When you are choosing among the many clinics or individuals that offer laser hair removal treatments, put experience or track record on top of your list. Be aware that the results of laser hair removal is never the same from one person to another. Keep this in mind when you come across a facility that claims to completely remove hair using laser treatment. Be wary, too, of places offering deep discounts just so they can make you into their customer.
Put more emphasis on the experience of the individual who will be performing the laser hair removal treatment on you. In some states, individuals must obtain a license before being allowed to perform laser hair removal procedures. While a license is not a complete guarantee, you are at least certain that the individual has the necessary qualifications to perform hair laser removal.
Before undergoing laser hair removal, you need to take a few pre-treatment steps to ensure that you achieve maximum results.
- Never tan before your laser hair removal treatment sessions. Tanning would cause your laser treatments to be pushed back at a later date until your skin color is back to normal.
- Avoid consuming foods that have beta carotenes prior to your laser treatment sessions. Brightly-colored fruits and vegetables are high in beta carotene, as are vitamin supplements. Beta carotene, like melanin, is a pigment that adds a tint to your skin color, thereby impeding the flow of laser to the follicles.
- Three days before your treatment session, shave the area that is going to be treated. This is because laser hair removal is most effective when done on short hair.
You will be wearing special goggles while you are undergoing laser hair removal. The goggles are specially designed to keep the laser light from penetrating your eyes. During the procedure, a laser is pressed onto the skin area and then activated. Laser energy then passes through the skin, heading towards the follicle. The heat of the laser damages the hair follicle to prevent new hair from growing.
Any medical procedure comes with risks, and laser hair removal is no exception. Skin discoloration and scarring of the treated area are two of the common side effects of laser hair removal. In some cases, the procedure can also cause redness, swelling and burning sensations on the treated area. These side effects, however, are only temporary.
Laser hair removal is a non-invasive procedure. There are no razors, creams and waxes. Hair in larger areas (e.g., legs and back) can be removed in one treatment session. However, don’t expect to completely get rid of hair during the first session. Expect new hair to grow back after a few weeks, but this new hair is going to be lighter in color and finer compared to the old hair.
Laser hair removal is not a procedure that is always 100% successful. Results vary from person to person. Treatments are done over a period of time in order to remove the hair that were not yet in the growth stage during the preceding treatments. Since laser hair removal is an expensive procedure, it can set you back several thousand dollars.