Traditional methods for hair removal like shaving, waxing and the use of harsh creams are time-consuming and expensive; laser hair reduction offers permanent solutions with fewer treatment sessions required and minimal or no regrowth.
Cosmetic procedures such as microdermabrasion are generally safe for most patients, with the exception of those suffering from excessive hair growth or hirsutism (excessive hair growth). Possible side effects may include reddening and swelling; skin darkening/lightening changes; blistering; herpes simplex outbreaks may occur and additional complications could emerge as a result of treatment.
What’s the Difference?
Laser hair removal is a cosmetic procedure designed to permanently reduce the number of hair follicles in an area. Treatment typically occurs over multiple sessions and requires that you avoid waxing, plucking or tweezing in this region. For individuals with very dark or light hair this could take multiple sessions before reaching desired results are achieved.
An experienced dermatologist can perform this procedure with minimal to no discomfort, using topical anesthetic if necessary. A session typically lasts just minutes depending on the area being treated; laser targets the pigment in hair which converts into heat that disables its follicle from producing new hair growth; eventually it will fall out and leave behind clear and smooth skin.
At each stage of laser hair removal treatment, dermatologists will carefully monitor for and address all potential side effects. Common examples are redness and swelling around the treated area; temporarily occurring bumps that resemble pimples may form around hair follicles for three to 10 days, before dissipating.
Color can have an immense influence on the outcome of laser treatments. Darker skin tones contain more melanin which allows hair follicles to absorb more laser energy and transform it into heat, leading to optimal results and minimizing potential damages from treatments. Therefore, appropriate settings must be selected for every skin tone to achieve maximum benefit and minimize damages.
Other elements that contribute to the efficacy of laser hair removal are spot size and fluence of the laser. Spot size determines how much laser energy reaches each hair follicle while fluence measures how quickly and deeply the laser heats the follicle; higher fluence means faster hair removal with reduced growth rates.
Laser hair removal should not be attempted on those who have naturally light or very dark hair, have had chemical treatments to strip pigment off their skin or have received other light-based therapies such as IPL (intense pulsed light). Furthermore, an assessment should be completed to ascertain any medical conditions which cause hirsutism such as hyperhidrosis.
What Are the Side Effects?
Laser hair removal does have some side effects, though they tend to be minor and temporary. Common examples are skin irritation, pigmentation changes and redness or swelling in the treatment area – similar to what one might experience after waxing or plucking hairs – though usually these effects don’t pose much cause for alarm and can often be reduced with cooling compresses or gel packs on affected areas after treatment.
Contrary to shaving and waxing, laser hair removal seeks to destroy hair follicles to stop them from producing new hairs. While not every single follicle may be destroyed during treatment, some hair may still regrow albeit lighter and finer than before; thus necessitating multiple treatments in order to get optimal results.
Laser hair removal may be uncomfortable, but it is a much safer and more effective treatment for unwanted hair than electrolysis or needle epilation. A technician will use a small handpiece with an oscillating blade to extract unwanted follicles from the surface of the skin during treatment – typically, this should not take more than an hour depending on the size of your treatment area.
Laser treatments can be extremely beneficial to men and women of all skin types; however, selecting a qualified practitioner is crucial. A technician should possess knowledge regarding different kinds of lasers as well as how best to treat each type of skin; for instance, someone with dark skin should be treated using one with longer wavelengths that does not damage surrounding tissue.
Before engaging in laser hair removal treatments, it is advised not to apply topical products or get spray tans as these contain tints that absorb laser light and impair its effectiveness. Also avoid direct sunlight on treated areas and always wear high SPF sunscreen when outdoors. If hair begins growing back quickly after treatment has completed, notify the practitioner who administered their session immediately.
How Long Will the Side Effects Last?
Laser hair removal uses selective photothermolysis to permanently disable and remove unwanted hair follicles. Laser energy penetrates the skin, heating up pigment (melanin) within hair follicles to disarm them. Although not intended for everyone, laser hair removal should not be undertaken by those with dark complexion or light-colored hair or any medical conditions like Genital Herpes; those expecting or actively transitioning hormonally should also steer clear from laser treatment.
Before receiving laser hair removal, it’s essential that you abide by your dermatologist’s instructions. In particular, plucking, waxing and electrolysis should be limited for six weeks prior to treatment as is using sunscreen regularly and using prophylactic antiviral therapy if there has been an outbreak in or near the treatment site.
Laser treatment offers an easy, quick, and painless solution to reduce unwanted hair on the face or body. After several sessions of laser treatments, you should experience significant decreases in the amount of new growth occurring within treated areas – although this solution won’t produce long-term results and you must continue receiving treatments until reaching desired outcomes.
Other than initial irritation caused by laser hair removal treatments, most patients experience few side effects from laser hair removal. Common symptoms are skin redness and swelling which should subside within several hours following their procedure; if these persist longer than expected you can use topical steroid cream to manage them.
Though initial laser treatments will produce visible reduction in unwanted hair, most people require maintenance sessions every 4-6 months to keep results from eroding over time.
Are you tired of shaving, waxing or other methods of hair removal but looking for a long term solution? Laser hair reduction could be just what’s needed! Contact our office to set up your consultation with Dr. Green and learn how laser treatments can boost confidence while increasing quality of life.
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
Laser treatment could be your perfect solution to permanent hair removal. It is quick, pain-free and requires no downtime following treatment; however, multiple sessions may be necessary in order to permanently kill all the follicles in a treatment area due to hair growing in cycles; not all of its follicles will be in growth phases at once.
Your skin and hair color also affects how effective laser treatment will be; laser light passes through the top layers of skin before being absorbed by pigment in your hair, where it then converts to heat that destroys hair follicles so they cannot produce further hair strands. Therefore, laser hair removal works best on people who have dark hair with light skin complexions.
Before your treatment begins, it is important to refrain from using sunless tanning lotions and other sunless skin products as well as chemical-based sun protection products. You should also shave or trim the area where you will receive treatment; waxing, tweezing and plucking of hair in this area must also cease immediately.
As with any treatment, you may experience mild irritation or discomfort during your session, with sensations resembling tiny stings in the treated areas. Smoke or burning of hair might occur at times – this is normal and should not cause concern. After your session has concluded, your skin might be red and swollen so use an ice pack to reduce inflammation and swelling before going outdoors; additionally your skin might be more sensitive than usual to sunlight so consider covering tanned or red skin with clothing or sunscreen when heading outside.
Laser hair reduction can significantly decrease the amount of body hair you have and even help prevent future growth altogether. When hair does return, it will typically grow back thinner and lighter than before. One treatment session should suffice, though for those committed to eliminating unwanted hair completely it is advisable that multiple laser sessions are attended every six weeks.
