There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to laser hair removal. Let’s walk through a few of the biggest pros and cons to this widely hair removal process.
The Pros and Cons of Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal – the pain factor. There are several factors that come into play when it comes to the pain factor and laser hair removal. Location on your body is one critical factor. Thinner skin is more sensitive to pain (think skin near your nose, chin and temples). The pain has been described as a quick, sharp pain. Luckily the pain disappears rapidly. It also lessens over subsequent treatments. Many laser units today also have a built-in cooling unit which helps as well.
You can’t go to the gym after laser hair removal. There’s some truth to this. Your skin is in a vulnerable state following laser hair removal. Let it heal and recover for 24 hours. Avoid gym, saunas and hot showers or you run the risk of a bacterial infection (which can result in spotty skin–not a good look). Also sunbathing is discouraged during this period as well.
It takes a lot of sessions for laser hair removal to be effective. Not necessarily. Every body is different. And hair grows in cycles. Some dermatologists suggest 4 – 6 sessions but the treatment needs to be tailormade to the individual so there is no one answer.
You can’t dye, wax or pluck your hair prior to laser hair removal. Not an exaggeration unfortunately. You don’t want to do anything to disturb the hair follicles–that’s the job of the laser hair removal! Best to keep it simple and shave only leading up to your treatment.
Laser hair removal is permanent. Not really. Laser hair removal reduces hair drastically but doesn’t permanently remove it, as implied by the name. You may need to book follow-up treatments occasionally but you should be 90% hair free.
Hopefully this outlines the basics of laser hair removal. Never has hair removal been safer and easier. At our Montreal salon, we provide laser/IPL, the only technology that combines energies to effectively and gently remove hair of many colors from all skin tones. Read more about our hair removal services or schedule a consultation to see if laser hair removal is right for you.
