Laser hair removal is the process of removing unwanted hair from the leg, underarm, bikini line, arm, face, and other areas by beaming highly concentrated light to destroy the hair follicles. Laser energy of varying wavelengths is used to remove hair. The four most commonly used lasers are Alexandrite, Ruby, Pulsed diode array and Nd:YAG. The process involves emitting a particular wavelength of light at a certain pulse duration targeted at melanin (the pigment that gives the hair its color) and/or at the hair bulb (which is the follicle growth center). The ideal candidates for this process are the ones with hair that’s darker than their skin color. Dark hair (brown or black in color) and light skin produce the optimal results and are considered an ideal combination for laser hair removal. Hair and skin color that are too similar often confuse some lasers but with new lasers and modern technology, it has now become possible to remove black hair in case of patients with dark skin. Laser hair removal works on hair that’s in an actively growing phase (not the ones in dormant or rest phase) because it contains adequate pigment to absorb sufficient energy that would destroy the hair follicle. It usually takes 4-6 treatments to treat an area effectively with laser. Some parts of your body (like the bikini line) will show more rapid results while some others (like the face) will take a longer time. Depending on the area of treatment, patients are asked to return every 4-6 weeks to treat new active growth. If you need more reasons to opt for this treatment, here are some of the key ones.
Amazing Benefits of Laser Hair Removal
- Most Effective
Laser hair removal helps in permanent reduction of body hair. It’s the most effective process compared to shaving, waxing and tweezing because:
- It involves minimum disruption of the surface of your skin and is relatively safe.
- It takes much less time. For removing hair from the armpits and face, it takes just 15 minutes while other parts of the body may take at most an hour.
- Since no sticky residue is left behind after the process, it doesn’t need you to wait further after the treatment is over.
- It involves less pain – something like a slight pinch or snapping of a warm rubber band.
- Rather than continue spending time and money on removing hair, you just need 5-6 sitting every 4 to 6 weeks to experience a significant reduction in the growth of body hair.
- For Men (Only) too
Previously men weren’t much bothered about hair growing on their neck, back and chest but with a growing emphasis on grooming, they too now want to get rid of hair in these and some other regions. With laser hair removal, they can now get rid of such unwanted hair easily, quickly and efficiently, sometimes within their lunchtime breaks. So, forget changing robes, applying numbing creams and then spending a lot of time for removing those bushy growths as new laser technology has brought a whole new solution for men wishing to remove body hair painlessly and efficiently.
- Precision
When you want to remove unwanted hair without damaging the surrounding skin, laser hair removal is your best bet. By targeting dark, coarse hair with precision that affect just the hair follicle you want to disable, lasers leave the skin around the targeted area untouched, unlike shaving, tweezing or waxing that often irritate the surrounding skin or may even leave ugly red bumps.
- Speed
- Within a fraction of a second, every laser pulse can treat several hairs simultaneously.
- A laser can target skin area that’s almost the size of a quarter within a mere second.
- Treating smaller areas like the upper lip will take only a few minutes, while larger areas (say, the legs or back) may take an hour, which too is much faster than other hair removal methods.
- Predictability
Hair grows in cycles and at any point of time, some hairs are in their resting phase. So, patients have to return every 4-6 weeks to treat new hair growth since lasers are effective only on actively growing hair. Thus, most patients experience permanent hair loss after undergoing 3 to 7 sessions. In most cases, laser hair removal promises predictable and permanent results.
- No More Ingrown Hairs
When you wax or shave, you are most likely to break some hairs disproportionately with a sharp tip, which in turn can cause ingrown hairs. But with lasers, you don’t have this risk. After laser hair removal, your hair tends to undergo a texture change to grow back finer and sparser, which further reduces the chances of being troubled by ingrown hairs.
- No More Nicks & Cuts
Nicks and cuts are common while shaving and tweezing. Apart from the pain, they may also cause bizarre looking bumps on your skin. With the precision of laser hair removal that involves an efficient, clean process and doesn’t have any messes or stickiness associated with it, you can now forget about suffering any more of these cuts and nicks.
- Spent less time on grooming
Usually, you have to return every 4-6 weeks for your laser removal treatment and in between these visits, you will notice less, sparser and slower hair growth. So, unlike shaving, waxing or tweezing that you have to do frequently, not to mention investing a lot on shaving creams as well as waxing/tweezing/shaving products, you can now spend less time (and even lesser money in total) on grooming!
- Freedom to wear latest swimsuits & lingerie styles
If you have a hairy body or hairs on your armpits, bikini line etc, flaunting the latest in beach fashion or swimwear would be an embarrassing proposition. A solution to this problem is offered by fast, safe and effective laser removal treatment, which would help you get rid of unwanted body hair and feel free to sport the latest and fashionable swimsuits as well as lingerie styles with confidence.
- Flawless, Effortless Skin
- Shaving, waxing and tweezing often leave stubbles, nicks and cuts, ugly red marks on your skin and may even cause pain and irritation in the skin.
- Ingrown hairs are another problem of such procedures.
- With laser, you can get hair-free, flawless skin almost effortlessly with lesser time required for its upkeep.
- You won’t even have to worry about removing hair from those body parts that are hard to reach since lasers can precisely target the areas that you need to get hair-free.
Conclusion
Both men and women have become conscious to how they look and want to flaunt a body that’s free of unwanted hair. While men usually opt for this process to get unwanted hair from their chest and back removed, women are known to leverage it for removing hair from their bikini lines, armpits, legs, arms etc. Pubic hair removal too is fast becoming a trend, especially among women, since they believe it would benefit their sex life and help in maintaining pubic hygiene by making their most sensitive region feel fresher, cleaner and smoother. Unlike painful, temporary methods that cost a lot in the long run, laser hair removal offers a more viable, safe, easy, fast and effective result with several benefits as mentioned above, all of which make it the most loved and preferred choice when it comes to getting rid of unwanted body hair in the most efficient manner.
About the Author Sophie Moran
Sophie Moran, a beauty Diva, writer by passion and adventure wanderer to the core. She loves to carve out a beauty not just physically but right from your soul. She is a Beauty & Skin Care Expert, work as a content strategist at Advanced Laser & Aesthetics Inc.