All you need to know about laser hair removal

The method of laser hair removal aims to reduce and prevent hair regrowth in various areas of the body. Some women resort to this technique for cosmetic reasons, or for the purpose of treating excess hair. Although during recent years, men and women alike have started to resort to laser treatments from most areas of the body such as: chest, back, legs, under the armpits, face, upper thighs, and other areas, and the laser works on the growth of melanin cells located in the layers of the skin and in the hair follicle.


How does a laser work?

The laser beams injure the melanin cells, absorb and disintegrate hair follicles, and delay or stop the growth of new hair in the area exposed to the radiation.


Sometimes, the procedure of laser hair removal is called "hair removal forever", although this term is not accurate in all cases, as the treatment does not guarantee that hair will not grow again completely, as most treatments help reduce the amount of hair permanently.


This treatment is performed for cosmetic purposes only, and often reduces the need for other hair removal methods such as: waxing, shaving, and other costly treatments that waste time.


In our modern era, there are several methods used for hair removal, whether by laser or other modern methods aimed at injuring the hair root and preventing its growth again, such as the use of infrared and other methods.


There is a need for a pre-session with the doctor before performing the laser treatment, where the dermatologist agrees with the patient on the areas that will be subjected to treatment, according to the type of skin, color, hair color and thickness, in addition to the desires of the person himself.


How to prepare for the hair removal process

The doctor makes sure that there are no reasons that prevent a person from undergoing laser treatment, such as taking some medications (such as acne medication), or others.


Sometimes, the doctor directs to do blood tests, to check the levels of hormones in the blood (testosterone, estrogen, and thyroid gland performance), in order to make sure that the excess hair is not the result of an increase in the levels of these hormones.


Before performing the laser hair removal treatment, the hair in the area to be removed must be shaved (it is necessary to inform the patient not to use other hair removal methods such as plucking, wax, thread or electrical devices).


process

• Before laser treatment, the skin of the area to be treated is rubbed with ointment for local anesthesia, especially in sensitive areas such as: armpits, upper thigh, face, back and chest.


• This ointment helps the laser beams to penetrate deeper into the skin.


• In the next stage, the doctor (or technician) passes the laser device over the surface of the skin in the desired area.


• The laser beam hits the skin, which usually causes some discomfort or pain, even with the use of a local anesthetic ointment.


• The laser beam penetrates the hair cell and hits the melanin cell, and the heat produced by the laser beam damages the follicles.


Laser hair removal treatment takes only a few minutes, but several sessions are needed to remove most of the hair in the area.


• Areas with thicker or thick hair may require more treatment sessions.


Operation risks

The risks of laser treatment include:


Scars: The nature of the healing process depends to a large extent on genetics and other factors related to the surface of the skin (for example, tattoos are known to cause many scars as a result of treatment). There is no way that we can predict in advance how the scar will recover. But most of these scars fade with time.


Other skin conditions: skin peeling, blisters / blisters on the skin, skin burns, as well as hyperpigmentation (brown spots)


After the operation

After laser hair removal, allergic reactions may appear in the skin for several days after the procedure, including:

·         Redness of the skin

·         Hypersensitivity to touch

·         Swelling


• Sensitivity to sunlight. For this reason, it is recommended to avoid exposure to the sun during the first days after treatment, or to wear protective clothing and apply sunscreen.

• In order to obtain tangible and noticeable results, the process must be repeated several times, over the course of several sessions.

• It can take a period of several weeks to several months to complete this procedure.