Everything You Need to Know About Laser Hair Removal

Getting rid of unwanted body hair regularly can be incredibly bothersome. While tweezing, shaving or waxing provide quicker short term solutions to getting rid of hair, they come with their fair share of problems. Regularly shaving, waxing or tweezing can be painful, tiresome, messy, and leave one with ingrown hair, dry skin, rashes, temporary bumps, sun sensitivity, and bleeding. A longer-lasting solution to this problem is laser hair removal procedure. Today laser hair removal has become one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures in the world. The biggest benefit of this treatment procedure is that it can selectively target coarse, dark hairs while leaving the surroundings undamaged. Each pulse takes only a fraction of a second to treat many hairs at the same time, which allows the laser to treat areas quickly as well as effectively. The procedure can be useful for removing any unwanted hair from underarms, legs, bikini line, face, arms, chin back and other parts of the body.

Men undergo laser hair removal for a variety of reasons. They can be for health & hygiene, to please their partner, aesthetics, reduce ingrown hair troubles, or due to careers as body-builders, models, actors, etc. The procedure is a boon to maintain a hygienic, clean and dapper look at all times. Getting rid of body hair has been an old and common tradition in cultures across the world. For a working woman, the regular hassle of a regular shave or waxing can be time consuming and stressful. On the other hand, laser hair removal provides a versatile solution that can be performed on all the parts of the body and has very little or no side effects and gives a permanent solution to the problem. The procedure involves prior preparation which begins with a consultation with a specialist who decides how to customize the procedure for the candidate. On the day of the treatment, the target area’s hair is first trimmed to the length of a few millimeters above the skin. Then a topical numbing ointment or lotion is applied to help with the stinging of the laser pulses. The laser is then adjusted according to the location, color, and thickness of the target hair as well as the skin tone. Depending on the type of laser, proper eye protection must also be worn to ensure no damage to the eye. A cold gel or special cooling device is also utilized to protect the outer layers of the skin and help the laser light penetrate deeper. After the procedure, ice packs, lotions or anti-inflammatory creams or cold water may be given to ease any discomfort. The following treatment can be scheduled for four to six weeks later and the treatment should be repeated until hair stops growing.

Its also important to remember that not all the hair gets removed in a single session. During a single hair session, only eighty-five to ninety percent of the hair follicles are targetted. As hair growth takes place in different cycles, the treatment aims to damage the hair in its growth phase, so multiple sessions help target that initial “start” phase. It is not only clinically proven but also a complete package for laser hair removal procedure, bringing surety of quality. The device utilizes multiple wavelengths to offer number of technologies together making it easier to treat large target areas and a wide variety of hair and skin types. It is FDA approved and has a multiple wavelength platform with pre-set parameters that provides fast and cool treatment.

Things you need to know before having the treatment

If you’ve been debating laser hair removal, you have come to the right place. As you’re surely aware, there’s a lot to consider and it’s important to do your research first whether you’re looking for a clinic or considering investing in at home device.

Only once you’ve read up on the pros and cons of laser hair removal and the subsequent side effects can you make a decision if the treatment is right for you.

Not only does laser hair removal help remove unwanted hair, but it also can help with other issues like ingrown hairs, which are prone to causing hyperpigmentation, especially in deep skin tones.

While we’ve come a long way in accepting our body hair, we totally understand that for some, permanent removal is still the goal. In that case laser would definitely be worth the investment.

However, it’s important to remember that laser doesn’t always result in permanent hair removal and there are many other methods like waxing, threading, shaving and tweezing. Not to mention at-home IPL devices.

The one thing you can be sure of with laser hair removal is that it takes time and money. Sadly it’s not a one and done job and normally 8-12 treatments are recommended, spaced over 4-6 weeks. However this can vary based on the individual and area you are treating.

To answer some of your burning questions, we spoke to experts at Pulse Light Clinic and sk:n clinic about everything you need to know prior to getting laser, as well as sharing our personal experiences after having the treatment ourselves.

Below you’ll find straight facts and have all your laser myths busted – from triggering hair growth (rarely) to having to avoid sun exposure (always).

1. The process sounds painful, but isn’t too bad

Dr. Daron Seukeran, Group Medical Director at the sk:n clinic explains that laser hair removal works by sending the light of a laser through the pigment in the hair. “This (light) converts to heat, which damages the hair follicle and hair bulb.” In our experience we found it to be a quick, sharp pain which was more painful on thinner skin near the nose, chin and temples. Thankfully, the lasers used on us had a cooling mechanism (basically a constantly running cold blast of air right where the laser was pointing) which really helped. We also found it more painful if our body temperature was raised due to running across town to make it on time for our appointments. So time management really does help.

2. Patience pays off

It takes two or three weeks after your first treatment to see a difference, and 8 -12 treatments to get the full result. You also have to be really regular with your appointments because your hair follicles are all at different stages of their growth, so you want to make sure each one has a chance to get zapped. Basically if you stop, your hair will grow back.

“Laser hair removal gets to the root of the problem, literally,” says Lucy Dawe, Senior Consultant at Pulse Light Clinic. “The laser will target the hair that is in its active growth stage. Clients may find hair to appear finer and less noticeable after one treatment but a course of treatments is essential to see optimal results.”

3. You’ve got to use a hair trimmer/shave the area before you laser (same goes for makeup)

The laser can react with hair on the skin’s surface which will cause some irritation and sometimes that dreaded burnt hair smell which we learnt first hand, yay. Thankfully for us, we knew the whole ‘shaving = thicker darker hair’ was a really common beauty myth and came shaved before our subsequent appointments.

Remember, you have to make sure you’ve prepped properly before each visit for the optimum results.

Lucy says these are the key things to remember:

1. The area must be cleanly shaved within 24 hours prior to the treatment. Electric razors are not recommended as the hair is typically left too long.
2. Do not tweeze, wax or pluck the area being treated between or prior to sessions. Only shave the area.
3. The treatment area needs to be free from makeup, lotion, deodorant and sun cream- inform the practitioner before treatment starts if you require wipes.
4. The area cannot be treated if it has been exposed to sun within 4 weeks prior to treatment.
5. Fake tanning products cannot be used 3-4 weeks prior to treatment; the area should be thoroughly exfoliated to remove all residues.

4. It’s actually a pretty fast process

A full face appointment can take as little as 20 minutes and that’s including a quick chat and makeup removal at the start.

Is laser hair removal damaging?