Here at Maine Laser Skin Care, we perform laser hair removal multiple times each day in both offices. Although it is obviously a very common procedure, we continue to get questions about its use and how it works.
Basically, laser hair removal is a medical process by which a concentrated beam of laser light removes unwanted hair. During the procedure, the laser device emits a beam of a certain wavelength that is absorbed by the pigment within the hair itself.
When the laser beam hits the hair, the light energy is converted to heat, which then damages the hair follicle and its roots. This damage then "kills" the hair and inhibits future hair growth.
Laser hair removal is used to reduce unwanted hair in almost any area of the body. Common treatment areas in women include the face, underarms, legs, and bikini area; common areas in men include back, neck, and chest.
A person’s hair color and skin type have a significant influence on the pace and success of laser hair removal. In general, the darker the hair color, the more effective the laser will be in preventing hair regrowth. The procedure will also be more successful faster in a person with darker hair.
We frequently describe laser hair removal as an ongoing process rather than a one-time procedure. This is because hairs are only susceptible to the laser beam when they are in an active growth phase.
Depending on the area of the body, only 10 to 15% of hairs are in that phase on a particular day. For this reason, laser hair removal requires multiple treatments.
After each procedure, hairs do not immediately fall out. However, your body will shed them over a period of several days to several weeks.
The repeated treatments, usually performed monthly, will continue to treat hair at various phases of its growth, and the loss of hair will occur naturally in that cycle as well. Speed of improvement of hair removal vary from person to person.
It is very difficult to predict how many treatments are needed for women, as fluctuations of hormone levels can stimulate increased new hair growth. This result is particularly seen in various hormone conditions, such as polycystic ovary disease (PCOS), and also commonly at menopause.
Laser hair removal remains the gold standard of current technology for reducing unwanted hair. We here at Maine Laser Skin Care have been performing this procedure since 2003 with high degrees of success and patient satisfaction.
Trust your skin to the experts and the experienced medical professionals at our offices in Augusta and Scarborough. Call us at (207) 873-2158 or (207) 303-0125 respectively with any questions we did not answer for you here, or to set up your free confidential consultation with our team of skin care experts.