People spend a lot of time trying to remove hair from their bodies. We want smooth, silky skin that isn’t interrupted by hair or stubble. We want smooth underarms, legs, and eyebrows with nice shapes. Many people want to remove the hair from their arms and chests. Each day we spend time shaving, tweezing, plucking, and waxing to remove these unwanted hairs. For some people this just isn’t effective enough. Luckily there are other options that far exceed what daily grooming is capable of in terms of hair removal. One of these is called laser hair removal. This procedure can remove hair much more thoroughly and for longer periods of time than traditional shaving or waxing. Laser hair removal in New Jersey has become extremely popular with both men and women who want to remove their excess body hair in an efficient manner.
Laser Hair Removal vs. Traditional Methods
Many people are turning to laser hair removal over traditional shaving and waxing for several reasons. One of the main reasons is that laser hair removal is very fast. Each time the laser pulses, it will be treating many different hairs, often about the size of a quarter per pulse. This means that an upper lip treatment for example would take less that a minute. Even larger areas such as the back can be done in under an hour typically. Laser hair removal is also very effective at permanent hair removal. After 3-5 visits 90% of patients will experience permanent hair loss in the treated areas. This means no more treatments will be necessary! Laser hair treatments are also very accurate and can focus on removing the hairs, not on damaging the skin. This makes the procedure very safe.
How Does it Work?
The process of laser hair removal is extremely simple. A technician will use a highly concentrated light to blast the hairs. The hairs will then absorb the light through the pigment in the follicles, which will in turn destroy them. After a few treatments the hairs will usually not grow back.
Preparation
It’s important to understand that while this procedure is extremely simple, it is a medical procedure and there are risks associated with it. You will want to seek out a qualified professional with all of the necessary training and licenses. This will help to reduce the risk of complications with the procedure. In the weeks before having the treatment done it’s important to limit waxing the hairs. This is because waxing and plucking temporarily removes the root of the hair, which is the part of the hair that laser hair removal targets. Plucking or waxing before a laser hair procedure may make the procedure much less effective. It’s also important to avoid sun exposure for a few weeks both before and after the procedure. Excessive sun exposure before the procedure may make it less effective and exposure afterward may damage the skin.
During the Procedure
When you go in for your procedure there are a few things that you can expect. First, the technician will shave your hair down to a few millimeters in length. This will allow the laser to get to the root of the hair. He or she will then calibrate the laser to the color and texture of your hair to make it more effective. You may be required to wear eye protection; depending on what type of laser is being used and what area it will be working on. In addition to eye protection the technician will probably put a cooling gel on your skin to help protect it from damage from the laser.
Once the procedure is done some patients will need anti-inflammatory or gels to soothe the skin. For others cold water may suffice. There may be some irritation around the areas where hair was removed. Patients may schedule their next visit 4-6 weeks later and will keep repeating this process until the hair stops growing back.
Risks of Laser Hair Removal
For the weeks following your laser hair removal procedure the hair that was treated will fall out. This is normal and nothing to worry about. The skin will most likely feel like it has been sunburned for a couple of days after the procedure and cooling creams or gels may be used to help this. Occasionally there might be blistering associated with this procedure if the skin is very sensitive or gets over exposed. These are more common in people with darker complexions. Other side effects for laser hair removal include swelling, redness, and scarring. Permanent skin damage and scarring is extremely rare with this procedure, especially when done by a qualified professional. As the hair falls out in the weeks following treatment, it’s important to wear sunscreen so that you don’t develop an uneven tan in the areas that are not covered with hair any more.
