If you squint through your possibly itchy, watery eyes caused by the pollen you’ll see that warm weather is ahead. So that means it’s time to whip out the dresses, shorter sleeves and jam out to the #LemonPepperKickBack playlist.
And if it it’s your thing: time for consistent hair removal. Which means stocking up on razors, wax strips, or bottles of Nair. If you are tired of trying to remove body hair you don’t want on your own, raise your hand.
You are not alone. There are dolls and gents that share the opinion that at-home hair removal, while seemingly convenient, is actually frustrating on a long-term basis. So we thought we’d explore one option that seems to be in every magazine we’ve read lately: laser hair removal.
Hair Today…Gone Tomorrow?
Facts About Laser Hair Removal
The Process
When examining reasons for having laser hair removal you have to first think about how various hair removal techniques work. For example, shaving a hair off doesn’t actually get rid of the hair. What it does instead is chop the hair in half, leaving the lower portion still intact just out of sight. Then like clockwork, you’re back in the shower shaving again, as those little stubble pop back up through your outer layer of skin.
Lasers, on the other hand, treat entire hairs including hair roots, otherwise known as follicles. That is why there are so many laser-machines for sale in the skincare industry today and skincare clinics offer so many laser hair removal options. As the laser light and heat travels down the hair shaft to the follicle the structure of each treated hair is weakened. Eventually the entire hair will come out. It is still likely to regrow, but since it will be starting from scratch that regrowth process will take much longer. Often the regrowth process after hairs treated with lasers fall out can take weeks, leaving you a lot of free time that would otherwise be taken up waiting on wax or veet to come off.
Hair Today…Gone Forever?
Not quite. Feel free to raise your eyebrows and chug your mimosa when that friend of a friend invites herself to brunch and tells you that all of her body hair was gone after one treatment. Laser hair removal isn’t a miracle tool that will instantly and permanently obliterate hairs. Depending on the areas treated, you’ll have to complete multiple sessions before the hairs will initially fall out, but most of them will eventually regrow. Here’s the truth:
- A few follicles may be damaged enough eventually for those hairs not to grow back.
- Hairs that do grow back will often look lighter or finer than the original hairs.
- Hairs removed by lasers will always take far longer to regrow than hairs removed by techniques such as shaving because laser treatments cause entire hairs to fall out instead of removing portions of each hair.
Lasers May Not Be For You, Friend
Though it’s pretty easy to find a laser treatment center, you just won’t be able to walk off the street tomorrow. The laser technicians will tell you everything you need to know before your first appointment, and one of those will be that laser hair removal is more effective for some people than others. You’ll likely undergo a skin assessment to make sure you do not have any conditions which could cause complications, such as acne or psoriasis. During your skin assessment your clinician may also recommend one laser machine type over another based on your skin type.
Post Laser Hair Removal Maintenance Options Are Wide Open
So you may be thinking, once I start this I won’t be able to switch options for maintenance. Wrong! Starting laser hair removal does not permanently lock you into this treatment. You can have more laser treatments, but you can also choose to wax, shave, or use whatever method you like. Therefore, when the unwanted hair eventually returns it will be up to you how you wish to perform your post laser hair removal maintenance. You can make that decision based on the quality and amount of returning hair, as well as your budget and other constraints you may have at the time.
Did you learn something about laser hair removal you didn’t know before? Would you consider laser hair removal? Leave a comment below!
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