Laser Hair Removal — For Flawless Skin

Zap Unwanted Hair Away with Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal at Home

With laser hair removal, you can now have flawless skin that’s free of unwanted hair without going through the fuss of shaving or waxing every few days or weeks. More and more people are opting for laser hair removal treatments and laser hair clinics are becoming more popular. A few sessions can rid you of unwanted hair for over 6 months or even permanently.

If you have tried laser hair removal before and would like further treatments but if you find going back to the clinic costly, there are home options available. Perhaps you’d like to try laser treatment but you’re uncomfortable exposing the body parts that you want to be treated. In this case, home laser hair removal is a great option. There are many home options available and Intense Pulsed Light hair removal is one of them.

What is Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal?

This procedure, also called IPL, virtually employs the same method as laser hair removal but is milder. Light hits the hair shaft and root and targets the pigment called melanin. As the hair absorbs light, it converts it to heat energy. The growth cycle of the hair is disrupted and stops growing.

What are the advantages of using IPL?

It is faster and cheaper than laser hair removal.
It only operates with the wavelengths that are optimum for the destruction of hair follicles but aren’t damaging to the skin. This way, you work at greater energies than laser hair removal but minus the risks of blisters, burns, and UV damage.
The packets of light from the IPL wand are short in duration. Thus, you only feel minimal discomfort during the procedure.

What’s the best product for the job?

The Remington I-Light Pro is a popular options for those looking for a home IPL device. As the equipment targets melanin, it works best with black and dark brown hair and fair skin. After an initial patch test, perform the first 3 sessions every two weeks. Our body hairs have different growth patterns and since this technology works on growing hair, the regular sessions early on are important to target all hairs.

The side effects of any IPL hair removal home devices can include temporary burns and skin discoloration, but the risk of these can be avoided by following the instructions carefully and ensuring the treatment is suitable for your skin type before you begin.

Laser Hair Removal for Men

Laser Hair Removal

It may come as surprising news for some but according to recent surveys conducted, it is has been found that 70% of men have removed unwanted body hair in the last year! The pubic region is the most common, followed by chest hair, underarm hair and back hair. Laser hair removal for men is quickly gaining popularity as men look for longer term hair removal solutions. That’s right, folks, gone are the days when men considered such things as too feminine. The modern man has realized that his excessive body hair can be more of a turn off than a turn on.

The increasing popularity of male laser hair removal can also be attributed to the relative ease through which the procedure is carried out. As opposed to other methods, laser hair removal for men is the quickest and most importantly, longest lasting procedure around. Waxing your unwanted hair can be a very painful procedure (haven’t you seen the movie the 40 year old virgin?) and plus the hair tends to grow back in less than month and there is the risk for ingrown hairs. Daily shaving just isn’t efficient and then there’s electrolysis but ask yourself honestly would you be comfortable with dozens of hairs being plucked out simultaneously? No, right? And to cap it all off, the procedure can take ages as it only works a small area at a time. Removing your back hair sometimes requires as much as 50 hours of electrolysis. Who has the time for that?

Male laser hair removal is not only restricted to chest and back hair. Most unwanted hair can be treated with laser hair removal. Facial hair is usually an exception as you don’t want the laser working to close to the eyes. Laser hair removal removes such unwanted hair effectively, is often permanent and is not as painful as you might think. The pain of a laser has been compared to a rubber band snapping against the skin.

Laser hair removal methods make use of high intensity beams of light to destroy the hair follicle. This may not be easily achieved in one sitting and you will have to have at least 6-8 sessions to permanently remove your unwanted hair. Keep in mind though that this process may not be ideal for everyone and it is recommended that you first consult a dermatologist before you decide to get your unwanted hair removed (especially facial hair). Why? Well because the procedure may not be ideal for all skin tones and hair colors or for people taking certain medications.

But there’s no reason to worry just yet, these things don’t necessarily mean that you cannot have laser hair removal but some precautions will need to be taken and a different type of laser may need to be used. There’s no better way of removing your chest and back hair than to have them removed by laser if you want long lasting results.

If you’d like laser hair removal treatment but would prefer it in the privacy of your own home, at home laser hair removal might be an option for you. Home laser hair removal can still carry the same side effects so be sure to do your research before you buy an at home laser hair removal machine.

