Many women struggle with unwanted bikini area hair that cannot be removed with traditional shaving. Therefore, laser hair removal offers a highly efficient solution that offers long-term relief from future hair growth.
Avoid picking, scratching, waxing or tweezing the area immediately following laser therapy as these methods could result in open wounds and infection. Instead, moisturize and exfoliate it five days later.
What are the risks?
Laser hair removal works by targeting individual follicles of unwanted hair with pulses of light to destroy it and stop future growth. While the procedure is generally safe, it’s wise to discuss any potential risks with your physician prior to commencing treatments – potential side effects could include reduced sensation or small scarring; changes to pigmentation; or permanent hair loss. Anyone trying to become pregnant should avoid laser treatment due to ineffective results that could damage uterine health.
During laser treatment, hair pigment absorbs laser light and heat, effectively dissolving it. While it can cause some discomfort, most people find the experience very tolerable; those with sensitive skin may benefit from applying an anesthetic cream or cooling gel in order to minimize irritation. It is advised that patients shave prior to their appointments so as to minimize pain caused by burning hair follicles during this process.
Laser hair removal carries with it some potential risks of discoloration that can be especially apparent for those with darker skin tones. This occurs due to laser light penetrating deep into your skin, heating it and potentially discoloring it – this side effect is natural, however permanent effects should always be discussed with your physician prior to beginning treatments.
Other minor side effects of laser hair removal may include redness, swelling and itching; though these symptoms are typically temporary. If necessary during recovery it’s advisable to use cold compresses, OTC painkillers or aloe vera gel for sensitive areas as needed to soothe discomfort. In addition, regular moisturization of affected areas is highly advised in order to keep skin hydrated and prevent crusting.
After your laser treatment, it is recommended that you exfoliate three times weekly in order to shed treated hairs and dead skin cells, while also limiting sun exposure as much as possible to avoid permanent discoloration of skin. After about one week has passed, you should see that your skin has returned to its natural hue, no longer different from other parts of your body.
What are the benefits?
Laser hair removal provides long-term solutions that will save time, money and energy. Instead of waxing or shaving regularly, laser hair removal will allow you to avoid painful ingrown hairs or redoing the whole process every few months.
Light treatments work by targeting hair follicles with pulses of light to destroy them, effectively stopping new hairs from growing back and leaving you with smooth, stubble-free skin. Furthermore, light therapy treatments are safer than electrolysis which may damage skin or lead to discoloration and disfigurement.
While the procedure itself should be relatively pain-free, you may experience some minor discomfort and redness afterwards. An over-the-counter pain reliever or cold compress may help manage this discomfort; your technician may apply an anesthetic cream or cooling gel prior to your session so you’ll only experience minimal pinches during each session.
Since melanin absorbs heat from laser treatments, people with darker skin may experience temporary discoloration after their treatment. This typically manifests itself in darkening of skin near the treated area that will subside with regular exfoliation or eventually disappear altogether.
After your treatment, your technician will likely provide or recommend a moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated. It’s important to avoid picking at or scratching crusted skin because this exposes new and vulnerable tissue, which could result in bleeding, scabbing or scarring. Crustiness will typically peel on its own over time or can be helped along by exfoliation three times weekly.
As another possible side effect of laser treatment, your pubic area follicles may become smaller over time. While you’ll still have hairs present, these will be finer and less dense than before; eventually these hairs will fall out on their own or be removed by your technician in future sessions.
Though you will still require occasional shaving or waxing sessions, your hair growth will become significantly slower over time and eventually stop altogether after multiple laser therapy treatments have taken place. Most people only need to shave about once every month after having completed their treatment plan.
How do I know if I’m a good candidate?
Laser hair removal can be an ideal solution for anyone who is fed up with shaving, waxing or plucking their pubic area. The procedure is quick and painless with long-term results; its main drawback may cause dry skin. But most consider it worth paying to rid themselves of unwanted hair once and for all!
Selective photothermolysis is a laser procedure used to heat and destroy hair follicles responsible for hair growth. To accomplish this goal, light from the laser beam is directed into dark pigment of hair where it absorbs heat before killing stem cells that produce new hair growth. However, in order for this treatment to work, hair must first be in anagen (growth) phase; multiple sessions may be required before visible results appear.
Before your laser treatment, it is wise to refrain from shaving or hair removal products in the weeks leading up to it, as hair can absorb laser light and burn the skin, potentially leading to hyperpigmentation or scarring. Furthermore, tanning makes skin even more susceptible to being burned by laser light, possibly increasing irritation levels or side effects like hyperpigmentation or scarring. Finally, tanning increases skin sensitivity resulting in similar issues being encountered from both sources.
Before beginning laser hair removal treatments, it is also necessary to exfoliate the area in question in order to rid yourself of dead skin that might obstruct laser beams from reaching and destroying hair follicles. You should avoid plucking or waxing as these activities will disrupt hair follicles that would benefit from receiving heat from laser light treatments.
There are multiple laser treatments for pubic hair removal available today, including Brazilian and bikini line laser hair removal. Both procedures will remove most of your pubic hair, though Brazilian treatment focuses more on eliminating unwanted genital hair while bikini line removes just sides and top of your pubic region.
How do I prepare for the procedure?
Preparing for laser hair removal requires following the recommendations of your technician, such as refraining from any methods that uproot hair follicles such as plucking, waxing and electrolysis. Shaving is also important as this allows laser treatments to reach pigment without impacting surrounding tissue.
Treatment takes less than an hour and patients commonly experience redness and swelling afterward – this is completely normal, and can be relieved with the application of an ice pack for several hours post treatment. In order to maximize effectiveness of the procedure, avoid hot tubs, saunas or working out immediately following your session as heat increases skin sensitivity which increases risk of burns. Also try not using lotions or creams in this area as these will lessen effectiveness of treatment.
One of the best things you can do for your skin after laser hair removal is applying broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen every day – this will protect it from harmful sun rays and reduce risk for post-treatment complications, including hyperpigmentation or scarring.
Before scheduling laser hair removal treatment, it is also a wise move to refrain from tanning in the area in question, as sun exposure may cause hair follicles to change their pigmentation and be less responsive to laser treatment. Sunless tanning products should also be avoided since these contain ingredients that darken skin tone further and make you vulnerable to sun damage.
Prior to reaching the desired results with laser hair removal, multiple sessions may be necessary in order to reach them. This is because different stages of growth occur simultaneously for different follicles. Once you have had all necessary treatments, however, you will experience smoother skin free of unwanted hair; however, you will require ongoing maintenance treatments in order to keep it that way; hair will return over time, though more gradually than before.
