Hair Removal Solutions: Should You Try Lasers?

There are many places hair can grow on your body – and let’s be honest, some places we prefer it there more than others! Although I am absolutely pro do-whatever-the-heck-you-want with your body hair (guys and gals, it’s 2019 and if you prefer hairy underarms you totally go for it!), I personally prefer to have smooth armpits. As a pale person with dark, thick hair, I have possibly one of the most irritating complexions for trying to minimise the appearance of body hair and so recently I started a course of laser hair removal on my underarms at my local salon, New Church House (previously named BarnIt) in central Manchester.

I would always air on the side of caution when looking to make permanent changes to your body – Cameron Diaz famously campaigned against laser hair removal on the bikini line of young girls as it is largely irrevable and we don’t know how trends with pubic hair might change in the future – I was pretty set on getting rid of my underarm hair for good. For that reason, I wanted to get rid of my underarm stubble as quickly as possible and for it to stay gone for as long as possible. When comparing the most convenient and long-term hair removal solutions, laser hair removal wasy high on the list for me. If you are interested in learning more about it yourself, here are some things to know before you try it for yourself.

Laser Procedures Actually Treat Entire Hairs

One of the reasons lasers are considered more effective than certain other forms of hair removal is they treat entire hairs. Consider what happens when you use an at-home method like shaving. You essentially chop part of each hair off. The portion of hair remaining may be invisible because it is under your top layer of skin, but it doesn’t go away.

In fact, leaving part of each hair lurking under the top layer of skin is much like what happens when you mow grass. The grass comes back quickly because it only has a little way remaining to poke back up through the soil. It is the same way with hair poking back up through your skin. However, laser tools for hair removal get around that problem by using specific light frequencies to target all of each hair. The laser light travels down each hair shaft to the follicle. A follicle is a hair root. Since shafts and follicles are damaged, the treatment is more complete than one like shaving.

Laser Devices for Hair Removal Also Offer Accuracy

Another reason you may prefer laser hair removal to certain other treatments is laser devices are very accurate. When you shave hair off, or even when waxing or using certain other methods, some hairs are easy to miss. You might not discover missed hairs until later when removing them is no longer convenient. However, laser devices are specially designed to locate and treat every hair in the area of skin to be treated, so you can be assured of a total treatment with no hairs left out.

Comparing Hair Removal Procedure Comfort Levels

If comfort is your top concern when removing unwanted body hair, laser hair removal is not the perfect solution. You will feel some heat and a sensation similar to a mild static electricity shock during treatment. The most painless ways to remove unwanted hair are with depilatory cream application at home or by shaving. However, those methods do not work as well and their results do not last for weeks or months like the results of laser hair removal procedures. It is up to you to decide if total comfort is worth the inconvenience of constant at-home maintenance.

Nevertheless, laser hair removal is more comfortable than some other procedures fro hair removal, such as waxing or electrolysis. Your technician can also help you manage your discomfort during your laser appointment. Combinations of numbing medications and cool air are used for that purpose, depending on the laser procedure type you choose and the methods employed by your chosen clinic.

What to Know Before Scheduling Laser Hair Removal

Before scheduling laser hair removal you should know one treatment is not enough to rid you of unwanted body hair. In fact, no hair should fall out at the clinic. Several sessions are required to

weaken each hair enough to cause it to fall out. However, the hair then takes much longer to regrow, and some may not come back at all. You should also know laser hair removal can make your skin quite sensitive to the sun temporarily. Your technician will give you instructions to help you minimize sun exposure and keep your skin healthy while it heals.