It’s funny: When I was a child, I couldn’t wait to be grown up and shave my legs, just like the annoyed girls in the Nair commercials. (I mean, hey, they were selling Nair, of course they were annoyed). And now that I’m an adult, well, I see what the Nair girls were just so annoyed about. Everytime I turn around, it feels like it’s time to shave again. (I hope that my boyfriend is not reading this. Oh well. It’s true!)
Luckily, there is laser hair removal.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Laser hair removal (LHR) uses a combination of heat and energy to destroy the hair follicle.
You may have heard that you can only have dark hair to get laser hair removal, and this is true. There is no light based hair removal technology which is efficient on blond or gray hair because melanin (pigment) is the primary target of lasers, so treatment efficacy is typically much lower if the hair is blond or gray, and hence low in melanin (pigment).
During laser hair removal, the hair must be in its growing phase (telogen) in order to be successfully destroyed. To ensure that all hair is effectively removed during the growing phase, you will receive a series of treatments spaced 3-4 weeks apart.
How many treatment sessions are required?
This can vary depending on skin and hair color, but generally 4 to 6 sessions are required for 80% clearance or greater, which is the standard in laser medicine.
Can You Get Laser Hair Removal With Darker Skin Tones?
It honestly depends on the type of laser you choose.
With some lasers, there is a relatively long period of time in which the laser hits the skin. This can increase the risk of overheating the melanin in the skin.
There are laser treatments, such as the Aerolase Light Pod Neo, which is able to operate on most skin tones. The Neo laser’s 650-microsecond pulse duration is shorter than the Thermal Relaxation Time of the skin tissue, so the energy passes through the skin quickly and does not overheat the melanin within the skin. When treating skin of color, this provides new levels of efficacy as well as safety by avoiding pigmentary risk.
Can You Get Laser Hair Removal on Ingrown Hairs?
The laser energy is absorbed by pigment in actively growing hair, damaging the hair follicle and thus, hair regrowth is impeded, reducing and eliminating the bumps caused by ingrown hairs.
Is it painful?
It depends on which laser you choose.
I’ve decide to go with the Aerolase, which just has a mild sensation of heat. This is due to the short length of time the laser is applied.
Is it permanent, or do the hairs grow back?
The FDA requires that laser manufacturers describe the process as “permanent hair reduction”, not “permanent hair removal”, because, in their words, “although laser treatments with these devices will permanently reduce the total number of body hairs, they will not result in a permanent removal of all hair.” Patients can generally expect more than 75% to 80% clearance after 6 sessions and should plan on 1 or 2 annual follow up sessions for ideal maintenance.
Bottom Line
After doing my research, I decided to contact Aerolase, and I’m going with them for my laser hair removal treatments!
What are your thoughts on this post? Let me know in Comments!