procedure. Depending on the size of the area being treated, laser hair removal could take anywhere between minutes and over an hour to complete.
Your provider will give you instructions for before and after your laser hair removal session, including how to prepare the skin. Shaving, waxing or plucking the treatment area hair prior to an appointment allows the laser to more precisely target hair follicles for destruction by its laser beams. Also avoid tanning as this increases risk of hyperpigmentation and sunburns.
After your laser hair removal treatment, your skin may become extremely light-sensitive and therefore it is crucial that you follow all aftercare instructions to ensure maximum effectiveness of treatment. Stay out of direct sunlight and use broad spectrum sunscreen on the treated area until hair regrowth has taken place; cold compresses may help soothe redness or swelling symptoms as a preventative measure.
Laser hair removal treatments produce permanent results because their effects are destroyed on both follicles and roots of hair follicles, however you will still need to attend regular appointments due to hair growth cycles. You may experience slight or temporary new growth between treatments but this should only be temporary in nature.
Cost
Cost factors associated with laser hair removal vary significantly, depending on a variety of variables such as number of sessions and size of treatment area, location (busier cities may charge higher rates), technology used (some laser hair removal systems can be more costly), as well as speed and accuracy considerations.
Most individuals will require six to eight laser treatments due to hair’s natural cycle of loss and growth; treatments work best when hair follicles are in their new growth stage.
The number of treatments required will also depend on your hair type and area you want to treat, with darker locks needing more sessions than lighter locks; areas prone to ingrown hairs such as legs or bikini line potentially needing additional sessions than areas such as chest.
Prior to your session, it is necessary to clean and apply a numbing cream on the area being treated. In addition, lotions, sun exposure and spray tans should be avoided before your appointment. Afterward, the laser technician will use his light energy on your skin; its light energy passes through and penetrates to your hair follicles, heating them up so much they close off and eventually shed from that area – never growing back for many months or years after!
As part of your treatment, you may experience slight discomfort; however, this should only last for a moment or two as the laser passes over your skin and causes some degree of friction on it. Many patients describe the sensation as similar to being struck by a rubber band against their skin.
If you’re tired of shaving and waxing, laser hair removal could be the perfect solution for you. Just remember that multiple sessions must be scheduled in order to achieve lasting results.
