For a person with unwanted hair, daily living becomes a series of events focused around that hair. Trips outside the home
are met with painstaking attempts to cover the unwanted hair. Outing with friends and family are preceded by explanations not to draw attention to the hair. Life is forever altered until a hair removal method with aesthetic producing results is found. Here is where laser hair removal comes into play.
With laser hair removal, a highly concentrated beam of light passes over a hair follicle long enough to do permanent damage. This is accomplished through pulses of light reaching the base of the hair follicle and closing it off to future growth. All of this takes place in a fraction of a second. This allows for laser hair removal to cover more than just one hair follicle in a single treatment. An essential component of the laser removal method is the cooling agent. Before, during and after each light pulse, a cooling agent is delivered to the hair follicle. This prevents the skin from becoming burned by the concentrated light beam.
The key part of the laser hair removal method being successful is what stage of hair growth a follicle is in. If the follicle
is in an active growth stage, then initial treatment by laser will be the most effective. If not, then several applications are needed to ensure the desired end result is achieved. Each laser treatment session can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more. The time period involved depends on the type of hair being removed and how much hair is being removed.
The benefits of laser hair removal is that the procedure is non invasive. No damage is done to the skin and tissue surrounding the selected hair follicle. There is no need for the involvement of needles or chemical creams to be applied. The treatment contains the potential to destroy a vast amount of hair in one sitting. Therefore, large areas such as a person’s back and shoulders can be treated at one time. It is considered to be one of the more gentle ways to effectively remove unwanted hair.
The amount of pain involved in the treatment varies based on an individual’s pain tolerance levels. Some have remarked that the initial feeling of the light beam pulsing against the skin is similar to popping a rubber band against the skin. Others have found that different parts of the body treated brought different pain results. For instance, the lower thigh may emit more painful feelings than the upper arm. Natural alternatives to pain include hypnosis and the use of acupuncture treatments. Breathing techniques with Lavender aromatherapy can also be utilized. The Lavender aromatherapy will help with the release of tension and anxiety often felt during laser removal treatments.
In an ideal world, every skin and hair color would be acceptable for laser hair removal treatment. However, this is simply not the case. A person with dark pigmentation to the skin is not an ideal candidate for treatment. This type of skin pigmentation absorbs too much of the laser energy and not enough is left for effective treatment. Likewise, a tan person with light hair is not an ideal candidate. A tan person with dark hair can be considered for treatment several days after the tan has begun to fade. An ideal candidate for laser treatment is a person with hair color that is darker than skin pigmentation.
There are minimal side effects encountered with laser hair removal treatment. Typically a person can expect to resume normal life activities within a 24 hour period following treatment. A small percentage of treatments will result in mild amounts of swelling and redness appearing around the treated hair follicles area. Even so, these symptoms normally dissipate within the first 24 hours following treatment. Rare side effects include blisters or burning at the hair follicle base. These would appear in patients with dark skin, if appearing at all.
The end results of laser treatments vary from person to person. This is in direct relation to the inability to correctly calculate the rate at which hair re grows. Some individuals find that there is never a subsequent need to pick up a razor and shave again. At the same time, others have found the need to seek out hair removal treatments once again after only several months. Average experience has demonstrated that the typical laser hair removal treatment results in approximately 70% to 80% less hair re growth. This is achieved by completing the typical recommendation of four to six laser treatment sessions.
Laser hair removal treatments are not perfect. The treatments are not for everyone. It is an option to consider if unwanted hair plagues a person’s life and becomes all the person thinks about. For this person, the issue is less about utilizing a removal treatment and more about restoring what has been lost. The unwanted hair will have a direct impact on a person’s self esteem and overall well being. Therefore, this type of treatment method is essential in restoring on the inside what the treatment takes away on the outside.
