Laser Hair Removal basics
Conventional hair removal, shaving, waxing and depilatories, are time-consuming and provide for temporary solutions. Early laser technology for hair removal was expensive and painful but provided permanent results. Now, with newer technology, affordable, comfortable and permanent hair removal is possible. Treatment is safe, simple and quick, with virtually no side effects and minimal discomfort.
The laser hair removal process is very simple: an FDA approved laser device, with a handheld applicator is used to apply small laser burst on an approximately one-inch square section of skin. The applicator tip is placed on the area to be treated and a flash of light is emitted from the applicator. The operator applies the laser over the entire area to be treated, flashing a small area every few seconds. The treatment session can take from 5 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the area to be treated. The degree of discomfort experienced varies with each person, depending on sensitivity. The sensation can be anything from painless to a tolerable sting.
The hair that gets affected during a treatment is the hair which is in its active growing phase (human hair is not always growing). Usually, that is about 10% -20% of the hair in the treatment area. Hair follicles in their active growing stage will die and fall out in 2 to 10 days. Depending on the body part under treatment, a 4 to 8 week period must elapse between each consequitive treatment. This period corresponds with the human hair growth cycle and allows a meaningful amount of the remaining hair to move into an active growth phase, therefore ensuring effective treatments.