We all love the feeling of silky smooth legs, but sometimes achieving that result is an absolute hassle. The traditional options of hair removal all have some serious cons—feeling stubble after a few days (sometimes hours) and frequent ingrown hairs from shaving, having to endure the painful ripping of strips for waxing, and smelling the horrible stench from depilatories. In our modern day and age there must be another option, right? Many girls are trying Laser Hair Removal and HC can help you find out if this procedure is for you.
Why Do It?
The main reason to do Laser Hair Removal is because it lightens and thins out hair, eventually stopping all hair growth. Imagine never having to wax or shave again! RN and certified laser technician Leo Dagovich suggests that in order to stop hair growth all together it can take anywhere from “three to eight treatments, [it] depends on hair color, density and the area of the body.” Obviously, areas with more hair growth will take longer. It certainly varies per customer but often on your first visit to the doctor, he can predict how many treatments you’ll need per area. The most common areas to have lasered are underarms, bikini and legs, but of course, many patients opt for other areas as well such as arms, face and back.
How Does it Work?
Laser Hair Removal is unlike waxing or shaving because the laser destroys the actual hair follicle. Dr. Dagovich explains that during the treatment, “the laser goes first and finds blood supply for hair and damages it. Second radio-frequency travels to the same spot and does further damage.” This is why Laser Hair Removal is able to permanently reduce and even stop the growth of hair after multiple visits. When you show up to your appointment you’ll lie back in a chair and throw on a pair of glasses to protect your eyes from the laser. Often doctors will numb the area and then begin the treatment.
Side Effects
Many girls are uncomfortable with Laser Hair Removal. Carnegie Mellon junior Danielle Fisher agrees, saying: “Women with hot wax around scare me enough, I really don’t need to add lasers into the mix.” But despite the “yikes” factor it turn out that the side effects are truly quite minimal. In my experience I suffered from a little redness and soreness after a few treatments. Also, according to Michael M. Papalian MD, light skin and light hair is sometimes problematic [for Laser Hair Removal] because there is not a lot of pigment to absorb the laser energy. In addition, patients with darker skin can have hypo pigmentation (pigment loss) problems as the pigment gets destroyed by the laser energy.” Basically, some discoloration of your skin may occur but Papalian also suggests that this side effect is greatly reduced if the doctor performing the procedure selects the laser system that best matches your skin. When considering Laser Hair Removal determine whether or not the doctor you have selected owns more than one laser to help combat skin pigmentation.
Some Cons to Laser Hair Removal
Just like waxing, you do need to allow time for the hair to grow in between sessions. According Dr. Dagovich, for hair on your face or neck you must wait a month and for hair treatment on the rest of your body you have to wait two to three months before your next session. However, keep in mind you will have significantly less and lighter hair, so often it’s not very noticeable after two months. The other con of Laser Hair Removal is the price. Dr. Dagovich says that the price ranges from $50-$400 per session. Most places offer package deals to help reduce the price. This is effective, as you will most likely want to count on several visits anyway. If you consistently wax, Laser Hair Removal it might even save you money long-term. Of course, shop around to see if you can get a good deal!
My Experience
Ultimately, I am really happy that I decided to try out Laser Hair Removal (I had my underarms done). I am not totally finished with my course of treatment but saw results even after my first visit. The original doctor I went to didn’t use a numbing cream, which was pretty painful, think snapping rubber bands on your skin, but I still kept going back. Pretty much all doctors who perform Laser Hair Removal offer a numbing treatment; I’d suggest taking it!
Is Laser Hair Removal for you?
Research is key! To choose a specialist, I’d recommend the yellow pages over the Internet. Look specifically for doctors who specialize in skin and are board certified. As I mentioned before, owning different types of lasers is important if you have fair or very dark skin. Inquire into this as well; it will minimize your chances for skin discoloration. Finally, if you don’t have the best tolerance for pain, double check that the doctor will provide some sort of numbing treatment! Sources: Leo Dagovich RN, Atherton, California Danielle Fisher, Student at Carnegie Mellon University Michael M. Papalian MD, Atherton, California http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHwihc_0ZwQ/SZJ_yFKnn_I/AAAAAAAAAkk/vt-SEqZJP7…