Unwanted body hair is a problem that many of us face every day and I haven’t yet met a girl who was happy about having extra hair on her arms or legs. Since I was a teenager, I’ve been waxing, shaving, tweezing, using depilatory creams and every other method possible to achieve the dream of silky smooth limbs. The trouble with all these methods is that the hair grows back, within a few days or a couple of weeks at most.
Recently, I started considering the option of permanent hair removal, but I’ve found that most treatment centres that offer laser hair removal are very expensive. I’ve been seeing advertisements about home laser hair removal, but since I didn’t know very much about it, I decided to do some research. Here’s what I found.
What is the Home Laser Hair Removal and How Does it Work?
The equipment for laser treatment has only recently become available to consumers, as there is a variety of health risks associated with incorrect procedures, medical knowledge is required to ensure that these risks are minimized. However, companies have been trying to make these treatments available for people to use in the privacy of their home and they are finally available!
A word of caution before you decide to try home laser hair removal is to speak to a doctor or dermatologist well in advance. A qualified physician would be able to tell you if, based on your skin type and any pre-existing conditions, you can safely use them or not. They will also advise you on the safety precautions that you need to take before attempting this procedure.
How Does it Work?
This treatment is most effective for people with darker hair, as the laser affects pigments of hair with intense heat. This causes the hair to heat up and shrivel, which affects the root of the hair and hair follicle. This is a permanent treatment, but needs more than one session to make sure the hair follicle never produces hair again. You will, however, see slower hair growth after the first session itself.
How Often Do I Need to Do It?
Specialists normally recommend at least 5-6 treatments over a period of 6-9 months. This ensures that the hair follicles do not get a chance to fully recover from the previous treatment, before they are disabled again with the next one. Again, my advice is to consult a dermatologist to understand how many treatments are best for you and how often they should be done.
I’ve Heard it Hurts, Is That True?
The sensation is definitely uncomfortable and some people do find it painful, but it’s not as bad as all the waxing sessions that you may go for in a year! The laser treatment has been described as flashes of heat against your skin, or as a mild burning that lasts a few minutes. The pain decreases with subsequent sessions, as the hair follicle gets thinner with every session.
Now, you know how laser hair removal works for smooth, hair-free skin, let me know if you’ve tried it and what the results were like!
