What is Laser Hair Removal and What Are the Benefits of It?

Laser hair removal treatments remove unwanted hair from the treatment area using laser light energy technology. You can find out more about that here. I am not qualified to explain the science behind it nor the side effects, I can only speak to having had a LOT of laser hair removal treatments. The benefits of laser hair removal include permanent hair removal, minimal discomfort (like a rubber band snapping), fast treatment times, and cost-effectiveness compared to other hair removal methods like waxing. However, there are some potential risks associated with this procedure that should be considered before undergoing it. Many years after my first treatment, there is hair free skin in most of the treated area.

How Does Laser Hair Removal Work and What are the Different Techniques Used?

It works by using a laser light to target the melanin in the hair follicles, which causes them to be destroyed. This results in permanent hair reduction or elimination in the treated area.. Laser hair removal works by using light to heat the melanin in the hair follicles, causing damage to them and making them fall out. The different techniques for this type of laser treatment are: diode lasers, intense pulsed light therapy (IPL), alexandrite lasers, and fractional laser resurfacing Diodes (a type of laser) create a beam of intense radiation that is focused on one point with high precision. Another advantage of this technique is that it uses very little energy compared to other types of light therapy. During your initial consultation, your provider will identify the laser that will give the best results for your skin color, the amount of time between sessions, the number of treatments, if you are a good candidate, and maintenance treatments. Oh yes, there will be follow up treatments.

I think that it is important to understand how many sessions of laser hair removal that you might need for permanent results. After your series of treatments, depending on your hair type, you may need another whole round of treatments. Depending on the area being treated, the number of treatments can vary, but generally speaking, it takes an average of 6-8 sessions to achieve permanent results. Additionally, the number of treatments can also be affected by factors such as skin type, hair color and texture, and body area being treated. For me, I needed almost 16 sessions for my underarms. I now go yearly for optimal results on my unwanted hair growth. As it starts to grow out, there are so few I normally just pluck them with tweezers.

Old post about my wimpy self getting laser removal...with video.

How to prepare for your laser hair treatments...

The most important piece of your preparation (and the first step in laser therapy) is to keep the areas on the body that are receiving the next treatment out of direct sunlight. Sun exposure for two weeks before the laser session will cause your provider to reschedule. Another dumb move on my part? Sunless tanner exposure. That also can't be used for two weeks prior to the initial treatments. I actually have gone to the clinic, found parking (and a babysitter), only to be turned away. It was totally my fault, but an awful waste of time. It is also important to note which medications, and supplements that you use. Some of them cause sensitivity to light (even one time a muscle relaxer), and will force your provider to reschedule. The final piece of getting prepared for your laser treatments is to shave the target area. You need to have totally hair free skin. If there are any hairs on the body parts in your treatment plan area of the body, the laser will not target the follicle. It is essentially a wasted session. There are lots of options to remove the hair, but my clinicians have always said just shave, as it leads to less skin irritation in the long run. So if you are counting my mistakes, that is three separate times that I have gotten a sitter, gotten all the way into the chair, and had to leave because I wasn't appropriately prepared. LOL. Learn from my mistakes!

My favorite lasers

If you want to know more about what lasers feel like please read my article about laser hair removal for wimps. I totally am one. My favorite type of laser technology is the pain free laser. Yes, they exist, and I have used them. Its awesome. Really the pain isn't that big of a deal. The other part of the discussion is that you absolutely should check Groupon. Here is a link to local hair removal deals. The last package that I purchased was from Laseraway (which is very reputable nationally) on Groupon and it was like 75% off. I am currently treating my bikini area, and I am so excited to not have ingrown hairs anymore!

Here is what I am so super excited about...for Christmas my hubby got me an at home system. While the laser isn't as powerful as the ones used by a trained professional, I have noticed a significant decrease after three weeks of use.  I even waited a week for one armpit to compare the results week to week.  It was so surprising! Here is a link to the one I have. No, it isn't cheap, but its the same cost as one removal package on sale...