Laser Hair Removal and How does Laser Hair Removal work??

About Laser Hair Removal

1. Laser hair removal is a series of treatments for long-term hair removal. People wanting lasting results choose laser treatments to avoid shaving, waxing and epilation. A laser is used on unwanted body or facial hair to heat the hair follicle at its base, destroying the hair and preventing regrowth. Laser hair removal can keep an area free of hair for extended periods of time and sometimes permanent results are achieved.

   Laser Treatment Candidates

2. Candidates for laser hair removal will meet with a doctor to discuss how well laser treatments will work on their hair and skin type. The consultation will include risks and benefits including lightening of skin if you are darker skinned and darkening of the skin for lighter skinned people. It's recommended to let a tan fade before laser treatments are administered.

   Before Laser Treatment

3. Before a laser treatment starts, a technician makes sure that there are no lotions, cosmetics or creams on the area to be treated. Chemicals can hinder the hair removal process and in some cases cause adverse reactions in the patient.

   Laser Treament Process

4. A gel is applied to the area to be treated. This gel works as a conductor for the laser and helps keep the skin cool during the procedure. A technician will use a hand-held laser tool on an area to remove the hair. The procedure can cause discomfort in some individuals. Discomfort is usually slight and fades quickly.

   How Laser Hair Removal Works

5. The light from the laser goes into the shaft of the hair destroying the hair at its root, effectively stopping or reducing hair growth in a given area. Lasers are set to target pigmentation; therefore laser hair removal is usually more effective on darker hair. Because of this pigmentation targeting, laser hair removal treatments were often avoided by people with darker skin. New laser technology has made laser hair removal safer and more effective for people with more varied skin tones and hair colors.

   After Laser Hair Removal

6. Laser technicians will advise multiple sessions to ensure long lasting results. Hair growth is cyclical in that all the hair in a given area does not grow or show up at the same time. Repeated sessions over the course of several months to a year are recommended to keep an area hair-free. Anywhere from 3 to 8 sessions are usually needed over the course of a hair removal treatment.

How does high-tech hair removal work? There are a couple options, both of which rely on heated lights: Laser beam or intense pulsed light (IPL). Lasers are focused beams, whereas IPL uses interspersed flashes. While one visit will result in a lot of hair removal, it takes about 5 visits each one month apart to kill as much as 70% of the hair. Hair grows in cycles so you want to make sure you get as much of it as possible.

Is everyone a good candidate? Lasers work best on people with pale skin and dark hair (like me!), but these days there are even options for women with dark skin and light hair. Keep in mind dark skin may require 2-3 more sessions.

Are the results guaranteed? It's impossible to predict how successful lasers will work on everyone. Results depend on the quality of the laser, the type of hair you have and the number of procedures you have done. Never trust a company that guarantees hair removal. I suggest you try to a consultation in person before you sign up.

How much does it cost? Depends. Laser hair removal isn't cheap (about $200-$500 a session depending on where you live and the areas being treated. Again, it takes about 6 sessions to get rid of 70% of hair permanently. Touch-ups are always an option at about $100-$150 a session.

Preparation for Your First Treatment
Before you will be considered for the procedure, you must consult a surgeon and see if they think the procedure will work on you. Then if you are accepted photographs will be taken from different angles on the area to be treated.
Don’t use hair treatment products such as gels and waxes three weeks before you go in for treatment or you will have to wait even longer. Those products can interfere with the procedure

How Laser Hair Removal Works

A cosmetic surgeon will first apply an anesthetic cream to the area he will be working with. When the cream starts working the surgeon will place a laser device against your skin as well as an additional cooling device that keeps the rest of skin cooled. Depending on the area the surgeon will be working on you may be asked to wear goggles. One treatment can take anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours depending on what area you are having treated at that time.

Tips For After The Procedure

Avoid direct sunlight after your procedure so you don’t damage the skin and also don’t touch the affected area. Besides following these two simple rules, your life can return to normal. Laser hair removal should not effect your day to day routine at all.

Laser Hair Removal Downsides

Most people who go through with laser hair removal never experience any problems but as with every cosmetic or medical procedure there are risks. These can include incomplete removal of the hair but that can usually be solved with more treatments. The worst side effect that can occur is hyper pigmentation or darkening of the skin. Usually this is temporary but in some rare cases can be permanent. Hypo pigmentation could also occur which is where the skin actually becomes lighter in color.
Even though these risks exist many many people still go through the procedure and its popularity is still growing. If you’re looking for the solution to your unwanted hair there really is only one long lasting option: laser hair removal.