What you need to know before Laser Hair Removal

For decades women have been forced to use temporary hair removal techniques, such as shaving and waxing. These techniques can be very uncomfortable and painful, especially for women whose excessive hair growth is caused by a medical condition. What more, using them can result in even more excessive hair growing even if you don’t suffer from a medical condition.

Aside from waxing and shaving several alternatives have been introduced over the years, such as epilating, threading, using depilatory creams. All of these techniques gave similar effects to waxing and shaving until the Laser hair removal technique was introduced. It is based on exposing the skin to laser light, which heats the hair follicles, destroying them, preventing the new hair from growing.

According to SeaMist Spa, this procedure causes minimal discomfort and significantly decreases the chances of further complications that can be caused by other hair removal techniques.

Then what is good to know before Laser Hair Removal?

Before deciding you want to undergo the procedure of Laser hair removal, you should double-check if you might have some medical condition causing excessive hair growth. Some research says there are two main classifications of excessive body hair growth:

• Hypertrichosis – growing additional hair in normal and abnormal areas, mainly caused by hormonal dysfunction, malnutrition, medications.
• Hirsutism – mostly appearing in women, manifested with the male hair growth pattern (mustaches, beard, hair in lower belly parts). Also caused by hormonal dysfunction, genetics, medications, or malnutrition.

In case you suffer from one of these two, you should consider treating them before or parallel to the laser hair removal procedure. Excessive hair growth is after all only a consequence. This way you will treat both cause and consequence.

According to Ô Spa Boutique, laser hair removal is not permanent. It is rather a long-lasting hair removal. Since the technique works by destroying hair follicles, you need to have a continuity of a couple of treatments, for all of them to be destroyed. So, be prepared to go to at least three treatments and expect approximately 25% of your hair to be gone after each treatment. Doesn’t sound bad, does it?

It can happen that even after a couple of months your hair continues to grow in certain areas. This can be caused by several factors. Sometimes when destroying a hair follicle, it can happen that it only gets damaged, not destroyed. In this case, the hair will regrow.The skill of the person performing the laser hair removal is also one of the factors causing regrowth. Before you choose where to get the treatment, collect as many experiences as possible to be sure the personnel is skillful. Anyhow, even if the hair does grow again, the quality of it will for sure be less, it will become lighter and easier to remove with other techniques.

If it’s not permanent, how long does it last? The fact is, no one can give you a concrete timeframe. It entirely depends on your hair growth cycle. It also depends on the area. Some will experience hair to regrow after a couple of months, then undergo another removal. People’s experience in laser hair removal also showed that the removal is easier if the hair is darker and stronger, and if the skin is lighter.

Is it painful? Comparing to other hair removing techniques, no. But this is also a very individual thing because different people experience pain differently. Removing hair with laser light can cause skin burning, but today’s modern lasers have cooling devices to prevent burning and make you feel more comfortable during the procedure.

Are there any side-effects? Even though they are very rare; side-effects can occur depending on the type and condition of the skin. One or two days after the treatment your skin can slightly feel like it was sunburnt. Prior to the procedure, your skin will be treated with ointment or cream for preventing burns. But if this occurs you can try to cool it with aloe gel or something else professionals doing the treatment suggested. Applying sunscreen can also protect your skin if you cannot avoid sun exposure completely. The best choice of anyhow is to avoid sun exposure.

Blisters can show right after the procedure but are usually gone after two or three days. Do your best to avoid make-up, if this happens.

Temporary redness or changes in the color of the skin can occur.

Like already mentioned, side-effects are very, very rare. In case they do the show, make sure you do not scratch your irritated skin, or remove the crusting of the skin because you are then more exposed to the possibility of infection.

How to prepare for the procedure and what to expect? First and foremost, chose the technician who’s performing your procedure and make sure he/she has credentials. Ask around for other people’s experiences of the procedure with that particular technician/doctor. Do your best to avoid using techniques that remove your hair follicle, such as waxing. This can complicate the success of laser hair removal because waxing removes the hair with the root. Shaving is a better option because the follicles are kept under the skin. Some also suggest that you reduce sun exposure a couple of weeks before the procedure.

The duration of the procedure depends on the area you are removing hair from. The approximate time for removing facial hair is thirty minutes. This time also includes preparation, such as removing make-up. The number of treatments also varies. Most definitely, you will be undergoing treatment until your hair stops growing in that area. The time between the two treatments can be four to six weeks.

How much money you will spend on laser hair removal depends on many factors, mostly referring to the area you wish to remove hair from, how many treatments you will be undergoing, and of course, the technician performing it. The average price goes between 290 and 300 USD per session.

Although permanent hair removal is still a dream many women hope to become true soon, laser hair removal is an excellent alternative. Not having to spend so much time on shaving, waxing, epilating is truly worth it.