Can You Benefit from Laser Hair Removal

Many of us have hair growing in places that we wish they wouldn't. This unsightly problem affects both men and women equally, although women (in general) seem to be more bothered by it.

We already know that hair can be removed with shaving, tweezing, waxing, depilatories and threading. The problem with these methods of hair removal is that the hair always grows back before you want it to. Granted, some have longer lasting results than others (like waxing), but they all leave the hair follicles in place to sprout more hair.

That's why many people turn to laser hair removal. Now, laser hair removal isn't a magic solution that will get rid of every unwanted hair on your body forever. In fact, many treated hairs do grow back.

The good news is that hairs that do grow back are usually thinner and lighter than before. Using a laser hair removal treatment can reduce the number of hairs that you have on treated areas. After multiple laser sessions, some hair follicles will cease to produce any more hairs for the rest of your life!

Laser hair removal may be the right choice for you if:

- you have excess body hair
- you feel uncomfortable with yourself because of excess body hair
- you have seen your doctor to rule out a serious underlying condition, such as a hormonal imbalance
- you want to remove your hair permanently
- you feel confident that you'll be happy with permanent hair removal
- you have fairly light skin
- you have fairly dark hair

So, how exactly does laser hair removal work?

A laser is moved over the surface of your skin. The laser's light goes right through your skin, and might feel a bit of discomfort. The light reaches the hair follicles and is absorbed by the melanin present in the follicle. If your skin is dark, the laser may not be able to penetrate your skin.

If your hairs are light, your hair may not contain enough melanin for the treatment to be effective. If you have dark skin or light hair, a better bet for you might be electrolysis.

The treated ares will be very sensitive for the next few days. Stay out of the sun as much as possible for a week after each treatment. Also remember to use sunscreen if you must be in the sun.

You might have to deal with some swelling and redness immediately after having laser hair removal. A cold ice pack an provide relief. Other side effects include peeling, a burning sensation, loss of color on the skin, blistering and brown spots. These side effects are rare, but talk to your doctor should any of the symptoms arise.

Hairs will fall out gradually over the next 8 weeks. Some will eventually grow back, and others won't.

You will need to receive three to four treatments, six to eight weeks apart in order to see real results. You'll be able to see the final results after about a year, which happens to be about two hair growth cycles.

Most people are very happy with the results they've achieved with laser hair removal. You can be too, if you have realistic expectations and are willing to accept the outcome.