It’s for sure, by now you must have got tired of shaving, waxing and tweezing body hair over and over. The sight of that black hair coming out the pore irritates you to no extent. But don’t worry, as removal of hair by laser could be a ray of hope for you. This treatment uses a strong, pulsating beam of light - laser light, to do away with unwanted hair. Then, be it face, arms, legs, or any other area, laser hair removal could be an alternative in case you aspire for long-standing results. Regarding the
prices, it may vary from country to country, from practitioner to practitioner, from clinic to clinic, type of laser and more importantly, the area to be treated.
Image: Vancouver Laser & Skincare Centre@flickr
Facts About Laser Hair Removal
- Laser hair removal is a three-step process, where cleaning, shaving and scanning of the area to be treated is done. During scanning, the laser energy is passed through the skin and is further absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle. And the hair follicles are disabled quickly.
- Depending on the area, the hair density and your hair growth cycle you want to have treated, you might need a number of treatments. Generally a person requires 6-8 sittings. In every sitting, about 20% of hair follicle gets permanently disabled.
- The success of laser hair removal depends upon two key factors i.e. hair color and skin type. The treatment is best for people who have got dark hair (brown or black) and light skin. Still, it can be utilized by people of all skin types.
- Laser hair removal doesn’t guarantee to remove hair for life-long. Results may vary from person to person, though it reduces hair counts by 40%-80%.
- The chance of hair regrowth is always there, however, multiple treatments can lengthen the duration of hair loss. You may also require repeat treatments in the future.
- Laser hair removal is generally effective in actively growing hair follicles. The treatments are usually spaced apart so as the hair follicles get time to start growing again.
Risks of Laser Hair Removal
Though laser hair removal is safe, complications are observed at times. Before going for the treatment, consult your doctor and analyze the potential risk factors. Here are given some side effects of laser hair removal that are visible to a certain degree, but are not essential to turn out.
- Bleeding: It happens in rare cases as is the prospect of infection, resultant of treatment.
- Darkening of the Skin (Hyper Pigmentation): Though it is a temporary side effect, it is long lasting or permanent in rare cases.
- Lightening of the Skin (Hypo Pigmentation): It usually becomes the problem with people having darker skin.
- Blistering and Scarring: Though such a problem occurs seldom, laser may scar the skin or form blisters.
- Changes in the Skin Texture: This too, occurs in rare cases.
- Crusting or Scabbing: In case this occurs, it is usually temporary and gets healed quickly.
- Hair Growth Changes: There is a possibility that the new hair growth would be finer and lighter in color.