Laser Hair Removal for Dark African-American Skin

Laser Hair Removal

Many of us are tired and frustrated with unwanted hair growth and the temporary solutions to deal with it. And why shouldn’t we be? Anyone having to undergo sticky painful procedures of waxing or the bother of shaving every few days would probably agree that it’s a hassle. Most of us would love to have the perfect solution to permanently prevent unwanted hair growth and laser hair removal might seem like the most ideal solution. Although this system can be a little painful and expensive, it worked wonders on people with light skin tones and dark hair. But what about laser hair removal for dark skinned Asians and African Americans?

Laser hair removal for dark skin has been very difficult in the past because of how the lasers work. The laser light is absorbed by the melanin in the hair follicle and the follicle is destroyed so that the hair doesn’t grow back. The difficulty arises when it comes to dark skin or tanned skin because the laser is unable to distinguish between the skin and hair follicle and so the melanin in both absorbs the laser light. Here the melanin itself is in high concentration hence skin appears dark and so the skin instead of the hair ends up absorbing the light. As a result the laser is unable to pass through the epidermis of the skin to reach the hair follicle. This not only creates problem in achieving the best result but can also injure the skin. Darker skin has the potential to become discolored, develop keloids, or even burn.

However this has not stopped the process of laser hair removal for dark skin! Technological advancements mean that there are procedures that can be undertaken to ensure that laser hair removal on darker skin is safe and effective. Methods like cooling the skin can prevent it from being injured. That can be done with contact cooling, something cold that touches the skin such as two sapphire plates with water running between, or by using a chilled plate, or by a spray that is applied to the skin and cools the skin through evaporation thus preventing laser from burning dark skin. In addition to this, technicians use longer wavelengths. The reason for longer laser wavelengths is that melanin in the skin will absorb the short wavelengths, but longer wavelengths can pass through the skin to destroy the follicle. Despite the different varieties of lasers available a diode laser or nd:yag laser are best suited when it comes to laser hair removal for dark skin. In the hands of a skilled technician and with the help of modern techniques, people of Asian or African American origin can get rid of all their unwanted hair with laser treatment for hair removal.

Laser Hair Removal for the Underarms and Pubic Area

Laser Hair Removal

It cannot be denied that getting rid of unwanted hair is tedious. Shaving, and waxing may do the job, but in a week or two you’ll have to go through the process again. The risk of irritation, itching and ingrown hairs make the task far less appealing. But what can you do about it? You just can’t move around with your underarm hair on display à la Julia Roberts, right? Hair removal is a necessary annoyance but laser hair removal for the underarms, pubic area or any other body part can ease the hassle.

Thankfully, laser hair removal means you can have a way to permanently remove unwanted hair. This technology involves packets of high-energy light that target melanin, the pigment in hair, and disables the hair follicle altogether. While the effectiveness depends on factors like skin color, hair color, and hair thickness, 5 to 6 sessions of this painless procedure means you may never have to face the hassle of unwanted hair again.

Laser hair removal for underarms

Perhaps the most popular problem areas for women are the underarms. To confidently sport a sleeveless top, you have to make sure that your underarms are hairless. Laser hair removal for underarms is usually the first procedure that people try out as the concerned area is relatively small. Each session takes only about 10 minutes. However, the laser only works on hairs that are in their growth phase, so you may have to work around the growth pattern and return for a few more sessions to get rid of all unwanted underarm hair for good.

Laser hair removal for pubic hair

Laser hair removal on the genital area is not only for aesthetic reasons but it also holds several hygiene purposes. As sweat and bodily fluids can adhere to pubic hair, there is the increased chance of unpleasant odors caused by these fluids. Excess hair can also provide ideal conditions for bacteria, so one argument against pubic hair is hygiene.

The pubic area is highly sensitive. Shaving and waxing may inflame the hair follicles, thereby creating itchy and painful ingrown hairs. Your problem on bikini hair may be compounded as these ingrown hairs get infected. With waxing, it is a lot more common than you think! Laser hair removal on the pubic hair is the better long term alternative to shaving and waxing.

