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Laser hair removal: Zapping unwanted hair If you've devoted hours to bleaching, shaving, creaming, tweezing and waxing unwanted hair since you were a teenager, you may have reached the point where you want to tear out all of your hair. The desire to remove unwanted hair is one of those urges born of adolescence that usually doesn't diminish with age. In fact, as you get older, you may find that hairs begin to sprout on your chin, ears, back and elsewhere. For that reason, many people have turned to laser hair removal. Does it really remove hair safely, painlessly and permanently? And is it worth the cost? The answer to both questions is: It depends.
Ancient historyHair removal reportedly dates back to ancient Egypt, when women used hot wax on their legs. However, the practice of removing hair for cosmetic reasons didn't become widespread until after World War I. Today, women and an increasing number of men spend millions of dollars a year on hair removal products and services. Popular areas for women to target are legs, bikini line, underarms and face. Men often focus on removing hair from their back, chest and shoulders. Shaving is the most popular form of hair removal. Unfortunately, every method of hair removal has its drawbacks, such as pain, skin reactions, ingrown hairs, rapid regrowth, inconvenience and high cost.
Light on the subjectThe idea of laser hair removal surfaced in 1992 when a laser physicist accidentally zapped his arm, which at the time was covered with carbon residue, and some of his arm hair fell off. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of lasers for hair removal in 1995. The first laser to win FDA approval was the ThermoLase Softlight laser system. This treatment worked by coating your skin with a black carbon solution that absorbed the laser light, which damaged the hair follicles. Since that time, improvements have been made in the laser systems that are available to reduce hair. These improvements include using longer wavelength lasers, increasing the time the laser pulse treats the skin, and cooling the skin during treatment. All of these reduce the risk of making the treated skin darker or lighter. During laser hair removal, laser light is passed over your skin. The laser's energy is absorbed by the dark pigment (melanin) in your hair follicles, disabling the follicles and preventing them from growing, at least for a while. Individual sessions can last from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the size of the area being worked on. Laser hair removal usually requires multiple treatments the number of sessions you'll need is determined by the area being treated, your hair's density and your hair growth cycle. The growth cycle of a hair follicle can last from 4 to 12 months, depending on which part of the body it's on. Each hair may be at a different stage in the cycle, and lasers are more effective on hairs that are currently growing. However, since large amounts of hair can be treated at one time versus the one-by-one approach of electrolysis and tweezing laser treatments are faster than some other methods. Laser hair removal can be used on any part of your body.
The long and short of itLaser treatment isn't painless you may feel a sensation like hot bacon grease spattering on your skin. And the procedure can be expensive. Treating small areas, such as your upper lip, can cost $500. In addition, results vary, and laser hair removal may not lead to permanent hair loss. It's easier to delay regrowth of hair with laser treatment than to achieve permanent removal of hair. Lasers for hair removal can be used only under the direction of a board-certified dermatologist or dermatologic surgeon. Potential side effects include redness, the darkening or lightening of skin and a low risk of scarring. The ideal candidate for laser hair removal is someone with fair skin and dark brown or black hair. Advances in laser technology allow treatment of all skin types though people with dark skin types or tans are at an increased risk of having their treated skin become darker or lighter. The procedure is not effective for white or blonde hair because those hair follicles lack the dark pigment that is necessary to absorb and be disabled by the laser energy.
Making the decisionIf you're looking for smooth, hairless skin, laser hair removal presents a relatively quick, low-pain option for hair removal if you have the motivation and money for multiple treatments.
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