Is Laser Hair Removal A Good Way To Remove Unwanted Hair and How It Works?

Nowadays the laser is the best way to remove unwanted body hair. There are two methods that can achieve permanent hair reduction – IPL / intense pulsed light/ and laser. They both have proved to be a very popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedure in USA and Europe. Although shaving and waxing are still among the most preferred and popular methods to get rid of body and facial hair, laser hair removal is gaining more and more popularity due to the promise of permanent and painless results.

The advantages of laser hair removal are:

• extend the hair-free period
• treats larger areas at a time
• reduce hair by 40 to 85%
• absolutely painless
• immediate return to normal activities
• hair comes back lighter and finer
• extend undesirable hair
• all body parts can be treated, even the face
• safe and effective hair removal



The disadvantages of laser hair removal are:

• sometimes hyper-pigmentation may occur
• scarring
• blistering
• redness and swelling
• scabbing
• hair changes
• minimal discomfort

The laser hair removal is most successful on people with dark hair and light skin, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t appropriate for darker skin tones. Common treatment locations include legs, armpits, upper lip, bikini line, chin and back.
A cooling device or a cooling gel is always used to protect the skin, to minimize discomfort during treatment and to increase the effectiveness of the laser treatment.
The laser light passes through your skin’s surface to tiny hair follicles where hair growth originates. Hair follicles absorb the light and heat up, destroying the hair and preventing re-growth. A percentage of these follicles are permanently disabled with each treatment. The laser targets only the cells under the surface and doesn’t harm the surrounding areas.
During the treatment you should wear goggles all the time to protect your eyes from the rays. No anesthetic is needed because the procedure is completely painless.
How long the treatment takes depends on the area of the body involved. Smaller areas like upper lip and chin usually take not more than 5 minutes, but larger areas like back and legs may take from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
For long lasting hair removal most patients require 2 to 8 laser treatments, depending on their hair and skin tone because the treatment works best on new hairs that are just starting to grow. The interval between the procedures varies between 3 weeks to a month.
The area to be treated must be shaved 3/ 4 days before the laser hair removal in order to increase the effectiveness of the treatment, because laser hair removal is effective on short and visible hair. Never wax the area before treatment.

Useful Tips:

• before scheduling laser hair removal consult a doctor to discuss the risks and the benefits
• if crusting occurs after the procedure it’s important to keep the area moist
• avoid exposure to sun for several days after laser hair removal
• don’t use solarium between the treatments
• if you have suntan wait until the tan fades completely
• sometimes you may notice odor of singed hair, but that’s normal
• never wax hair before procedure
• sometimes darkening of the skin may occur but it’s usually a temporary condition
• always wear goggles during the laser treatment
• shaving and depilatory creams is allowed
• several days after laser hair removal hair maybe extruded from the follicle
• after treatment the skin may look red and swollen but it will disappear within a few hours
• laser hair removal isn’t appropriate for those with sensitive skin
• to reduce the prickly feeling during the procedure you can apply an anesthetic cream
• use a hydrating cream after laser hair removal
• limit your sun exposure for a day or two after the treatment
• always apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or more to the treated area

To learn more see the articles:

What Causes Excessive Hair Growth / Hirsutism/ and How To Treat HirsutismВ

Is Shaving A Good Way To Remove Unwanted Hair and How To Shave Correctly

How To Get Rid Of Unwanted HairВ

Here are pictures before and after the laser hair removal.

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