Answering All Your Questions About Laser Hair Removal

Summer is around the corner. Soon, the sun will be out and it's gonna be hot out there. You will wave goodbye to coats and trousers, switch to your summer wardrobe and get those little dresses out. The only problem is, summer in New York lasts for a good five months. Thus, how on earth will you keep your legs smooth and hairless for that long? You see other sporting hairless legs and wonder, how do they do it? The answer is simple. They underwent laser hair removal. Not familiar with the term yet? Worry not, we are here to answers all your questions about laser hair removal.

All Your Questions About Laser Hair Removal

1. Why Choose Laser Hair Removal?

First thing first. Answering one of the most important questions about laser hair removal. Why would you even choose laser hair removal in the first place? Why is laser hair removal any better than any other hair removal method? The most obvious answer is pretty simple: because it gets you rid off your hair forever.

Actually, not forever. Let's clarify this once and for all before moving on. Laser hair removal helps reducing hair growth by up to 90%. With 90% of your hair gone, you will never have to shave or wax ever again. You might need a touch up session here and there once year should a bit of hair come back. Yet, overall, you will not have to worry about your hair. Thus, one excellent reason to undergo laser hair removal is that you will no longer have to spend money on hair removal. Or barely.

Some other reasons why you should choose laser hair removal is that it removes a lot of undesirable effects of waxing, shaving or using depilatory creams. Irritations, ingrown hair, dry skin, potential infections, thick and quick regrowth. All those problems will be gone as well. And if you are someone who has been struggling with ingrown hair for a long time, you'd know that not having to think about them anymore is priceless.

2. Is Laser Hair Removal Painful?

This is one of the most asked questions about laser hair removal. Is it also a very big misconception that laser hair removal is painful. Because it is not. Or at least, it should not be. Let us explain. Of course, pain is a subjective notion. Yet, we can all agree that waxing is painful. Again, more or less depending on each individual but overall, painful. However, laser hair removal will never be as painful as waxing.

First of all, the "pain" felt during a laser hair removal session will mostly depend on each client's personal level of tolerance to pain. Then, the two sensations felt during a session will be closer to pinching than anything else. There will also be heat. The technician will ask the patient to judge on a scale from 1 to 10 where their discomfort is. A seven is pretty tolerable but is also the ideal sensation. If you do not feel anything, it means that the laser is not strong enough and not getting to your hair follicle. A lot of people compare the "pinching" to "mosquito bites".

Finally, the technology used during laser hair removal can also play a role in how much pain a customer feels. At Infinity Laser Spa, we use a diode technology combined with a cooling device that cools down the skin, preventing any overheating. The wavelength of the laser hair removal machine distributes the light in such a way that it provides minimal discomfort.

3. Does The Hair Fall Off Immediately?

Technicians at Infinity Laser Spa get asked this question about laser hair removal very often. Laser hair removal is different from any other type of hair reduction. Let's cut to the chase. No. The hair does not fall off immediately. Hair reduction does not happen right away. Because of the hair growth cycle, the laser will be able to target 20% of all your hair. Thus, only 20% of all your hair will fall after your first session.

Then, even those 20% of hair will not fall off immediately. The laser did not burn them nor did it reduce it to dust. The hair is still there. The root is still in the hair bulb. Even though the laser damaged the hair follicle, the hair bulb still needs to expel the hair. This process will happen just like if the hair was still growing. The hair will slowly be pushed out over a few days and sheds.

To maximize the amount of hair that can be targeted by the laser during a session, it is important that patients do not interfere with the hair growth cycle. Waxing is entirely out of order. Furthermore, patients should not shave the treated area for at least ten days after the session. As they get more and more laser hair removal sessions, more hair will go away. It is the combined results of all those sessions that will produce a significant difference in hair growth.

4. Can You Wax Between Sessions?

Laser hair removal needs one important thing to work. Hair. Laser hair removal needs hair. The light produced by the laser targets pigments in body hair. Then the heat will get from the hair down to the follicle to damage it. This is what will prevent any future hair growth. If there is not hair, there is nothing to target and you paid for laser hair removal for nothing.

The reason why you can't wax while during laser hair removal is that it removes the hair and the root. Thus, not only is the hair gone but there is also nothing to reach the follicle. It takes between 5 up to 6 weeks for all the hair to grow back after waxing. Since you shaved prior to your last session, you need to wait for the hair to grow back. This should take ten up to fifteen days before you have enough hair to wax. Then, you wax and need to wait another six weeks for all the hair is back. Since you need to laser every six weeks, you will miss your slot.

Waxing also messes up with the hair growth cycle. Thus, you may be forced to get more session. Bleaching, plucking and tweezing should also be avoided once you start laser hair removal.

5. Why Do You Need A Laser Schedule?

A laser schedule is the timing of your laser hair removal sessions. We advise patients that they need a session every five to six weeks. This is for one very good reason: the hair growth cycle. Laser hair removal is only effective if it catches the hair during its anagen phase. Indeed, it is the only time when the hair is connected to the follicle. Thus, it is also the only time the heat going through the hair can get to the hair follicle and damage it to prevent any further growth.

