Smooth, silky skin is a gift most of us wish we had all the time. The continual investment made into shaving, plucking, waxing, and trimming can go on for a lifetime if we let it. In recent years, more and more people are saying “no more!” With laser hair removal, this is entirely possible. If you want to eliminate the need to shave weekly, or daily, and still enjoy beautifully smooth skin, you may be interested in learning more about what laser hair removal can do. Here, we offer a few details.
Laser hair removal is an office treatment that can take about an hour to complete. A series of treatments is necessary to achieve lasting results, but these are scheduled about 8 weeks apart so they are completely convenient. Treatment works by vaporizing hair in the follicles at the time of treatment. The heat from the laser beam also disables hair follicles bit by bit. This is how hair growth is halted.
Treatment can be performed on a variety of areas, including the bikini area, legs, underarms, face, arms, and back, to name a few.
Many people imagine that getting hair “vaporized” right out of their hair follicles must be painful. It’s not. Here’s the trick: shave before your treatment. Laser light works by absorbing into the pigment in hair. When hair is solely within the follicle, it is destroyed so quickly that minimal sensation is felt. In this scenario, patients typically feel no more than a snap on the skin. If there is more length through which laser light must travel, there is a higher likelihood of feeling more intense sensations during treatment.
While it’s necessary to complete the recommended series of treatments to get lasting results, laser hair removal begins working immediately. After the very first treatment, the skin will be smoother and hair growth will occur at a slower rate. When hair does start to grow in due to the natural cycle of hair follicles, it is usually much lighter and thinner than before. With each subsequent treatment, the growth process is slower until it finally stops.
One of the biggest questions people have about laser hair removal is whether their results will be permanent. This can be a tricky question to answer because some people never experience regrowth after hair removal. However, a better term would probably be “semi-permanent.” In most situations, hair growth is permanently altered by laser hair removal. However, some people do notice rogue hairs growing here and there some time after their series of treatments. This can be addressed with a touch-up treatment as needed.
It’s not too late to get smooth skin before summer. Call our Pottsville or Hazleton office to schedule your laser hair removal consultation.