What You Need to Know About Laser Treatment to Reduce Hair
Given the expensive pricetag of laser hair removal, it’s important to go into it with all the facts. Here’s what you need to know about laser treatment to reduce hair.
Is it Right for Everyone?
No. The lasers and pulsed lights involved are best for people with lighter skin and darker hair. Devices have been created that work with lighter hair and darker skin, but the results vary. Lasers can discolor dark and tanned skin if you don’t use lasers designed for them.
The good news is advancements are being made all the time. Describe the tone of your skin and color of your hair when making the appointment and ask whether the clinic has the right equipment for your needs.
How Laser Removal Treatment Works
Lasers target and break down the melanin in hair. That’s why it only can work with dark hair. Lasers also target melanin in dark skin and may cause discoloration. Hair has three growth phases: growth, rest, and shedding. Lasers target hair during the initial growth phase.
How Long Does it Take to Work?
It takes between 10 and 14 days for the hair to fall out. The process can be helped along by using a mild sugar scrub on the tenth day to exfoliate skin and remove hair.
What Areas are Treated?
Lasers target many follicles in one treatment, meaning large areas of skin can be treated at once. While it could take years to treat the back and legs with electrolysis, it takes a few hours to do so with laser hair removal. Lasers only work with dark hair on the lip and chin areas. Ensure blonde hairs are removed through permanent hair removal with electrolysis.
How Long do Laser Treatments to Reduce Hair Take?
A seventy to eighty percent reduction in hair growth takes between four and six treatments. Have the treatment done once a year for a few years to get the best results.
Are Results Guaranteed?
No, they aren’t. Some people respond better to laser hair removal than others. No one knows just what the regrowth rates are. It takes a few months or years for some people to regrow hair, while others may find they no longer need to shave at all. On average, patients see seventy to eighty percent hair growth reduction from a full four to six month treatment course.
How to Prepare
After determining the kind of laser treatment you need, you’ll have to shave beforehand. Double-check with the person performing the treatment to make sure how to prepare.
Is it Painful?
Laser hair removal involves pulsed lights that feel like rubber bands popping against skin, but some machines work differently. You won’t feel every zap, and some areas are more sensitive and, therefore, hurt more than others.
How Much it Costs
It’s not cheap to undergo laser treatment to reduce hair. How much it costs depends on the level of treatment, but it costs anywhere between $200 and $2,000.
Summary
Laser hair removal treatment is effective, but it works best on dark hair and light skin. Do a little research and find a high quality salon to make sure the job is done right the first time around.