Waiting six weeks allows to catch hair that was not in the right phase during the last session or hair that takes longer to grow. Coming in for your laser hair removal session later is taking the risk to miss the hair in that right stage. Then, it disturbs your whole timing and can require you to get more sessions. Even though 20% of your hair is in the anagen phase at all time, you have to stick to a schedule. Indeed, if you wait too long, you might have to start the whole process from scratch again.

6. When To Expect Hair Reduction

Laser hair removal is a long-term hair reduction method. It can help to reduce hair growth by up to 90%. In ideal conditions, when you stick to a tight schedule, do not make changes in medication, do not wax or do anything that may hinder the process, you should start seeing results after your first session of laser hair removal. There are also ways to ensure you improve the results of your laser hair removal sessions.

Expect a hair reduction of 18% after each session. This is due to the hair growth and the fact that only 20% of the hair is in the anagen phase at ay point in time. Yet, the hair will grow thinner, lighter and smoother before it sheds. Of course, the more treatments you do, the better the results will be, the more growth reduction you will see.

Before going in for your first laser hair removal session, schedule a free consultation with a technician. Then you can ask all the questions about laser hair removal you may have. The technician will be able able to assess how many sessions you will need depending on your skin tone, hair type, and quantity as well as the area you wish to laser.

7. Does Laser Hair Removal Work On All Skin Tones?

For a very long time, laser hair removal was not safe for women of color and darker skins in general. This was mostly due to the lack of appropriate technology to care for dark skins. The laser targets pigments in the hair. Dark skins are rich in melanin and it was taking the risk that the skin absorbs some of the light and either burn, hyper-pigment or get damaged. The intensity of the lasers were not adjustable to different skin pigmentations.

However, changes in technology changed that. Laser hair removal is now safe for all skin colors and complexions. At Infinity Laser Spa, we treat all skin tones and use YAG laser to treat darker skins. The Nd:YAG wavelength is not as highly absorbed by melanin as other wavelengths. Thus, the wavelength can treat all skin types. Indeed, it deposits its energy deep into the dermis without relying on melanin to do so. The wavelength bypasses the epidermis, so it’s very safe on dark skin.

8. Is There A Downtime?

Laser hair removal does not have a downtime strictly speaking. You may get back to your usual routine straight after your session. However, there some activities you must avoid in the twenty-four hours after. The heat stays in the dermis for up to twenty-four. Thus, patients should not do anything that will heat up the skin, like working out or having a very hot show for instance.

For safety, you need to stay away from the sun and avoid any direct sun. The skin is sensitive due to the laser treatment and vulnerable to the sun. Tan may disrupt your next treatment as well. Laser hair removal very rarely has side effects. Yet, mild irritation and redness may occur. They will go within an hour. We recommend applying aloe vera gel to soothe the skin.

9. Is Laser Hair Removal Expensive?

Another of the most asked questions about laser hair removal. It is also a huge misconception that is the main reason why people do not choose laser hair removal as a hair reduction method. Laser hair removal used to be quite expensive a few years ago. We explained extensively why in our blog post on the cost of laser hair removal. Essentially, it is a combination of technology improvement, an increase in both demand and supply and more competition that made laser hair removal cheaper.

However, even though laser hair removal is cheaper than before, it can still represent a big investment for a lot of people. After all, patients make an upfront payment that is quite significant. It is in the long-term that it becomes worth it since they won't have to pay again. Fortunately, there are still many ways to make laser hair removal more affordable.

At Infinity Laser Spa, you have the choice between buying one session at a time or a package of six sessions at once. Be aware that the more sessions you buy, the cheaper they become. Thus, it makes sense to get a package rather. Plus, we have seasonal sales with exclusive packages that are also limited in time. We also have packages deals available all year round that make doing laser hair removal one multiple areas more affordable. Finally, we work with Quadpay to offer you the option to pay your laser hair removal package in four installments when you buy from our website.

10. Does Laser Hair Removal Work On All Hair Colors?

Although laser hair removal works on all skin types and complexions, it may not work on all hair colors. We did also write a blog post on whether laser hair removal works on fair hair. To sum up, the absence of pigment in blond, grey or white hair makes it unlikely that laser hair removal will work. As a matter of fact, since there is very few or even no pigment at all, the laser will have nothing to target and the heat will not go through to the follicle to damage it.

Blond people will have darker hair on some areas of their body such as the underarms or the bikini for example, which can still be treated. However, other areas like the upper lip, legs or arms will surely have lighter hair that cannot be targeted by the laser. Again, by scheduling a free consultation with a technician, you will be able to discuss your hair and whether you can undergo laser hair removal.

We hope we have answered all your burning questions about laser hair removal and that we have convinced you to give it ago! That is how you get rid of unwanted body hair for good after all! If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to drop them in the comments below so that we can answer them!