If you have a difficult time waxing, tweezing or shaving your hair, you should consider removing your hair.
Over the past decade, laser hair removal has become common in the U.S. In most cases, the procedure is done for cosmetic purposes and involves beaming a highly concentrated light into hair follicles, effectively destroying the roots.
If you want to remove unwanted hair on the face, underarm, arm, leg, or other areas, laser removal is a viable option.
Benefits of Hair Removal Using Laser
The removal procedure has a number of benefits against removing hair manually. The benefits include:
a) Reliability: About 90 percent of patients who go for laser treatment experience permanent hair loss after undergoing an average of three to five sessions.
b) Speed: A single laser beam takes a fraction of a second to reach hair follicles and can therefore remove many hairs at the same time. Removal of hair in larger areas such as the arm, legs and back can be done in a few minutes to hours. Smaller areas that require more precision such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute.
c) Accuracy: Laser beams can be accurately directed to target coarse hairs without damaging the surrounding skin. This makes the procedure viable for removing unwanted hairs on areas like the face at low risk.
Preparing for the Laser Procedure
Removing hair through laser is not a simple procedure that anyone can do at home. The procedure requires training and has to be done by a qualified medical professional. There are several risks associated with the procedure and therefore it is advisable to check the credentials of the doctor that will be treating you.
You should limit electrolysis, waxing and plucking a few weeks before you undergoing the procedure. Most medical practitioners recommend not messing with the hair roots six weeks before the procedure is due. The laser beams target the roots and messing with the roots before the procedure can lead to poor results.
Another thing you should avoid is exposing your body to excess sun six weeks before and after the treatment. Excess exposure to sunlight makes it difficult for the procedure to be effective and can even cause complications.
Overview of the Procedure
Before the procedure begins, the doctors or his or her assistant will trim the hairs that will be undergoing treatment to a few millimeters above the skin surface. The laser equipment will then be adjusted based on the location, thickness and color of the hair that will be treated.
Sometimes, you and the doctor will have to wear an appropriate eye protection. This is especially if the laser beam used is of high intensity. The doctor will also apply a special cold gel on the skin or use a special cooling device to make the skin cold in order for the laser light to penetrate the skin.
After the laser procedure is complete, you may be given cold water, anti-inflammatory cream or ice-packs to ease any discomforts.