STILL THE GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD: LASER HAIR REMOVAL
Laser hair removal has been around for decades. It is wildly popular as the first aesthetic treatment people will seek. Before they start thinking about wrinkles and how their skin is aging, they think about the time they will save not having to shaving every day or having “oh so smooth” skin without effort. When asking some of our community what they love about laser hair removal, they say “I feel freedom and that I have gained some of my time back.” They also say “it is less expensive in the long run” to pay once for laser hair removal than a lifetime of hair removal products and services.
Additional benefits include reducing ingrown hairs that can cause a lot of damage and pain to people. Furthermore, reducing hair in other unwanted areas such as beard-scaping, ear hair or hairy toes etc. Everyone seems to have pesky hair issues they want dealt with effectively.
Hair removal has seen several versions and many of them still exist. Here’s what is modern and factual. A specific wavelength of energy can penetrate the skin and is attracted to the chromophore (colour) of hair. Once that wavelength finds the chromophore it destroys it and the hair cannot grow. The way we get that wavelength into the skin is with a laser machine. Multiple sessions are required due to the hair cycle, some hair follicles being dormant when you go in for your treatment. With each treatment, you destroy a different follicle cycle until there isn’t anything left.
This is true for permanent hair removal however hair removal services such as waxing, sugaring and threading are not permanent and need to be done when the hair grows back. These options still include that awkward period where the hair needs to grow enough to be waxed or sugared.
Another modernization is with the consideration of pain. Have you heard that laser hair removal is painful? It can be true, especially with old devices. The key? Cooling! The better the cooling of a device, the less painful. These are facts that matter and that is what we search for. How can we make every service the most impactful with the least discomfort? That is where we thrive at The Cosmetic Clinic, in the details. So our devices have best in class cooling systems right in the delivery! Genius.
How about skin type? Can all skin types receive laser hair removal? Yes, but this goes back to appropriate science and technology. We need to adjust the wavelength to go deeper to the hair follicle so not to damage the chromophore in the skin in skin with lots of melanin (chromophore). Hair type matters too. White hairs are lacking chromophores altogether and will not respond to laser hair removal of this type.
How about safety? Burning the skin is a possibility with laser hair removal in the wrong hands. So, we have parameters and end points we look for to know we are being safe, yet effective. Again, details matter.
How to prepare? Shave the morning of. Too much hair growth present when you arrive could mean you need to shave again because the hair ontop of the skin can become charred with the heat created when the wavelength of energy finds the chromophore in the hair. It is also best practice to have your skin tone be its natural tone, meaning no “tan.” Excess hair on the skin and extra melanin in the skin from tanning are confusing for the machine, increasing your risk of burn if the energy targets it instead of the hair follicle. It will also make your session less effective. In Ontario, including where our locations are in North Bay, Ottawa, Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven, spring-winter-fall months are all excellent times of the year to get your laser hair removal treatments in. Better yet, let us weave this into your treatment plan based on exactly what you have going on in life. Let us do the planning for you.
Lastly, another consideration is that maintenance sessions will be required over time. Hormones are notorious for encouraging the skin to develop new follicles. Some people will grow more hair after years of not having any while others will grow hair in areas they never had before, all thanks to hormonal fluctuations whether that be from peri-menopause, menopause or conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis.
Laser hair removal should be easy, comfortable and fit into your life. And you should feel safe and confident in your provider. Our nurses are well trained on making you feel comfortable, especially in those moments of treatment where you may feel a little exposed. You won’t see us posting joke videos on laser hair removal positions, but you will feel safe and cared for at each session! It will be our little secret because you deserve this investment into your freedom, time back and ability to forget those bikini line worries.