Lazer Hair Removal

The way that lazer hair removal works is by producing heat in the hair which then transfers to the hair follicle. Once the heat reaches the hair follicle the heat produced inflammation and sends a signal to the hair follicle to go into the resting phase called (telogen).

Many people worry that the laser hair removal laser is something they see on movie screens, but it is very safe and very different than what most people expect. The laser produces pulses of high energy light that targets melanin pigment which is contained in the hair shaft.

The hardest part about laser hair removal is targeting the hair shaft without damaging the melanin pigment in the surface of the skin. Because of this the laser light has to be long enough to heat the hair follicles, but short enough to not damage the skin. Depending on the darkness of your skin it can be more difficult to avoid injuring the surface of the skin while treating hair. Most doctors have three different lasers that pulsate and work differently to accommodate your natural skin darkness.

Usually a set of 4-6 treatments are given over a period of four to eight week intervals depending on the treatment area. If after the normal 4-6 treatments there is still unwanted hair in the treatment area, subsequent treatments are administered over even longer intervals than the regular four to eight week intervals.

After only one treatment the hair in the treatment area is greatly reduced in the amount of thickness for a very long period of time. It is rare for the first treatment to get rid of all the hair altogether. Maintenance treatments are usually always required which are spaced out in long intervals. As with anything else, the frequency of maintenance treatments can vary considerably from person to person.

Any type of laser procedure does run the risk of scarring your skin; however, the risk of scarring from laser hair removal is very small and can be reduced by;

• The Type of Laser Used
• The Amount of Melanin In Your Skin
• Your Natural Ability to Heal
• The Experience of The Operator

It is very normal to go in for a laser hair removal treatment and notice a temporary pigment change in your skin. Most people see their skin slightly lighten or darken within the treated area. Most of the time this is not scarring that has taken place, even though many people mistake this pigment change for scarring. Pigment changes usually resolve themselves within a period of weeks.

It would be fantastic if just one laser hair removal treatment would get rid of hair once and for all, but this is not how the body works. The average number of sessions to achieve over 80% of permanent hair reduction is about 4-7 sessions.

The reason you need more than just one treatment is because hair grows in cycles. After a laser hair removal treatment, hairs that are cycles to grow will grow because they were not present at the time of treatment. Thats why multiple treatments are the most effective because over time all the hair follicles in your skin will cycle, grow, and then get zapped at the time of treatment. By doing multiple treatments you can make sure that all your hair follicles are subjected to the laser treatment and are made dormant.

 There are many products on the market that mimick the technology that doctors use to permanantly remove hair.  Some of these products are very dangerous and increase the risk of scarring.  We recommend only using certified laser hair removal operators.  These operators will have many different types of lasers that will cater to the natural darkness of your skin to ensure minimal risk of scarring. 

Also, many home laser kits have very weak lasers as to minimize scarring risk but the weak laser makes them extremely innefective.  To achieve the best results go to a professional laser hair removal clinic.