Want silky smooth, hairless skin? If you’re tired of shaving, waxing and bleaching, it might be time to consider laser hair removal.
This safe and painless procedure provides long-lasting results, which can be permanent in some cases.
Below, we explain how laser hair removal works, who can benefit from it and what to expect during treatment. Read to discover whether this is the right cosmetic solution for you.
What is laser hair removal?
Laser hair removal is a cosmetic treatment that uses a focused beam of light to reduce unwanted hair from the face or body.
It is becoming more and more popular thanks to its safe technology, convenient process and relatively permanent results.
Common treatment areas include the legs, armpits, bikini line and upper lip. However, the procedure can be performed on almost any section of the face, upper body, and lower extremities – except for the eyelids and surrounding area.
How laser hair removal works
Laser hair removal works by emitting a beam of light that passes through your skin and is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in your hair.
It is then converted to intense heat, which damages the hair follicles and in turn prevents future hair growth.
For successful hair removal, the laser must destroy the follicle’s bulb, which supplies your hair with the oxygenated blood it needs to grow. It will also need to eradicate the stem cells that elicit hair regeneration. To achieve both of these outcomes, its heat must reach at least 70°C.
Once a hair follicle has been destroyed, the hair does not usually grow back. However, please note that hairs do not fall out instantly. Instead, they tend to shed gradually over several weeks.
How often do you have to get laser hair removal?
For best results, laser hair removal tends to require between six and ten treatments. This is because hair goes through an active growth phase and a resting phase. When active, the laser will effectively remove the hair but when resting it will be unaffected.
Laser hair removal treatments are usually spaced four to six weeks apart, so as to allow for new hair growth.
However, the number of sessions and interval between them varies from person to person, and the specific area being treated.
In facial and body areas with quick hair growth, for example the upper lip, laser treatment may be advised every four to eight weeks.
On the other hand, areas with slower hair growth, like the back, may only need to be treated every three to four months.
At Laser Skin And Vein, we will prepare a personalised treatment plan tailored to your needs and goals so that you can achieve the desired reduction in hair growth as efficiently as possible.
Preparing for laser hair removal
Before you undergo laser hair removal, please:
- Keep the area you wish to treat out of direct sunlight, and apply a broad-spectrum,SPF50 sunscreen every day.
- Do not take blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs (consult your doctor first to ensure this is okay).
- Avoid other hair removal techniques, like waxing, plucking and electrolysis for at least one month so that the follicles can grow enough to absorb the laser’s beam.
- Shave the target area the day before treatment. This gets rid of hair that can lead to surface skin damage if burned, but keeps the hair intact below the surface intact.
By following the above advice, you can help to reduce facial or body hair as effectively as possible without damaging the surface of your skin.
What to expect during and after laser hair removal
Laser hair removal is a fast, safe and minimally-invasive process.
Before your treatment begins, your technician will ask you to put on special goggles that will protect your eyes from the laser beam. They may also shave the target area once more and apply a topical anesthetic to lessen any pain throughout treatment.
Once ready, the technician will press a hand-held laser device on specific areas of your skin in quick succession. The entire process may take only a couple of minutes for a small section, or over an hour for larger areas.
During the session, you may feel slight discomfort, such as pinpricks, as the laser light is passed over the skin. However, unlike other lasers, the medical grade 4 Mediostar laser that we use here at Laser Skin and Vein has a cooling effect to relieve discomfort and reduce the likelihood of burning.
A feeling of mild heat may persist for an hour after the procedure, and your skin can remain red and tender for a day or two. Often, a mild anti-inflammatory cream or ice application will help to reduce any redness or discomfort.
Following treatment, it is imperative that you wear 50 SPF sun protection over the area every day.
Is laser hair removal permanent?
Laser hair removal can result in permanent hair reduction on the treated area. That said, the efficacy of this procedure is influenced by three key factors.
Phase of hair growth
Laser hair removal only works on hairs in the growth stage (anagen phase). But, importantly, not all hairs develop at the same rate.
For instance, only around 20-40% of our hair is growing at any given moment; the rest are either transitioning or resting.
That’s why we always recommend undergoing a series of treatments scheduled at different times. With this approach, it is possible to remove various hairs as they reach the growth stage.
Hair pigmentation
Only dark hair responds well to laser hair removal, which needs pigment to absorb the light and convert it to heat. Therefore, if your hair is white, grey, blond or light red, this may not be the best treatment for you.
What’s more, the finer and lighter your hair, the more difficult it will be to reduce with laser hair removal, as it has less pigment.
Put simply, the darker and thicker the hair, the more pigment it has. In turn, it can absorb more light and convert it to heat that destroys hair follicles.
If you undergo laser hair removal but the required temperature is not reached, then the follicle won’t be destroyed. Therefore, you run the risk of lighter, finer hairs growing back.
Skin colour
For laser hair removal to be successful, light must be absorbed by the pigment in your hair, but not the pigment in your skin. This is because the laser should destroy the hair follicle without burning the surface of your skin.
However, the melanin in naturally dark or tanned skin can obstruct and absorb the laser’s light, leaving hair follicles undamaged.
That’s why a greater contrast between hair and skin color – more specifically, pale skin with brown or black hair – usually achieves the best outcomes.
Book a consultation for laser hair removal in Adelaide
At Laser Skin and Vein, our trained medical professionals have extensive experience in laser hair removal.
We will use a medical grade 4 laser to successfully remove unwanted hair, so that you can feel more confident when showing skin.
Please call us today to book a consultation for laser hair removal in Adelaide starting from just $25. We also offer package prices for multiple body areas.
