Commonly Asked Questions About Laser Hair Removal

Laser Hair Removal is an advanced form of hair management that projects a beam of light through the skin into the hair follicle. The hair essentially conducts the light into the follicle transforming it into heat which hopefully inhibits the hair follicle.

Sounds Pretty Wild, Is it Like Electrolysis?

Electrolysis is cave man stuff compared to this. Ripping out hair by the root repeatedly is time consuming, painful, and ineffective. Laser treats many follicles at the same time allowing for larger areas to be treated relatively quickly.

Does It Work On Everyone?

No it doesn’t, laser has about a 70-90% success rate with most people experiencing at least some satisfaction. Some people find that for the expense they are not getting what they want or expect.

Laser hair removal is more effective on people with darker complexions. Newer technology is improving this and within a few years it is expected that there will be equal treatments for light and dark complexions.

Diet plays a surprising roll in therapy and must be considered when trying to get the best results. Diets high in beta-carotene lead to an orange yellow pigmentation in the skin which can cause the laser to be absorbed by the skin thus rendering the treatment less effective.

Beta-carotene remains in the body for long periods of time so it may be required that you change your diet long prior to receiving treatment. Unless you are happy to return for more frequent treatment.

The more melanin in the skin the more difficult treatment for the same reasons as before. The laser is absorbed more readily by dark skin, with higher melanin concentration. This means stay out of the sun for awhile before treatment or schedule your treatment to coincide with the winter months.

Previous waxing, electrolysis, or tweezing treatment could mean that you will require more laser therapy due to the fact that these treatment could have actually promoted a stronger hair follicle.

If My Follicles Are Being Burned Out Why Would I Have To Go Back For More Treatment?

Two Reasons, first, laser hair removal does not always totally inhibit hair growth, it can come back. THough it often comes back much less noticeable it does frequently come back.
Second, Hair grows in cycles and as I have previously mentioned the hair actually conducts the heat into the follicle. So, hair growth during the procedure is a must. Your dormant hair will be left untreated. Hair growth is also based on diet and other environmental factors, so you can expect new hair to constantly be coming from old follicles.

Does The Treatment Take A Long Time?

This is highly dependent on individual and the treatment being taken. Some base estimates are as follows, but be aware that times may vary significantly.

Back 1½ - 4 hours

Legs 1½ - 4 hours

Shoulders 10-20 minutes

Bikini Line 8-10 minutes

Chin 2-3 minutes

Underarms 1-2 minutes

Upper lip less than 1 minute

Is This Procedure Safe?

There can be side effects but they are for the most part temporary. The laser that is used does not produce any type of harmful radiation.

After treatment skin will probably be sore and slightly irritated. Don’t forget that this is a medical procedure and requires healing after the treatment. The pain, discomfort, and discoloration, is similar to a sun burn and will usually go away in a matter of hours or days.

Does The Treatment Hurt?

Compared to other forms of hair removal this is a walk in the park. As I previously mentioned any discomfort goes away fairly quickly and side effects are temporary.

During the procedure there may be slight discomfort due to the heat of the light. If you have endured any other type of hair removal you should be fine. Numbing or chilling creams are often used on people with sensitive skin and this is usually only required on initial treatment.

How Long Does it Take to See Results?

The results are not immediate unless you shave which is common. If you naturally let the hair fall out it will take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months to see noticeable results.

What is common laser hair removal pricing?

This is highly dependent on geography, treatment being much higher priced in dense urban areas. And also highly dependent on the area being treated. You are paying for the technicians time and treatment can last from a few minutes to a couple of hours. Expect to pay at least a couple of hundred dollars for initial treatment of small areas and up to $1000 for large areas such as the back or legs.

Clinics will usually offer packages based on the number of visits and you can expect package prices to be much lower than at the register prices.

Laser hair removal is a great option for people suffering from excessive hair or people that just want to avoid the time and effort of frequent hair removal treatment.