Laser Hair Removal

The lasers on the market today come in all shapes and sizes. There are also different lasers that use different wavelengths of light. Some utilize a cooling device and some do not. All laser systems emit a gentle beam of light that passes through the skin to the hair follicle where it is absorbed by the hair. The laser energy is then transformed into heat that can disable the follicle. People who have white skin and dark hair will see the best results because the laser light is attracted to dark colors (melanin) in the hair. Melanin is also present in our skin. Some people who have tans and darker colored skin will have less of a benefit from the laser because the darker pigment in the skin will absorb some of the laser light energy and it could burn the skin. These people can either use a lower energy level with the laser to avoid burning the skin or electrolysis. Most laser also do not work on white, gray, light blonde or red hair. Lasers that utilize a cooling device will help protect the skin by cooling the upper layers providing the patient with increased comfort. This cooling selectivity helps to protect the skin while effectively treating the unwanted hair.

What are Laser Hair Removal Systems and How Do they Work?

The lasers on the market today come in all shapes and sizes. There are also different lasers that use different wavelengths of light. Some utilize a cooling device and some do not. All laser systems emit a gentle beam of light that passes through the skin to the hair follicle where it is absorbed by the hair. The laser energy is then transformed into heat that can disable the follicle. People who have white skin and dark hair will see the best results because the laser light is attracted to dark colors (melanin) in the hair. Melanin is also present in our skin. Some people who have tans and darker colored skin will have less of a benefit from the laser because the darker pigment in the skin will absorb some of the light energy and it could burn the skin. These people can either use a lower energy level with the laser to avoid burning the skin or electrolysis. Most laser also do not work on white, gray, light blonde or red hair. Lasers that utilize a cooling device will help protect the skin by cooling the upper layers providing the patient with increased comfort. This cooling selectivity helps to protect the skin while effectively treating the unwanted hair.

How long will the procedure take

That depends on the area you are having done. An entire back can be done in 1 ½ to 3 hours. Underarms can be done in 1-2 minutes. An upper lip in less than 10 seconds. These are just a few examples. Here is a comparison of time between laser and electrolysis to clear an area one time:

Men: Laser vs Electrolysis

Back 1 ½ -3 hours 100-150 hours


Shoulders 10-20-minutes 25-50 hours


Women:
Laser vs Electrolysis

Underarms 1-2 minutes 4-10 hours


Bikini
8-10 minutes 5-10 hours


Upper lip less than 1 min. 30-60 minutes


Chin 2-3 minutes 1-3 hours


Legs 1 ½ -3 hours 75-150 hours

How many treatments?

Everyone will need at least 2-3 treatments. Hairs that have been waxed or plucked will need approximately 5-8 laser treatments, followed with a few electrolysis treatments. Skin, hair coloring and coarseness of hair are all contributing factors to how many treatments will be needed. Please go to the laser offices page to find a laser center near you.

Is it safe?

Yes. The treated area may become slightly pink or red afterwards. This will go away within a few minutes to a few hours and in some cases a few days. When cold packs are used the skin usually goes back to normal soon after treatment. The energy that the laser utilizes is a wavelength of light which means, simply put, the light that penetrates the skin is passive, it passes through your body and does not leave a residual. For example, when you go to the hospital to get x-rays, they ask you how many x-rays you’ve had in the past 12 months. That is because x-rays leave a residual in the body and if you have too many in a year there can be a health risk to the people that get the x-ray. The laser does not leave a residual in the body; therefore it is safe.

What does it feel like?

The feel of the laser on the skin has been described in many different ways. Some say it feels like a pinch on the skin. Others say it feels like a mild rubber band snap or it feels cool.

Please don’t misunderstand, both electrolysis & laser hair removal each have distinctive value to rid unwanted hair. Most laser’s of today are still not capable to treat white, gray, or light blonde hairs. These hairs do not have enough pigment to attract the laser light. In these cases electrolysis is the only answer for permanent hair removal. Also red hair is in the red spectrum of light which the ruby and alexandrite lasers utilize. Therefore the laser light will not see the red hairs.

Also at the end of the laser cycle of treatments (usually 3-8 treatments over 12 to 24 months) you may still have some scattered re-growth. At this time you will need a few 15 to 30 electrolysis treatments over the following 6-18 months to clean up the area. Larger area’s may need more time and smaller area’s will need less time. Each case will be different because each individuals hair growth is different. Laser Hair Removal and Traditional Electrolysis can and should work hand in hand with each other.

A buddy of mine got his face lasered because of acne. I’m not sure if the procedure is the same as hair removal but he said it hurt like a motherfucker.

Thats interesting TT because here in Australia the saloons are talking about up to 16 visits for complete hair removal!

I used to get one or two ingrown hairs a month on my neck from shaving, so I had my neck treated with an alexandrite laser. When they say it feels like a rubber band snap, they are referring to areas with fine hair, but thicker, coarse hair is a different story. The pain is proportionate to the thickness of the hair because the thicker hair will cause more of the laser’s light to attracted to it causing damage to a larger hair follicle.

When the laser was at the bottom of my neck near my collar bone, it did feel like a little pinch, because what few hairs I had that low were fine. But up above my adam’s apple where my beard begins to thicken, it hurt. And I mean grit your teeth, clinch your fist hurt.

But it’s very nice not having to shave any part of my neck now.

On average how much does it cost? Obviously this is related to how many treatements, and what kind of surface area your dealing with, but i’m just looking for a ballpark to see if i can afford it.

The cost depends on where you go and what area you are having treated. I recommend going to someone who has been in business a long time and knows what they are doing. I’ve heard of too many people going to places with unacceptable results. I went to Sona which is a large chain and have been very impressed. The cost for a 5 treatment package for the neck was $400. That was a lifetime guarantee, so if I ever have regrowth, I can go back for free and treat the area again. Larger areas are much more expensive. I asked about chest and abdomen and they quoted somewhere in range of $1200 to $1500; it’s been a while so I don’t remember the exact figures they quoted me.