The Lowdown on Laser Hair Removal

Almost everyone has unwanted hair on their body. Most find it embarrassing that having them compromises their confidence. There are a lot of options out there like shaving, waxing, and epilating. These take considerable time in our daily lives though, that at some point, you might wonder if there’s an easier way. There is, and you may have heard about it—laser hair removal.

Laser hair removal is a state-of-the-art technology that treats unwanted hair in a semi-permanent way. It easily treats almost every part of the body, like the legs, back, face, and most famously, underarms. Also, unlike other methods, it’s relatively painless. Laser hair removal is cost-effective and precise. It may require a bit more investment than other ways like say shaving, but the pay-off is well worth it. Since hair grows back more slowly, it saves you time over years.

According to the University of Utah’s Health Master Esthetician, there is no definitive number of sessions a person. To get the result you want, it’s always better to have yourself checked out at the clinic. The basic though is, at least 12 treatments every 4-6 weeks for full results.

The procedure isn’t too painful, as long as you go to a licensed technician or doctor. There are also other risks like burning, scabbing, scarring, etc. but again, you’ll be safe in experienced hands. They follow strict medical protocol to ensure your safety. Some clinics use a cooling device to help with the stinging.

One thing I learned early on, is that this procedure doesn’t work on white hair. That’s because the laser targets the melanin on your hair. So you need to have some hair color. (Artificial hair color doesn’t go down the roots so that won’t work.) Other hair colors like black, brown, and even red can be worked with.

Years ago, almost all machines can only work on dark hair and light skin. Now, there’s a laser machine called Ng:YAG that allows the laser to penetrate and differentiate the melanin of the skin and hair, making it safe for people with dark skin tone to have laser hair removal.

Also, not all areas are safe to be worked on. Body areas like the eyes can be very dangerous. It’s better to stick to the regular areas like the underarm or the legs.