Body skin hair removal is a common process, done by both men and women in order to get a clean and clear skin look. There are many methods for skin hair removal such as waxing, using a razor and many hair removal creams are also available. But these all methods are short term methods. Hair generally starts to regrow again after a particular period of time and one has to remove the hair again. That’s where Laser hair removal comes into the picture.
What is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal is a process of removing the hair from the skin by killing the hair follicle. In this process, the skin from where hair has to removed is being exposed to pulses of laser light. It is a common and safe process today used by many women and men to get rid of body hair for a longer period of time. This technology is very effective and efficient and it’s clinically proven and accepted all around the world.
How does Laser Hair Removal work?
Melanin is the chromosome that gives the skin and hair the color. So in laser hair removal they specifically target the melanin. Laser light of specific wavelength and pulse target the melanin tissue within the hair and heat is generated and then killing the follicle that causes hair growth.
Comparison With Other Hair Removal Methods
There are many other hair removal methods available such as electrolysis, waxing, and shaving. Electrolysis is also like laser hair removal, it removes hundred percent hair from the skin, but is comparatively slow and has side effects on the hormones and may tend to increase the hair growth on some other part of the body. Waxing is a temporary method to get rid of the hair but hair starts regrowing soon after two or three weeks and one has to remove the hair again. Shaving causes hair density to increase and generally lasts for only two-three days. It makes our skin rough and the new hair is thicker and coarser. It also increases the growth of ingrown hair. There are many other creams available for hair removal but all those are temporary and some of them darken the skin area.
Effect on the skin?
Laser hair removal is approved globally and used all over the world. It is completely safe and has no impact on the skin. The reason behind this is the basic physics that light color objects reflect the ray and dark color object absorbs the rays. So, when the skin is exposed to the laser light of specific pulse duration because of its dark color only the hair follicle absorbs the light and skin because of its lighter color reflects the light and thus causing no harmful effect to the skin.
Types of Laser Hair Removal?
There are several types of laser lights used for the removal of hair from the skin such as argon, ruby and many visible and infrared radiation. The choice of laser hair removal type depends on the no of factors. The length of the pulse and spot size is directly related to the depth of penetration. As long as the required pulse width is available the heat required to destroy the follicle can be achieved. The laser beam light to be used for hair removal should have sufficient energy density to heat up the follicle and destroy them. Cooling is one of the most important parts to reduce the pain and effect on the skin especially for patients with darker skin. There are numerous methods for cooling the skin suck as circulating water or exposing to cool air or applying some spray or the ointment.
How many sessions required?
The number of sessions required depends on the client. The laser beam targets only the visible hair and hair growth in several phases, so to remove all the hair a person needs to get treated in all the hair growth phases. The number of sessions required also depends on the laser type and instruments used. On average a person requires a minimum of eight sessions to remove the hair completely using laser hair removal treatment. The shedding of the hair of the treated area starts after 2-3 weeks so the person has to be patient during all the sessions.
Side Effects
The side effects of the laser hair removal treatment are rare but in some cases itching, swelling around the treated part or redness which lasts up to 2-3 days are seen. There might be some pain during the treatment. Doctors provide a number of ointments and creams for pain but over usage of cream on the treated area should be avoided. There are very fewer chances of skin discoloration and that can be avoided using the proper laser type. Some patients might have allergy issues because of the gel or ointment used during the treatment. Before you get your treatment done please go through a thorough skin checkup. Avoid laser treatment if you have skin break, allergy or any new wounds.
