How Much Do You Know About Hair Removal and Hair Laser Removal?

Want to rid of unwanted hair?  You are not alone.  In North America, it is estimated that consumers spend 1 billion dollars a year on electrolysis alone.  Radical advances in laser technology however, is expected to change this figure in favor of laser hair removal system.  But why this preoccupation with excess hair?

Hair on legs, arms, underarm area, chest, upper lib, bikini line are just some of the stubborn nuisance some women are preoccupied with eradicating.  Although in Mediterranean regions, many women do not mind this excess body hair, western women have favored its absence.  They remove some or all of their body hair for societal values that consider it unattractive or as a matter of good hygiene, some for aesthetic or sexual reasons (e.g., adult film stars.) In art paintings or carvings, from ancient times, you would not see pubic hair of the naked women portrayed.  Pubic hair was taken as suggestion of sexual acts and desires so it was deemed improper in a public work of art (doesn’t this remind you of the art vs. pornography debate?)  This must have influenced aesthetic views regarding this matter.

Whether inspired by Venus de Milo, or for whatever individual reasons, women (and men) continue to pluck, shave, wax, or undergo electrolysis to rid them of excess hair. Now, comes modern technology previously associated only with George Lucas’ Star Wars: lasers. Laser hair removal system makes the battle against unwanted hair less inconvenient, uncomfortable, and expensive.

This method takes just a couple of minutes if we’re talking about unwanted hair on the upper lip (which is called “vellus” hair), to several hours if we are talking about a large area like your back. You could even get back to work after the treatment, of course, only if you work in an office. If you are a site engineer, a traffic officer, or a lifeguard, you better take a leave! You cannot expose yourself under the sun without sunscreen. The treatment itself is not painful, just minor tingling when the laser devise is activated. However, for some very sensitive areas of the body, a topical anesthesia may be applied. Also, a cooling device or a cool gel is used to protect the skin.

Any part of the body with unwanted hair may be treated with laser hair removing system, except for the regions around the eyes. When excess facial hair or that peach fuzz on your upper lip is the one treated, an eye covering is used to avoid damage to your eyes.

Treatment results differ from one patient to another. The best candidates are those with light skin complexion and darker hair color (brown or black). While previously, it does not recommend laser treatment to people with darker skin types, some practitioners now are better equipped for the latter types.

Like any other practice, it is advisable that patients must make sure the physician they have chosen is a board-certified dermatologist or other surgeon who are appropriately trained in performing laser procedures. It is best to find out first the extent of experience of your doctor, to ask for “before and after” photos of his previous patients, and to inquire if he has treated patients with your skin and hair types.