Get Summer Ready with Laser Hair Removal

Have you become completely OVER the whole method of having to shave every day to ensure that you are “swimsuit ready” at a moment’s notice? Me too! 

Body hair is a concern for all of us. It tends to grow in the most annoying and embarrassing places. Removing it through at-home methods like shaving can be a time-consuming process you may not want to continuously repeat. If you are looking for other options you should explore clinical means for body hair removal.

How Hair Grows and is Removed

The method by which hair grows and the method by which you choose to remove it must both be understood, if you want the best results. First, you must understand that you have more hair than you can see. Each strand extends far down through many skin layers to a follicle, which is a bit like the bulb of a plant. Therefore, if you remove it with a technique like shaving, you will only remove part of each hair. That is why hair removed through shaving techniques comes back so quickly.

Removing Complete Hairs with Light and Laser Therapies

Treatments that can target all of each hair down to the follicle are the best for slowing down the regrowth process. Many such treatments involve the use of light therapy or precision lasers hair-removal machines to target each hair. As the light hits the hair it travels down the shaft to the follicle. By using specific bands of light each hair is weakened.

Intense Pulsed Light Versus Laser Hair Removal

Light-based therapies to remove unwanted body hair tend to fall in two categories. Some are intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments. Others are forms of laser therapy. Lasers also produce heat, which can damage follicles and hair shafts faster than the “cool” light treatment associated with IPL. However, both treatments take time to work.

When Hair Will Fall Out After Treatment

The most important thing you must understand about IPL and laser treatment is that neither one works instantly for hair removal. In fact, results may not occur until you have had multiple treatments. The weakening of each hair occurs over time long after you walk out of the clinic. Therefore, you should not go into an IPL or laser appointment expecting instant hair removal.

Hair Does Not Stay Gone Forever, Usually

Another thing you need to know about clinical treatments for unwanted body hair involving lasers and light pulses is the hair will disappear eventually. It will also return eventually, for the most part. A few follicles may be irreversibly damaged, preventing regrowth. However, most will be damaged just enough to slow the regrowth process down significantly. Therefore, several weeks after the hair disappears it may return.

Benefits of Clinical Hair Removal Treatments

Clinical hair removal treatments have several benefits. One is that the treated hair will take much longer to regrow than it does after at-home treatment. Another is that it is likely to be finer and lighter in color when it does finally return. A third benefit, particularly of laser treatment for body hair, is accuracy. Since the lasers can target every hair in a given area, you will know that none will be missed.

Deciding if You Can Have Light or Laser Treatment for Hair Removal

The decision about whether to have laser hair removal is partially a personal choice. However, you must also be a good candidate for such treatment. If your skin is oily or dark you may have more difficulty undergoing such treatments, and side effects may be more likely. Therefore, you must meet with your clinician to verify your options before scheduling clinical hair removal of any kind.