Laser Hair Removal Candidacy and Procedural Overview
If you are wondering if laser hair removal is for you, the answer is maybe. It is not the ideal choice for everyone, but it often yields positive results for many patients. Still, it can be an expensive process, and there are reasons you may not qualify for it. So, before you schedule your first hair removal appointment at your local laser procedure clinic, you need to understand a few key things about the process and your potential candidacy for it.
The Basic Benefit of the Laser Hair Removal
The basic purpose of laser hair removal is to weaken hairs to cause them to fall out, but they do not do so instantaneously. They are not immediately zapped off. Instead, they will fall out after treatment, often when you have left the clinic. Sometimes the hairs will not fall out until you have had several treatments. The reason to have laser treatment is simple. Each entire hair is affected by the treatment. Since the entire hair eventually weakens and falls out, regrowth takes a long time. At-home techniques like shaving often only remove portions of each hair, allow remaining portions to lurk right under the top layer of skin. Then one or two days is all it takes for hair to regrow. That is why the efficiency of laser machines for hair removal is so desirable. It presents a possibility of long-term results. In fact, some hairs may never regrow once they are gone.
The Process of Laser Hair Removal
The process of laser hair removal typically requires you to go to your local skincare clinic four to six times. The appointments are spread several weeks apart. Each appointment generally lasts less than one hour. During the procedure, a technician points the laser at the offending hairs. As each hair is hit by the laser, the dark pigment, called melanin, is damaged and the hairs are weakened. It can be slightly uncomfortable, but your clinician will help you manage your discomfort during the procedure. You can also take a mild over-the-counter pain medication just before your appointment.
Laser Hair Removal Results Vary Between Patients
Before you have a laser hair removal treatment, you must understand your results will be somewhat unpredictable. Some patients experience permanent hair removal. Others have regrowth. If your hair does grow back, the length of time it takes to do so is also unpredictable. It may be as short as a few weeks or as long as years. Typically, hair stays away longer after you complete multiple laser hair removal treatments.
How to Know if You Are Able to Have Laser Hair Removal
Most standard lasers are designed to remove dark hair on light-skinned people best. That is because the lasers can disrupt pigment patterns, causing blotches of discoloured skin, if your skin is dark. Also, some lasers use the darkness of the hair against the lighter background of skin to help them target the hairs accurately.
Even though laser treatment is commonly recommended for light-skinned people with dark hair, there are newer lasers that can treat you, if your skin is dark. However, their effectiveness varies, especially in regards to the locations of the hairs. Facial hairs are often the most difficult to treat when your hair is quite light or your skin is quite dark. So, you must talk to your clinician before booking an appointment to see if the equipment at the clinic can treat you effectively.
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