Lasers provide a more effective form of hair removal than other methods, targeting and destroying the roots of unwanted hair growth. Once your sessions have concluded, new growth won’t appear where they previously did and existing hair will be thinner and less coarse than before.
Dependent upon the area being treated, treatments could take minutes to hours for optimal results. Being consistent will be key in order to see positive change.
Getting Started
Laser hair removal can be used to effectively and permanently eliminate unwanted hair from any part of the body, from any area. By targeting only hair follicles rather than surrounding skin, laser treatments offer soft, silky-smooth results without unsightly stubble or bumps. Laser treatments should be given at least six times to effectively treat and destroy all of your follicles; after which regrowth should become much slower and finer.
Before your treatment begins, your aesthetician will go over how best to prepare. This often includes shaving on the day of your appointment so there will be enough hair for laser targeting; however, don’t shave too closely or risk ingrown hairs. Also avoid waxing or plucking for at least six weeks beforehand and limit sun exposure and use of self-tanners, which may cause pigmentation issues. Finally, let your technician know of any medications or health conditions which might interfere with treatment, such as genital herpes outbreaks or ever taking isotretinoin (Accutane).
Your laser treatment could require two to six sessions depending on the area being addressed and factors like hair growth. Additional treatments may be necessary in certain parts of the body due to hormonal imbalances or irregularities.
At your laser session, protective goggles will be worn to shield your eyes from the laser beam. However, you may experience slight discomfort during the initial pulses of light; this has been described as feeling similar to warm pinpricks or rubber band snapping against skin. A topical anesthetic may be given if necessary to alleviate discomfort.
Preparation
Laser hair removal is a safe, efficient, and relatively painless way to reduce unwanted body hair. A laser uses heat energy to destroy hair follicles which stop them from producing new hair growth – something it can do both quickly and painlessly. Treatment sessions vary according to an individual’s individual needs but typically multiple sessions will be necessary in order to see long-term results.
Enhance your chances of successful laser treatment sessions by taking some preventative steps before and during them. First and foremost, do not pluck or wax the area that needs treatment for six weeks prior to scheduling a session – these actions temporarily remove hairs from their roots, interfering with its effectiveness during laser sessions. Shaving is okay as it doesn’t interfere with their roots.
As soon as your session begins, make sure to thoroughly wash the area with soap and water and remove any lotions, creams or makeup that could inhibit laser penetration of follicles. Deodorant should also not be worn on this day in order to help the laser target these follicles accurately.
Goggles should be worn to shield your eyes from laser beams. Your practitioner may apply topical anesthetic prior to beginning treatment; your pain threshold and density of hair in the area being addressed will dictate its sensations.
Your provider will explain the procedure and address any queries or concerns you might have. When choosing a technician to perform laser treatment for you, make sure they have undergone extensive training and certification from accredited organizations – check their credentials by making sure they’re listed on a registry of practitioners that meet specific standards of training, skill, and insurance coverage.
As part of your treatments, avoid exposure to direct sunlight as this can increase your risk of sunburns. Instead, cover skin with at least 30 SPF sunscreen before venturing outside.
Treatment
Laser treatments work by applying pulses of light energy directly to hair follicles. Their laser wavelength’s contrast with your hair or skin allows it to target it specifically and damage it, thus inhibiting new hair from growing back. The number of treatments required depends on factors like the color, coarseness and hormonal influences on your hair as well as which area of the body needs treating; on average it usually takes five sessions spaced four weeks apart in order to permanently eliminate unwanted hair growth.
Before beginning laser therapy, it is wise to refrain from plucking or waxing your hair as this will disrupt follicles, rendering them inactive during laser therapy. Shaving is acceptable because it removes hair above the surface and will allow laser therapy to target individual follicles more accurately. Sunless tanning products and chemical peels should also be avoided as they darken your skin surface further and make targeting follicles more challenging for the laser therapy treatment. Furthermore, talk to your practitioner regarding any medications (especially blood-thinning) that could impede effective laser therapy treatment effectiveness.
After receiving laser hair removal treatment, you should notice an immediate reduction in hair growth in the treated area. Unfortunately, laser-targeted hairs won’t fall out immediately but rather gradually over a few days to weeks; making it difficult to assess whether laser treatment has worked due to new growth appearing as though nothing had changed until they enter their anagen or growth phase again.
Laser hair removal has significantly advanced over the years to accommodate various skin and hair tones; however, it should still not be considered permanent. Most individuals will need follow-up appointments a year later in order to maintain desired results.
Laser hair removal offers many advantages, including reduced time spent shaving or using other forms of hair removal methods such as waxing. Furthermore, it helps minimize razor bumps, ingrown hairs and irritation by decreasing pigment production from hair follicles – potentially alleviating other skin issues like folliculitis or discoloration in addition to irritation caused by these methods.
Post-Procedure Care
After laser hair removal, your skin may feel slightly uncomfortable. To alleviate discomfort and reduce swelling, cold compresses should be applied or wrapped in dry cloth with ice packs applied directly on the treatment area to ease pain and swelling. In large treatment areas you may also receive topical anesthetic injections.
After your first session, you should start to see results – as your hairs fall out and bare skin appears. While it may take multiple treatments before hair no longer grows back, once this stage has been reached the ongoing maintenance will become much simpler.
As soon as your desired result is reached, treatments should continue every four to six weeks until completion. Your frequency of treatments depends upon factors like skin type, area being treated and hair growth cycle – they could even vary between sessions depending on which is appropriate for you.
For optimal results, it is vitally important that between laser hair removal sessions or immediately post treatment, direct sunlight or tanning beds should be avoided, particularly as direct sun can alter skin pigmentation causing more noticeable hair colors to emerge.
As part of your post-treatment care, it is also advisable to wait until your skin has fully recovered before engaging any additional hair removal methods or products, especially waxing or plucking methods that could hinder laser treatments’ efficacy or interfere with its natural pigmentation process. It is especially important that waxing or plucking not be done to interfere with laser treatments’ effects as this could compromise their effectiveness while disrupting natural pigmentation processes in your body.
An additional precaution when having laser treatments done on any area should be to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen, since the laser used can target tattoo dye as well as hair pigment, potentially altering skin tone temporarily and possibly darkening or lightening it temporarily.
Finally, hot water should never be applied directly to the treated area as this can burn and blister the skin. Use only lukewarm water when washing your face or showering.
Laser hair removal could be your answer if you want to finally rid yourself of unwanted hair forever. To learn more and see if laser hair removal is suitable for you, schedule a free consultation at Moein Surgical Arts today!
