For most people, particularly women, unwanted body hair can be unsightly. Thus, they resort to plucking their eyebrows and underarms. Many shaved their legs in an attempt to give them a smoother appearance. But shaving can leave tiny red bumps on the skin and ingrown hair. Then they discovered waxing, which could be a painful experience for the first few sessions. But the beauty of waxed legs only lasts for about three days. After that, the hair starts to grow again, and the individual needs to bear with the sight for two to three weeks to allow the hair to grow back long enough for the waxing to be more effective.
Then laser hair removal came into the scene, and the process became an instant hit, allowing men and women to have the procedure, which proved to be cost-efficient, effective, and worth the cost. And the result lasts longer.
Using laser for hair removal
Laser hair removal, according to experts, provides lasting results. The process involves killing the hair follicles to stop hair growth. It takes a few sessions to ensure the success of the treatment. During the treatment, the laser light targets the melanin in the hair, and the light travels to the hair roots, where the melanin converts the light to heat that will reach deeper into the hair follicles. The strength of the laser light the technician uses depends on the skin tone.
Experts recommend laser hair removal machines with alexandrite, YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet), or diode for people with medium to darker skin tones. For example, the LightSheer QUATTRO machine has a diode. It has lasers with longer wavelengths to avoid melanin on the skin and go deeper into the hair follicles.
What to do after the treatment
There could be some minor side effects after a laser hair removal session. To prevent these side effects from occurring, ensure that you shield yourself from the sun. Avoid direct exposure of the treated part to the sun’s rays. Moreover, avoid using a tanning lamp or tanning bed. Follow the after-care instructions the dermatologist will give you. However, expect some swelling and redness on the treated area, which will go away in a few hours.
Is laser hair removal treatment permanent?
After two to six treatments, the treatment will remove about 90 percent of your body hair. Depending on your genetic makeup, you can be hair free for several months or years. However, you will still see some of the hairs growing back, although these would be finer and lighter. Therefore, you can have maintenance laser hair treatment later.
But a single hair treatment procedure consists of several sessions. Therefore, depending on the speed of hair growth, the dermatologist can schedule each session two or four weeks apart. Moreover, the hair removal location also affects the number of sessions and the gap in between. Thus, the complete treatment package could cover two to six sessions.
You know now that the result of a laser hair removal treatment can last up to two years. Ensure that the treatment is successful and safe by having a board-certified dermatologist perform the procedure.
