Laser hair removal requires using a hand-held instrument with cooling pads or gel at its tip to protect skin from heat exposure.
Your practitioner won’t treat sunburned or tanned skin with laser, as the laser could cause discolouration. Furthermore, tanning can inhibit hair follicles from responding and should be avoided prior to treatment.
The Laser
When the laser beam hits your skin, it creates a thermal shock in your hair follicles, heating them enough to deactivate germ cells that produce new hairs and rendering your follicle permanently disabled – no longer producing unwanted hair growth.
Before your laser treatment starts, a practitioner will apply a coolant to your skin surface in order to keep you from overexposure to heat. Protective eyewear will also be provided. The actual process itself is fast and painless; many describe it as feeling similar to being hit by rubber band snaps against their skin or snaps from a rubber band being snapped against. In order to lessen any potential discomfort during the procedure a numbing cream may also be applied beforehand in order to lessen sensations associated with laser treatments.
Laser technicians will then move over the desired area and begin treatment, which could last anywhere from several minutes to an hour depending on its size and area of treatment. Some body parts like legs may take more time than others.
Keep in mind that while laser hair removal may seem painless and quick, in order to achieve optimal results a series of treatments is typically needed – typically 6 for women and 8 for men will give an 80%+ reduction in unwanted hair growth. Once complete, regular follow up visits between 3-12 months depending on individual hair cycle needs should help preserve results and keep you hair free!
Before receiving laser treatments, it is wise to avoid tanning beds and spending too much time in the sun as this will decrease effectiveness of treatment and increase side effects. Shaving should also help boost effectiveness; additionally, stop tweezing or waxing hair in areas to be treated.
Before going in for laser hair removal, it’s essential that you provide your practitioner with an extensive medical history. This will enable them to determine whether the procedure will be safe for you; in certain instances, such as illnesses or medications which make your skin sensitive to light such as certain anti-inflammatory drugs, laser hair removal should not be undertaken at all.
The Cooling Device
Laser hair removal performed correctly by trained medical professionals can significantly decrease unwanted hair growth on both the face and body, as well as dark hairs on legs, armpits and bikini areas. Furthermore, it’s a non-invasive procedure with no downtime required and leaves smoother, more even toned and textured skin in its wake.
At the start of treatment, a doctor will use a handheld laser instrument to press it against the skin. Its tip may be covered by cooling device or gel to minimize discomfort for patients. After activating it, they’ll direct its beam into the skin’s surface where hair follicles exist to destroy them by heating from laser beam. This results in reduced growth as follicles are destroyed with heat from laser radiation.
Lasers can be used on all skin types and colors, but the optimal results are seen with light-colored hair on light-colored skin. Prior to beginning laser hair removal treatment, patients should avoid shaving, plucking, waxing or any activity which would remove hair follicles and roots making it more difficult for the laser beam to locate them and target them successfully. Shaving is permitted prior to treatment but should only be performed a few days beforehand.
Laser energy is absorbed by melanin (pigment) present in hair. Darker locks tend to absorb more pigment and therefore are most often targeted with laser treatments, whereas lighter hues (white or blonde hair) reflect back more laser energy and therefore tend to be less affected by treatments.
After several sessions, many people experience minimal new hair growth or none at all, with any that does come back being finer, thinner and lighter in color than ever before. While some regrowth is inevitable, doctors recommend regular maintenance sessions to catch any that escaped initial cutting sessions.
Laser hair removal is a safe and effective treatment that can dramatically reduce unwanted facial and body hair growth, saving both time and money over traditional shaving and waxing. A popular cosmetic procedure, laser hair removal has been utilized by millions of individuals for over 20 years, in high-street beauty salons, medi-spas, clinics as well as at-home devices – just make sure that it meets FDA-approval specifications to avoid injury or misuse.
The Light
Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure used to permanently eradicate unwanted body hair. Unlike shaving and waxing, which merely trim and pull the hair to the surface of the skin, laser treatment destroys its roots preventing future regrowth. Results typically occur within multiple sessions depending on your skin type and hair color; results can take weeks.
Laser treatments are extremely effective at targeting hair follicles due to their ability to emit light that distinguishes between their pigmentation and your natural skin tone. By targeting only darker pigmentation on hair follicles and not surrounding tissue, laser treatments create a hair-free surface for you to enjoy!
As part of laser treatment, it’s normal for the area being treated to feel warm and itchy; some compare this sensation to having rubber bands snap against your skin; this sensation could last from minutes up to an hour depending on the size of the area being treated. You may even detect an odor similar to smoking and burning hair due to hair follicles responding to heat exposure.
For reduced discomfort, try applying a cool compress to the treatment site. Or apply some cooling aloe vera gel or lotion after your session to soothe skin conditions such as redness, swelling or itching. Beware rubbing or scratching of this area as this could irritate and inflame it further.
Care must also be taken when applying products to your skin. No cream, oil, or deodorant should be applied before an appointment and it’s important that clean bare skin arrives for their session; no makeup or perfume should be worn either.
As it can damage follicles and make laser treatments less effective, shaving between appointments should also be avoided as this will put pressure on them and potentially decrease efficacy of treatment. Furthermore, you should avoid tweezing or waxing because these methods don’t target hair roots directly and could render treatments redundant.
The Pain
People may be shocked to learn that laser hair removal is far less painful than shaving, waxing, or plucking. When performed by an experienced practitioner, this method provides a very safe and effective means to get rid of unwanted hair without the need for depilation – providing a permanent solution to unwanted hair growth issues.
Before your first laser hair removal session, it’s essential to avoid anything that might make the procedure more uncomfortable or increase your risk of complications and skin discoloration. This includes products with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or retinol which should be used at least 2-3 days before an appointment; you will also need to shave prior to beginning treatment and take an over-the-counter pain reliever 30-40 minutes beforehand so the medication has time to work its magic.
After receiving laser hair removal treatment, it’s normal for skin to appear red and itchy and possibly experience discomfort similar to razor burn. However, these symptoms should subside after approximately 24 hours with proper care and management.
Location and thickness of skin will play a significant role in how much discomfort is felt during a procedure. Underarms, for example, may be more unpleasant as their skin is thinner in these areas; facial nerves are also likely to be more sensitive than arms in this regard.
Laser treatments tend to feel similar to an elastic band snapping against your skin, although pain levels vary depending on where they’re applied and which area is being targeted. Most people find the sensation mild and tolerable; more sessions may be required than one for optimal results, as hair grows in cycles; therefore the goal of laser hair removal should be capturing every hair at an ideal point in its development cycle.
Once the necessary sessions have been completed, you will experience smoother, more attractive skin without having to regularly shave or wax your body. In addition, hair regrowth will become significantly reduced after just a few treatments have taken place.
