Do you have friends or co-workers talking about laser hair removal and it makes you want to ask more questions, but you don’t want to sound ignorant? Never fear, because all of your questions about laser hair removal and what it is are here. You won’t need to feel like hiding when they start talking because you aren’t in the know. You might actually have some answers they would like to know about the process!
Laser hair removal is a fairly new procedure allowed in the United States. It has been practiced for twenty years, since the mid 1970s, on a wide range of patients experimentally. It was only approved in 1997 as a procedure that doctors could perform once they had certification and knowledge in the area. There are still laws that each states have adopted, as far as who can perform the actual laser hair removal process on a commercial basis.
The laser in the procedure can work several different ways. The most common way is for it to work the skin cells that produce hair follicles are heated and damaged by the laser so they don’t continue to grow hair. Getting the cells to where they are not able to produce hair might take several visits, resulting in months’ worth of time spent eliminating hair.
The average time between visits can span anywhere from three weeks to eight weeks, depending on the area where you are having hair permanently removed. The more sensitive areas, like the bikini line or underarms are more sensitive and might require longer recovery periods. However, they are smaller in area than the leg, so they might actually recover better. The legs have stronger skin, so they could be faster to get done. But the actual time between visits will be determined by your skin, your recovery process and how the person performing the procedure thinks you are doing.
The cost for laser hair removal has dropped drastically in recent years. Originally, the technology was very expensive and only performed by few people who needed to have a lot of training to run the laser machines. Now, there are more trained people and the technology is more efficient so it doesn’t cost as much as it did in the beginning. Prepare to pay around $100 to $200 per treatment when you are having the procedure done. Most areas will require at least three visits to successfully eliminate the hair in that region.
The treatment is performed in a sterile setting. It only takes a few minutes to run the laser wand or device over the area you want treated. The wand looks more like a pulsating stick as it emits light and heat over the skin. Once the procedure is done, you simply go home and heal. The hair might begin to fall out in a few days from the areas covered. It might also take more treatments for all of the hair to fall out.
Laser hair removal works best on dark hair that has a texture to it. Hair in the bikini area, the underarm – for both men and women – and even facial hair is perfect for a laser to reduce. The laser is able to determine the difference between the hair follicle and the skin cell easier when the hair is dark. There have been some good results with people with light and even red hair having hair permanently removed in certain years, but that is still a developing technology.
People who might want to consider laser hair removal if they have a problem with sensitive skin after shaving or waxing. When people get bumps or have ingrown hairs often, it can be painful and cause redness and swelling of the area. When the laser treatment is performed to remove the hair, there is no more shaving or waxing needed. The hair will not grow back, ever, meaning no more shaving in the morning each day.
Laser hair removal isn’t just something for women. Men can have patches of their body be hair free as well. Hate to wake up each morning and shave? The laser hair treatment will take away the facial hair and make you be able to roll out of bed and head to work each day. The process can save you twenty minutes or more each morning since the hair will be permanently gone.
Athletes often opt for laser hair removal too. When time matters in your sport, such as it does for swimmers, bikers, runners and the like, the hair can slow a person down with resistance. Eliminating the hair can eliminate even a few nanoseconds off a person’s time so that they come out on top in a race or during an event. When the hair is gone for good, it can make practice easier. It will also save time every day while you are training, since the hair is gone and you won’t have to go in and get painful wax treatments or take the time to shave often.
There are very little side effects of having the laser treatment performed on yourself. There might be redness, a little warmth and sometimes little pain surrounding the area right after the procedure is performed. However, that is why treatments are scheduled weeks apart so that the skin and the surrounding skin tissues can heal properly. The side effects are usually limited to less than three days after any procedure. If you had more problems than that or if they lasted for more than three days, then contact your professional and see if there is something they can do for you.
So when you have laser hair removal, you can be confident in your appearance all of the time. No more worrying if your bikini line is shaved or if your facial hair is gone before a big presentation. There isn’t any more worry or pain associated with shaving or waxing once you have had the laser removal procedure done. The hair is permanently gone and you won’t ever have to shave again – unless you want to pull out the razor so you can feel nostalgic!
