Laser hair removal utilizes light waves to effectively eliminate unwanted hair. However, this treatment only works on colored (pigmented) follicles.
Before beginning laser treatments, your therapist will mark out the area that will be treated in white using a pencil. This helps ensure all areas are being covered and helps prevent accidental treatments of moles or tattoos by the laser.
What is the white pencil?
At the start of a laser hair removal session, your technician will use a white pencil to mark out the area that needs to be treated. This marking process helps them stay on target with their treatment; simple grid markings help them keep an eye on where they’re treating as well as avoid areas that could potentially require extra caution during treatment.
Your technician must not only be able to clearly see the area they are treating but must also make sure they do not target any moles or tattoos with their laser treatment. Lasers work by detecting melanin in your skin; any dark spots could be burned by it causing considerable pain – to protect these dark spots a white pencil (such as white kohl eyeliner pencil) may be used before each session to cover them up before starting laser treatments.
This low-cost marking pencil was specifically created for use on skin. The white hue won’t interfere with laser treatments and can easily be erased post-treatment.
Why is it used?
Laser hair removal technicians typically use white pencil to clearly mark out the area to be treated, preventing them from accidentally targeting moles, tattoos or freckles during treatment.
Avoid black pens or pencils because their pigments could attract laser light and cause serious burns if exposed directly to laser light. As a result, white pencils are always best used for this task.
After conducting your patch test (where a therapist treats a small patch of skin to assess how you respond to laser treatment), and once you decide that laser is the way forward for you, your therapist will use white pencil to mark out an area for treatment using white lines on which every hair at its appropriate phase for removal has been covered by their laser technician. This ensures maximum coverage by all possible means.
At your treatment session, the laser will rapidly travel over the area marked on your body. While you will feel some slight prickles as the laser passes over each individual hair follicle, these sensations should not be painful. As part of the procedure, dark glasses and cooling gel are provided for added comfort during this process.
Laser hair removal should not remove or fade freckles or moles; while it may temporarily darken them initially, as soon as your freckles absorb light from the laser they will fade back over time. If you are concerned with how your moles or freckles have faded since having laser hair removal performed on them, please consult your GP. However if they start appearing raised we would strongly advise seeking medical advice as these could be indicators of cancerous changes within their tissue.
How is it used?
Laser hair removal can be an effective treatment for unwanted hair, helping you achieve that silky-smooth look you desire. However, not all skin types and hair colors can be treated by this method, meaning additional treatments at regular intervals may be necessary to achieve results.
One of the main obstacles to effective laser treatment for many is when laser light fails to recognize pigment in their hair or skin, leading it to misfire on freckles or moles and burn them instead of targeting what needs treating. To avoid this happening again, your therapist will mark out all areas that need treating with white pencil (don’t worry; it won’t be like your school pencil!).
The pencil marks act as a grid, providing the technician with the information needed to treat all necessary areas. Their laser therapy therapist then utilizes this data to adjust settings on their laser and ensure any potentially vulnerable spots don’t cause harm.
Moles and freckles contain melanin which attracts laser light, protecting skin from sunburn but potentially leading to burnt moles and freckles during laser treatments. A quick way around this issue is covering them with white pencil (such as an eyeliner pencil or Kohl pencil will work just as well) in order to block laser light from reaching melanin levels and burning that area of skin.
White pencils offer another advantage by helping to identify areas on your body with tattoos or scars, marking off where laser treatments may cause harm and provide guidance as to when and where treatment should occur. As it’s essential that these areas don’t get damaged by laser treatment, only have them treated at professional clinics where hygiene standards are high.
Importantly, it’s also essential that when receiving laser treatments on specific parts of your body it is wise not to shave, wax, pluck or use chemical depilatories as these methods remove hair at its source and reduce the number of treatments necessary. Your therapist will advise on what steps should be taken in such cases and should always be obeyed.
What is the purpose of the white pencil?
Therapists use white pencils to map out the area they will treat. This enables them to ensure they don’t accidentally target any hair follicles that shouldn’t be, or highlight moles or dark spots on your skin that need covering to avoid being burned by laser treatment. This step is especially important if seeking unlicensed laser treatments from unregistered practitioners; only visit salons licensed to perform cosmetic procedures that meet set standards in training, skill, and insurance coverage for safe practices.
Before having laser treatment on an area, you should shave only. Waxing or plucking will remove hair above skin level which the laser cannot target; furthermore, not adhering to aftercare instructions such as staying out of direct sunlight for 72 hours could potentially harm the skin and compromise its integrity.
Many people mistakenly believe that laser hair removal causes freckles to darken; however, regular laser treatments may damage freckles enough that they appear darker after treatments have taken place. If any changes occur following laser treatment sessions, speak to the practitioner who provided your treatments and seek their advice immediately.
At your consultation and patch test, the practitioner will mark out the area to be treated using white pencil and apply cooling gel before beginning their laser hair removal treatment. Goggles will protect your eyes from laser light exposure during laser hair removal sessions as the therapist rapidly glides the laser over marked out skin areas; you may feel some slight prickle as the laser passes over individual hair follicles but this should not be painful.
White pencils can help protect any moles or tattoos during laser hair removal sessions, which will protect them from burning due to heat from the laser. Before your appointment, draw over any dark spots or moles using a white kohl eyeliner pencil in order to shield them from its heat.
