Laser hair removal isn’t a new treatment, in fact it’s been practiced by many aestheticians for many years now, but how exactly does it get rid of hair and what are the benefits of it?
A few weeks ago we compared laser hair removal to other more traditional methods of hair removal like waxing and shaving and we weren’t shocked to see how much better it is. Not only does it remove more hair much more easily and less frequently than waxing and shaving, it means that the hair is removed permanently, opposed to needing to be redone repeatedly whenever it regrows.
So, how does it work?
Laser hair removal works by utilising laser energy to destroy the cells within a hair follicle. To do this, an aesthetician uses a handheld device to pass light through your skin which in turn is absorbed into the melanin within the hair shaft. This melanin is responsible for the growth and regrowth of hair and when the light hits is absorbed by it, a reaction occurs that destroys the cell using thermal energy from the inside out. Because of the way the hair follicles and cells work with the regrowth phases, it can take approximately 6 treatment sessions to finish the job off but once done, up to 90% of the unwanted hair will have been permanently removed, leaving your skin feeling silky smooth to the touch without the need to continually be waxing and shaving every week.
The laser hair removal machines combine 3 wavelengths to ensure that the hair is completely removed without damaging the surrounding cells, these are;
- 755nm – This is for use with thin hair removal and is very effective in patients with lighter hair or for hair around the lips/eyebrows etc.
- 808nm – Used for most kinds of hair removal.
- 1064nm – Used for the deepest layer of hair as this energy can penetrate deeper into the skin. This is especially good for patients with darker hair.
Because of the different wavelengths used, this can allow the treatment to target hair of different colours for literally anyone who wants to have the treatment done. It is a safe, fast and painless method of hair removal that permanently gets rid of any unwanted hair from any area of the body, including the face, arms, armpits, chest, back, bikini area and legs.
What does it feel like?
The feeling we get from most people who have a laser hair removal treatment carried out is that the sensation is similar to being flicked with an elastic band, with nearly all of our clients saying that this sensation fades almost immediately.
How do you prepare for a laser hair removal treatment?
The treatments themselves can be carried out in a little as fifteen minutes, making it a perfect treatment to have done before a big event or even just a quick one during a lunch break, and the only things you need to do to prepare is to stay out of direct sunlight, shave the area that is going to be treated and avoiding using products like lotions and creams to ensure that the results you get are the best that they can be!