What are Disadvantages & Advantages of Laser Hair Removal Treatment?

KNOW THE PROS AND CONS
OF LASER THERAPY BEFORE INVESTING IN BEAUTY

Is laser procedure the right method for you to get rid of unwanted hair? Before answering this question, people want to try out all the less expensive and temporary methods before opting for the long-lasting method.

Varied Methods of Hair Removal

When it comes to hair removal, we know that there are multiple options:

1. Razors – You need to use razors every day to get rid of unwanted hairs since the hair grows extremely fast in the same spot as and when you remove it.
2. Shaving – Shaving the hair away is easier, cheaper, and quicker. But the hair grows back within a few days.
3. Depilatory creams – They might remove hair in minutes. But they smell bad.
4. Waxing – Waxing can snatch away the hairs at the root. Hair may not grow for one month. Still, waxing is painful. You will have severe itching when the hair regrows at the same spot. When you remove the hair from its root using waxing, its appearance gets delayed. You need to wait till the hair reaches a minimum length to remove it again.
5. Electrolysis – Electrolysis is more costly, painful, and time-consuming compared to waxing. In this procedure, the technician inserts a fine needle into each hair follicle, sends an electric current, and kills the hair follicle.

This is where the laser method comes into the picture. A laser hair removal procedure is a semi-permanent and long-lasting choice that destroys the hair follicle and reduces hair growth. The laser beam is unlikely to focus on the melanin pigment cells present in the hair follicle. Once the surgeon targets this melanin pigment using the laser beam, it burns the hair follicle from the root level.

Laser hair removal is most effective when the hair is at the anagen phase (growth phase where the hair follicles are actively growing). As there is no specific technique available to detect the phase of every hair’s growth cycle, hair surgeons are unable to detect the stage of the hair to be removed. That’s why people have to undergo multiple sessions.

Before opting for the long-lasting method, you should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of laser hair removal.

Advantages of Laser Hair Removal Procedure

• Unlike other hair removal methods, laser therapy is painless. You will feel as if a rubber band is pinged onto the skin.
• Laser treatment is comparatively permanent and highly effective to remove unwanted body hair. It drastically reduces hair growth for sure so you need not opt for shaving altogether.
• Laser treatment is cost-effective. You might feel shocked to hear its overall cost. But if you calculate mentally, you will find that laser therapy will be cheap compared to using creams, razors, and waxes for the entire lifetime.
• Laser hair removal treatment is very quick, especially in areas like upper lips, where the surgeon can complete the procedure within a few minutes. He needs just 5-10 minutes per session to remove the hair from his underarms. The length of each session is not more than an hour, sometimes between 10-20 minutes depending on the body part. At the same time, people need only 4-6 sessions for complete hair removal treatment.
• Laser treatment can be performed on any area of the body including sensitive areas such as the chin, upper lip, ear lobes, underarms, shoulders, back, buttocks, public areas, arms, legs, toes, bikini lines, chest, neck, etc.
• Laser hair removal procedure is safer when performed by a highly-skilled laser surgeon. Even minor side effects such as burns and skin discoloration can be easily avoided.
• Naturally, the larger the area to be treated, the longer the session will take. But in the case of a laser procedure, each laser pulse covers an area of 9*9mm. Hence this treatment can cover larger portions such as legs, chest, and back in a single session.
• Laser treatment works very well in preventing finer and ingrown hairs, unlike other temporary procedures.
• Though laser treatment doesn’t get rid of unwanted hairs completely, whenever the hairs regrow after this treatment, they will be finer, lighter, and fewer in the count.

Disadvantages of Laser Hair Removal Procedure

• Hair removal by laser treatment is not a permanent solution. Moreover, laser therapy is a permanent hair reduction solution.
• Unfortunately, laser treatment is a prolonged process where your hair surgeon cannot remove the hair permanently in just a single session. You need to undergo between 4-6 multiple sessions.
• As mentioned above, paying a huge sum of one in one go is not affordable for many people. Still, you can consider laser treatment as a beauty investment
• You may face either hyperpigmentation (skin becomes darker) or hypopigmentation (skin becomes lighter). Still, these signs are temporary and will disappear within a few weeks.
• If you approach an untrained hair surgeon, you may get scars or burns after the surgery as a side effect. So, research your surgeon’s background before undergoing the procedure.
• You must protect your eyes during the entire process of laser treatment.
• You should not opt for a laser procedure to remove hair from your eyebrows and genitals. This treatment may not suit everyone.
• People with dark hair with fair skin will get the best outcome in a minimum number of sessions. But fairer hair as well as dark-skinned people will require more sessions, but you can achieve great outcomes with the right equipment. Longer wavelengths of the laser beam are better suited to darker skin types [1].
• Hair removal by laser procedure is not recommended for pregnant women, and patients having diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, skin disorders, and infections. Surgeons do not recommend this treatment if you are below the age of 17.

Moreover, the effect of laser hair removal therapy depends on the knowledge, experience, and expertise of the surgeon who performs the procedure. Hence it is always mandatory to find a well-established clinic having an acclaimed hair surgeon who performs laser hair removal successfully and yields the excellent results it deserves.

References

Effect of Different Pulse Durations on the Efficacy of Long-Pulsed Alexandrite-Assisted Hair Removal; A Split-Face Comparison Study