Laser treatments offer quick and painless ways to achieve hairless skin in just a few sessions; however, multiple sessions may be needed in order to tackle stubble issues and reduce hair regrowth.
Laser treatment works by heating and damaging hair follicles. While shaving only removes surface hair, laser treatments target and destroy unwanted follicles to create lasting results.
Choose a physician with expertise in laser treatments and an intimate understanding of skin biology to minimize side effects and lower risks.
Treatment Area
Laser hair removal offers an effective alternative to shaving, waxing and depilatory creams. Shaving can be time-consuming and inconvenient while waxing only lasts a few weeks at best. Incorporating laser hair removal will take only 4-6 initial sessions to be hair free for good, with touch up sessions every year after that to maintain that result.
Laser hair removal works by having the pigment in your hair absorb light and convert it to heat, killing off target follicles. After laser treatments have taken effect, hair grows back finer in texture and lighter in color than before; typically not growing as rapidly either. How many sessions you require depends on where your hair follicles are located as well as factors such as skin type and hormones.
If you have darker skin tones, additional treatments may be required to achieve satisfactory results. Darker tones may be more sensitive to laser heat and might experience hyper-pigmentation or hypopigmentation as a result, which could result in scarring that was never intended. Furthermore, too much laser heat might cause blisters on your skin tone which could prove hazardous and be life threatening if left unattended.
Before choosing how many laser sessions to undergo, it’s essential to establish whether your goal is to permanently eliminate all unwanted hair or simply reduce its thickness and growth. Men with thick neck hair usually need several sessions before seeing noticeable results; after these treatments however, the hairs will grow back finer and lighter than before.
As with other areas, such as arms, legs, and underarms. If your hair growth is thick in these regions, multiple laser hair removal sessions may be required before reaching your desired appearance.
At any reputable clinic, the first step of laser hair removal involves cleansing the area to be treated. Protective goggles will then be worn to shield your eyes from the laser beam before the area is covered with numbing gel or cream to numb it before laser pulses of energy are applied – depending on your sensitivity, this may feel like pinpricks of warmth or snaps similar to rubber band snapping against skin.
Skin Type
Laser technology has advanced so much that treatments are now available for all skin tones; however, certain hair tones respond more favourably than others to laser hair removal sessions.
The Fitzpatrick scale can help determine your skin type. This system divides different skin types into six categories, from 1 being very light and sun sensitive, all the way through 6 being dark, tanned, and less susceptible to sunlight. Before opting for laser hair removal on skin types 5 and 6, consult an experienced cosmetic dermatologist, especially since improper laser use could lead to discoloration or burns.
Laser treatments offer safer options for removing unwanted hair than shaving and waxing; however, the procedure can still be somewhat uncomfortable; multiple sessions may be required before it becomes entirely tolerable.
Avoid discomfort during laser hair removal treatments by taking over-the-counter pain relievers before each appointment, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Some patients also opt to apply topical numbing cream prior to their treatments for maximum relief. Dr. Green and her staff utilize gentle lasers equipped with Dynamic Cooling Devices that keep skin cool during treatment, further decreasing discomfort levels during laser sessions.
Laser treatments differ significantly from other methods of hair removal, such as razor blades or depilatory creams by targeting unwanted hair at its source – which means multiple sessions may be necessary in order to reach smooth, hair-free skin.
Just a few sessions will free up both time and money spent on shaving, waxing, or using depilatory creams; over time this could save thousands in shaving costs! Contact our office to set up an initial consultation with Dr. Green who can determine how many laser hair removal treatments will help meet your goals.
Coarseness
People with coarse hair tend to think their thick strands are unruly and frizzy, but this isn’t always the case. Coarse strands simply have thicker and rougher textures compared to other varieties and can come straight, wavy, curly or anywhere in between.
Take the thread test to quickly identify whether or not your hair is coarse by cutting a length of sewing thread and comparing it to your individual strands; if they appear much thicker than the thread, that indicates coarse hair.
Outside genetics, there may be other reasons for coarse strands. Certain drugs like Minoxidil – used to treat thinning hair – may enlarge your hair shaft while age or hormonal imbalance can also increase them.
Laser hair removal is an excellent way to quickly eliminate coarse strands for silky skin. In fact, laser is a permanent hair reduction technique that will save both time and money over time while offering freedom from shaving, waxing, or depilatory cream use.
No two skin types or coarsenesss are the same, so the exact number of treatments necessary will differ according to individual. Six sessions should generally suffice for most women while four to six treatment sessions at monthly intervals can lead to up to a 90% decrease in unwanted hair.
Are you sick and tired of shaving, waxing or using depilatory cream to get rid of unwanted hair? Reach out to us now to schedule a consultation! We can help determine whether laser hair removal is the appropriate treatment option for you and provide a plan to achieve smooth, hairless skin. During our initial meeting we’ll determine the necessary number of treatments required to meet your goals as well as recommend annual touch up sessions to keep desired results going strong. At Cynosure Elite Nd:YAG and Alexandrite lasers we specialize in safe yet permanent permanent hair reduction across all skin types and body areas – making permanent reduction safer than ever.
Hormones
Unwanted facial hair growth among women may be caused by hormonal imbalance. Laser hair removal treatments can address these issues; once facial hair starts regrowing it will usually become much finer and lighter in color compared to before; most patients can even stop shaving, waxing or using depilatory creams altogether after attending several laser hair removal sessions.
Many individuals who receive laser hair removal treatments believe it to be permanent; however, this is often not the case. Hair can regrowth if not addressed during its growth phase, requiring follow-up appointments once every year for full hair reduction.
Laser hair removal works by targeting pigment in hair follicles and damaging them, and ultimately rendering them inactive; over a course of treatments these hair follicles will become defunct so they cannot grow any additional hair in future. The number of sessions needed depends on various factors including skin type and coarseness of hair.
Keep in mind that laser hair removal can be used on virtually all areas of the body, including neck, back, arms and legs. For optimal results, it is wise to forgo shaving the area immediately prior to having laser hair removal done; shaving will remove hair follicles which prevent the laser from targeting its intended targets effectively. Those who do shave should avoid doing so immediately before an appointment, as doing so could result in redness or bumps appearing around treatment sites.
Before your laser hair removal treatment session, it is crucial that you follow your dermatologist’s pre-treatment instructions. This includes refraining from waxing, tweezing or plucking your hairs as well as wearing loose-fitting clothing without applying makeup over the treatment area. Furthermore, tanning should be avoided in the weeks leading up to laser hair removal treatments as tans could confuse the laser as increased melanin and lead to adverse side effects of its own.
