What Age Do I Need To Be For Laser Hair Removal?

There’s nothing quite like feeling the sun kiss your skin during the summer months. But baring your skin when you have unwanted hair can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. There’s no reason that you shouldn’t start feeling comfortable in your skin right now. Laser hair removal is the easiest and most effective way to get rid of unwanted hair and feel more like you!

How does laser hair removal work?

Laser hair removal is a long-term hair reduction method that uses selective photothermolysis. The laser gun will match a specific wavelength to a determined pulse duration meant to target an object at the surface of the skin. Such technique will not damage surrounding skin tissues.

The idea of saving all that time that it takes to shave, not having to worry about razor burn or “shaving bumps” and getting rid of unwanted body hair permanently is a very attractive idea at any age Despite the increased use of lasers, to date, few guidelines exist in terms of how to approach laser hair removal. Specifically, one must understand the mechanism of hair growth and how lasers work to target the hair follicle.

Your laser hair removal technicians will map out and mark the area you want to be treated and provide you with goggles while also wearing their own.The laser gun will produce a beam of light that will target the pigments in the hair. Once the energy is in the hair, it will travel all the way through to the follicle, under the dermis.There, the energy will turn into thermal energy. The heat is what will damage the hair follicle, thus preventing any further growth.

What the thermal energy actually does is cauterizing the blood vessels that feed the hair follicles on the targeted area. Once the follicle no longer gets its fuel, it dies. Only a permanently damaged hair follicle will allow for permanent hair removal. Indeed, if the follicle manages to regenerate, it will produce new hair.

No contraindications for laser hair removal so far.

What Age Do I Need To Be For Laser Hair Removal?

One great thing about laser hair removal treatment is that it’s effective at any age. Whether you are 19 or 89, this laser treatment is the best way to permanently reduce your hair. The best time for you to seek treatment is whenever you realize that you have unwanted hair that you would be happier without.

This hair removal method is even safe for teens. Many teens start getting hair in places that they don’t want and believe that they’ll simply grow out of it after puberty. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. However, teenagers can safely access effective hair removal treatment, with the consent of their parents.

The accepted minimum age to begin laser hair removal can be as young as 14 years old, although most experts recommend waiting until the teen is through puberty and, if female, has begun her menstrual cycle. Females should be hormonally stable and should not have medical conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Cream depilatories can cause chemical burns, and waxing requires the hair to be grown out first — which misses the whole point of hair removal.

It’s important to realize, however, that results may be very temporary in the early teen years, since hormones are changing so rapidly that hair growth is rampant. More treatments than usual will likely be needed, resulting in higher costs. (You might want to look for a laser hair removal provider who offers reduced pricing for teens — but again, check their experience and credentials.) Once hormones have regulated (usually between ages 17 and 19), treatments are much more effective and permanent. We recommend starting permanent hair reduction treatments post puberty because hormonal changes during this time can affect and stimulate hair growth

Also, the teen must be mature enough to deal with any discomfort during the procedure, and be disciplined enough to maintain the treatment schedule. It’s essential that he or she is responsible enough to comply with pre- and post-treatment instructions, such as using an effective sun block and limiting strenuous exercise for a few days after treatment.

The teen years are an important time for building self-esteem. If insecurities about your body are causing you unhappiness, talk with your parents about whether laser treatment is right for you.

If you’re living through the busy years of your 20s and 30s, a laser hair treatment could save you a lot of time as well as get rid of your unwanted hair. When we’re younger, there is usually plenty of time to pluck and shave, but this becomes increasingly burdensome as we grow older and face greater responsibilities, hence this could be the best age for laser hair removal to give it a try.

Many of what seemed “small” aspects of self-care can fall by the wayside as a career or growing family get in the way. Even worse, self-esteem can lag if you’re struggling to get rid of the hair you don’t want. Once that hair is gone, though, you’ll get a self-esteem and confidence boost in every area of life.

Aging brings some inevitable difficulties and changes to your skin. Unwanted hair can appear, and even hair that wasn’t hard to deal with before–or maybe didn’t even bother you–can become a greater burden or the last straw of frustration with your appearance.

Even worse, some things that may have worked in the past could cause difficulty as you age. Shaving, for example, may start to irritate the skin. It’s not unheard of for someone to develop an allergy to a depilatory cream that never bothered them before. Thinner skin could make waxing and plucking more painful. If any of these things are ringing true for you, now might be the right time for a laser hair removal treatment.