Laser hair removal is usually presented in one of two ways. Either it is a magical wand that will get rid of all your problems with one swoop or it is a curse that will ruin everything and leave you bankrupt.
The gap that exists between these two equally harmful portrayals of the treatment is what we are hoping to fill through this piece.
In this blog we want to discuss some reasonable expectations to have if you are planning to get a laser treatment done for hair removal. So let’s get right into it.
Permanence of results
In order to make sure we are on the same page here, let’s describe permanence first.
The meaning you find when you look it up on Google is ‘the state or quality of lasting or remaining unchanged indefinitely.’
Keeping this in mind, the results of laser treatment can be called permanent because generally the density of hair you are left with at the end of your sessions is the density they will most likely stay at.
However, in some cases slight variations are possible as there might be hormonal changes or an imbalance later. Should that happen, it can affect hair growth.
These cases are not too common though. Usually the results you have at the end of the treatment will persist indefinitely.
The level of reduction
This is probably the concern most people have, and it’s a valid one. If you are getting a treatment to get rid of unwanted hair growth, you will of course want to know what extent of relief can be expected.
90% reduction in hair growth
Majority of the people get 90% reduction in hair growth.
Is it possible to achieve 100% hair elimination? Yes, it is possible. However, in most cases 90% is achieved.
There are a lot of things that factor into these results. For example, some hair follicles might not get exposed to the laser because of the growth cycle. Not all the hair follicles on your body are active and growing at the same time.
Hair growth happens in cycles. Therefore, it is possible that a hair follicle might not appear on the surface of the skin during the time that you’re getting laser treatment but might choose to pop up later. However, there will not be too many of these.
The laser treatment sessions are spaced out to accommodate all hair follicles. Usually two sessions are a month part. This gives ample time for those hair follicles to grow out that might have been hiding underneath the surface of the skin.
The second reason for some hair still growing on the treated area, as mentioned earlier, might be hormonal changesor an imbalance.
Even so, the hair growth you will get after the treatment will only be 10% of what you used to have before.
The number of sessions required
As much as we would all like it, unfortunately laser treatment is not a one-time thing. It requires a few sessions, usually 4 to 6.
Laser treatment should not be thought of as a surgery that you can get done once and the problem is solved. It should be seen as a progressive treatment where every time you go you move a step closer to the end.
The ‘treatment’ refers to a plural number of sessions.
This is done to achieve maximum efficiency and to get all the hair as they all are at different stages of their growth at any given time.
Pain and discomfort during the procedure
You might have heard varying accounts of what it felt like to have laser treatments done. The main reason for the variety of opinions on this topic is the fact that people have different pain thresholds. Some can bear with a lot while others are more sensitive to discomfort.
One thing that you can count on, however, is that you will most likely feel a stinging sensation from the laser. The other thing you can also count is that with each session it will get better. There will be less and less discomfort.
You will build a tolerance for it and as the treatment progresses there will be less hair to treat and so less pain.
Final word
Laser hair removal has been performed on millions by now and its popularity is growing. The fact that there are semi-professional and unprofessional devices that you can use at home to perform it on yourself is testament to this popularity.
If it is picking up this fast, there must be some value in it.
You have every right to have reservations. In fact it is a sign of treating your body responsibly to be concerned before putting it through anything.
We would be glad to answer any further questions you have about this treatment. To get them answered, please visit us for a consultation so we can discuss this procedure or you specifically and put your concerns to rest for good!