Laser Hair Removal for the Genital Area

Laser Hair Removal

Never has mankind been this eager to get rid of their pubic hair (or at least we hadn’t been so open about it!). Apart from the usual shaving and waxing, a new trend is gaining momentum – laser hair removal for the genital/pubic area. The procedure of laser pubic hair removal is, in essence, the same for both males and females. Technically speaking, it involves the direction of a high energy beam of light on the genital area for several very short time intervals. This beam transfers its huge amount of energy to the dark pigment in hair follicles in order to kill them off. The result is that it puts an end to the body’s natural hair growth procedure in that area.

Since laser beams are directly focused on your skin, there are some possible side effects; side effects vary with the complexion of your skin and the experience of the technician or dermatologist. Neither fatal nor permanent, the redness and swelling disappear soon after each treatment.

Contrary to the scare stories that we sometimes hear, laser hair removal for the genital area, or for any other body part for that matter, isn’t that painful. Laser pubic hair removal does create a slight degree of discomfort since the skin there is very sensitive but the swelling and redness goes away after a few days and common off-the-shelf skin creams can bring relief.

There are two types of genital area laser hair removal methods; partial and complete. By going for partial, you will still have to use another method to maintain any remaining hair so the majority of people who get laser pubic hair removal method usually choose a complete job.

Common types of lasers used for the genital area are;

Alexandrite
Nd:YAG
Pulsed Diode Array
Argon
Ruby

It is good to note that Argon and Ruby are generally being phased out as the wavelengths of other types of laser are generally more suitable for the skin. It is advisable that you check with your technician which laser they use and to carry out a patch test before committing to a course of treatments.

As far as the cost is concerned, it takes about 4 sessions to completely get rid of pubic hair with each session costing between $150 and $550. The total cost laser pubic hair removal will directly depend on the number of sessions you need; different skin types require a different number of sessions.

After you get your pubic hair removed, you will have to protect your genital area from direct sunlight for about 5 weeks to 7 weeks. That means no naked sun bathing!

People today are increasingly giving a preference to laser hair removal for genital area over the traditional methods of shaving and waxing. Laser pubic hair removal gives you permanent relief and also saves you from the problem of ingrown hair, blade cuts and pubic pimples.

What to Expect From Your Laser Hair Removal Appointment

Laser Hair Removal

If you are unhappy with unwanted hair, whether it is on your legs, underarms or just above your lip, you are definitely not alone! You are one of the many millions of women (and men) that have to deal with this inconvenience. Sure, shaving and waxing are effective but you may not have the patience to be shaving every few days or waxing every few weeks. Laser hair removal can offer a longer term option for hair removal but how much do you really know about the laser hair removal process?

This article will help you answer some of the important questions you have about the laser hair removal procedure so that you can decide whether or not it is for you and you’ll know what to expect at your first appointment.

Laser Hair Removal Pre-Treatment

At least 3-4 days before your first laser hair treatment, the clinic will carry out a patch test on a small area of skin. The patch test not only helps to determine if you will have any adverse effects from the treatment but it also helps the practitioner determine the level of laser energy needed for the most effective course of treatment and you’ll get an idea of how the treatment feels. Some clinics will charge for a patch test but it is a crucial step of the pre-treatment process so do not be tempted to skip it to save some money!

On the Day of the Appointment

Once you have the patch test out of the way and you and your practitioner are both happy with the results, what can you expect at your first appointment?

The skin will be prepared by using alcohol to remove any topical applications such as lotions, perfumes, makeup or deodorants. This allows the hairs to absorb the laser better and the alcohol serves to disinfect the skin.
Before the treatment itself begins, you’ll be given some special goggles to wear to protect your eyes from the laser.
If you choose, an anaesthestic cream or gel will be applied to the treatment site to numb the area and ease the pain of the treatment. The pain varies from person to person and will also depend on your pain threshold. You will have an idea of how painful it is based on your patch test.
The laser treatment itself is undertaken with a small handheld wand and the treatment lasts a few minutes for a small area and can take an hour or more for larger areas.
After treatment, the skin will be cooled down – usually with a cooling gel like aloe vera. Your skin may be red and a little swollen but this should disappear within about 24 hours.

The type of treatment needed depends on your skin tone and hair colour amongst other things so before deciding on laser hair removal, be sure to discuss the details of the procedure with your laser hair specialist to determine if the laser hair removal procedure is right for you.