Most people have hairs that grow in unexpected places. Do hair removal lasers work?
We have no choice when it comes to our inherited genes.
Our choice is how we can remove these unwanted hairs for good.
Now you’re probably thinking, “Do hair removal lasers work?”
The short answer is that it does, but perfect no-hair growth treatments will not happen to everybody.
Continue reading, as this article will answer this in more detail.
Reasons for Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is a way to eliminate unwanted hair.
The legs, armpits, upper lip, chin, and bikini line are all familiar places to treat.
But you still cannot remove undesirable hair from the eyelid or surrounding area.
The same goes for skin that has tattoos.
Laser hair removal works best when the hair is the same color as the skin.
The main idea is that the pigment in the hair should absorb the light but not the pigment in the skin.
The laser shouldn’t hurt the skin or anything else but the hair follicle.
The best results come from having dark hair and light skin, which is the opposite of what most people have.
The risk of skin damage is higher when there isn’t much difference between the hair’s color and the skin’s color.
However, improvements in laser technology have made hair removal laser possible for people with darker skin.
Gray, red, blond, and white hair don’t absorb light as well, so laser hair removal doesn’t work as well on them.
But more laser treatments for light-colored hair are still being made.
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About Permanent Hair Removal
Lasers are used to get rid of hair because they kill the hair follicle.
But hair grows in cycles, and lasers can only hurt follicles when hair growth is going on.
So, it would be best if you had a few treatments about a month apart to stop hair from growing back.
Some people can’t get rid of their hair completely with a laser.
To keep stray hairs from growing back, you might need a maintenance treatment every year.
Costs are involved in the process.
Laser hair removal by a professional can cost several hundred dollars per session, and it may take six or more sessions to get rid of every hair follicle.
In the quest for a bald bikini line, you could spend more than $1,000.
For around $400 or $500, you can order a laser hair remover that you can use at home.
At first glance, it seems like a better way to spend your money.
But there are some critical caveats regarding this.
Before and During the Procedure
The dermatologist will clean the area they will work on before the treatment.
Some patients get a gel that numbs the area.
When only a small area of sensitive skin is treated, numbing the area can help.
A gel that numbs pain takes about 30 to 60 minutes to work.
The laser treatment will happen in a room designed specifically for laser treatments.
During the procedure, everyone in the room must wear safety glasses.
The laser is used on the skin when pulled tight during the procedure.
Many patients claim laser pulses feel like rubber bands or heated pinpricks.
A laser removes hair by vaporizing it, creating small clouds of smoke that smell like sulfur.
Treatment time depends on the size of the treated area. It only takes minutes to treat the upper lip.
Your treatment may take longer if it’s an area like your back or legs.
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Do Hair Removal Lasers Work Immediately?
Most of the time, you will see the results immediately after treatment.
The results are different for each person.
The outcomes will vary depending on your hair’s kind, color, and thickness.
The area treated, laser type, and skin color can all affect this.
After the first treatment, you can expect 10% to 25% less hair.
Most people need between 2 and 6 laser treatments to eliminate hair permanently.
After a series of therapies, most people’s absence of hair growth continues for months, sometimes years.
Most people have less hair when it grows back, too.
The strands are also often finer and lighter in color.
Risks
Risks of side effects depend on your skin type, hair color, treatment plan, and how well you take care of yourself before and after treatment.
Most of the time, laser hair removal has the following side effects:
- Damage to the skin. Laser hair removal can cause pain, redness, and swelling for a short time. Usually, signs and symptoms go away within a few hours.
- Pigment changes. Laser hair removal could make the skin darker or lighter. These changes could be short-term or long-term.
People with darker skin and people who don’t stay out of the sun before or after treatment are most likely to have their skin lightened.
- Laser hair removal rarely causes the skin to blister, crust, scar, or change in other ways. Other rare side effects include the treatment making the hair gray or causing too much hair to grow around the treated area, especially in people with darker skin.
Laser hair removal is not suggested for the eyelids, eyebrows, or areas around the eyes, and this is because it could cause severe eye damage.
Frequency of Laser Treatments
The frequency of laser treatments is different for each person.
Laser treatments are often needed to get rid of hair.
Most people can get laser hair removal once every four to six weeks.
Your dermatologist can tell you when laser treatments can be done safely to keep the results.
Pros and Cons of Laser Hair Removal at Home
There are two kinds of hair removal tools you can use at home.
One is an actual laser, while the other uses Intense Pulsed Light (IPL).
Both types get rid of hair, but both are better than the device at a dermatologist’s office.
That’s a good and a bad thing.
These devices are safe for novices at home so that you won’t burn yourself.
Still, follow the directions because it is still a laser.
Small at-home devices make it challenging to cover a lot of ground, like a whole leg.
They may need to be stronger to get rid of all of the hair.
Compatibility With At-Home Lasers
One of the worst things about laser hair removal at home is that the tools only work on a small range of hair and skin colors.
The lasers focus on the pigments in the hair follicle and only work when the skin and hair colors differ significantly, meaning the systems are best for people with dark hair and light skin.
Burns can happen to people with darker skin, but many at-home devices have sensors that stop them from working on darker skin.
Professional laser treatment is your only option if you don’t have naturally light skin and black hair.
At-Home Laser Safety
The devices are usually safe if your hair and skin are the right colors. Even so, learning proper usage is essential.
DO NOT use them:
- Near your eyes, though, the upper lip is excellent.
- Over tattoos or spots that are colored, like moles.
- In the private parts (but you can safely target the bikini line).
When doing the math, remember that devices you use at home may have limited battery life or light cartridges that need to be replaced.
Even if you use them daily, you might always be partially hairless.
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Final Thoughts
Hair removal lasers work, but the dream scenario where no more hair will grow after treatment might only happen to some.
Besides this, the at-home laser is limited and might not be compatible with your skin and hair.
These portable devices won’t be as effective as getting an actual treatment at a clinic.
You will only find out more once your dermatologist has physically examined you.