The Truth: Laser Hair Removal!

My EXPERIENCE: I recently started laser hair removal treatments and I thought I’d tell you guys a little bit about my personal experience and talk about some main stream myths about it! So firstly the MOST commonly asked question is, does it hurt? Well yes and no. To give more background I decided to start with my underarm area because I figured its a small area and a good starting point to see how I felt about laser and the results before investing in more, larger, probably sensitive areas.

Did it hurt? To be honest mostly NO but the centre part on each underarm (one of the zaps hurt a lot). Generally the thicker the hair is, the more painful it is. Definitely not, unbearable or anything but not a great feeling. Most of the session was completely painless tho.

How many sessions does it take? She had said usually 6-12 depending on the person and area! Lastly one of my concerns was about having to let the hair grow out, but unlike waxing you can get laser treatment right after shaving (and are encouraged to do so) but you cannot wax or use products like Veet or Nair before or in-between treatments.

Results? Too soon to say, will keep you posted.

So Let’s Debunk Some Laser Hair Myths!

Myth One: It’s Right for Everyone. The technology is getting better, and as a result, they have been able to expand laser hair removal to more skin shades and hair colors than previously possible. That said, there are still some combinations that give the laser some trouble like white, grey, blonde and red hair. It’s unfortunately not for everyone, but if you haven’t spoken to a professional about it in several years, you may have become eligible just because of the quality of the newest lasers. But don’t let any money hungry clinics convince you that it’s for everyone, that simply isn’t the case. Be aware of clinics that don’t require a consultation first thats a BIG red flag.

Myth Two: It’s Only Effective below the Waist. So many people go to have hair removed from their legs. Beach-ready treatments for the legs and thighs are among the most popular spot and as a result, most advertising is directed toward them. That’s led many people to believe that LHR is exclusively for the legs and the surrounding areas. Nothing could be further from the truth. These treatments can target trouble spots all over the body. The lasers are safe for even the face.

Myth Three: There’s Only One Type of Laser Hair Removal. Laser hair removal is not an identical treatment from clinic to clinic. There are many different kinds of lasers that are effective against hair, and many more are in development or just recently approved. If you want to know the true potential for any laser hair treatment, you’ll need to speak to the doctor in charge of the clinic where you’re considering treatment. It will be very different depending on the equipment used.

Myth Four: Home Kits are Just as Effective. You’ll occasionally see products advertised online as treatments “Doctors don’t want you to know about”. If there were a better method for effective, long-lasting and non-invasive hair removal than lasers, that’s the treatment that you would find at a clinic.  The “lasers” advertised for home use are very low power devices that have no long term benefits.

Clinic lasers do what they do so well because there is years of research and development behind them. These machines have been designed by people who have dedicated their entire lives to scientific research and the alleviation of suffering. Just as important, the staff who use them are very well trained.

Myth Five: It’s Completely Permanent. Laser hair removal is often billed as “permanent laser hair removal”. This is medically accurate, as the hairs have been destroyed and will not grow back. However, laser hair removal may not remove all the hairs in the given area. Also, if your treatments were not spaced apart correctly, or if you didn’t receive enough of them, hair that was in a resting phase would have been unaffected by the treatments. People often experience minor hair growth (but it does happen). So touch up appointments are required. Laser only removes 75-99% of hair.