Shaving doesn’t hurt — unless you nick yourself with the razor, ouch — but the hair grows back quickly since you’re just skimming it off at the surface.
Waxing and plucking involve the sharp, quick pain of having the hairs pulled out by the roots — but the results don’t last much longer than shaving.
So what about laser hair removal? Why does it have so many devoted fans, how long does it last, and why is it different than shaving or waxing?
“It’s not a permanent removal — there isn’t anything out there that takes your hair away for good,” explains Jodi Skinner, a licensed practical nurse with Skincare Studio Inc. in St. John’s. “But laser hair removal is absolutely a permanent reduction.”
So how does laser hair removal work? The light attacks the dark pigment of the hair follicle, which destroys it without harming the skin surrounding it. That’s why Skincare Studio uses two different machines for laser hair removal — one for people with light and medium skin tones, and a more powerful machine for people that have darker skin.
Each treatment only takes about 30 minutes, and typically clients need four to six treatments scheduled six to eight weeks apart. This means you’ll be going back for appointments for between four and 11 months, depending on the area and your hair type.
When the hair grows back, it’s thinner and sometimes lighter — even after the first treatment. As you start to notice regrowth, you can choose to have a laser “touch-up” session. But Skinner says many clients go six months — or even a year — before they need any maintenance.
If you’re having laser hair removal treatment on your back, Skinner says you’ll only go back every three months — the hair grows more slowly there. She’s been seeing a male client since January of last year, and says he loves the results on his once-hairy back.
“He wanted to be able to go on vacation and take off his shirt without worrying about his back hair,” says Skinner. “He was tired of the lumps and bumps from shaving, and he didn’t want to wax it because he wanted a more long-term solution without so much maintenance.”
While backs are the most popular hair-removal spot for men, Skinner says the most popular areas for ladies are their faces (chin and upper lip) and bikini areas. Many of her clients opt for Brazilian treatments, which targets all pubic hair.
Skinner recently started lasering her own underarm hair, which she says is also becoming a popular treatment again.
“I was sick and tired of shaving every day and dealing with razor burn,” says Skinner. “It’s a great area to have lasered.”
So does laser hair removal hurt? Skinner is honest about the fact that there is “a bit of pain associated with it,” but promises it’s very temporary.
“It starts to feel hot, but only for a second or two, and then it cools down,” says Skinner. “We have materials that help cool down the area, too, but most people don’t feel a thing by the time they’re ready to go home.”
Interestingly enough, certain hair colours are not compatible with laser hair removal. If you have white hair, grey hair or very light red hair, Skinner says the laser often isn’t able to attack the pigment of the hair follicles.
If you’re not sure if you’re a candidate for laser hair removal, or you’re curious how many sessions you might require, call Skincare Studio at 709-738-8420 (option 2), to learn more.
QUICK TIPS: LASER HAIR REMOVAL
- Don’t wax or pluck the area for four weeks before your appointment
- On the day of your appointment (or the day before), shave the area
- Don’t wax or pluck right before your appointment because that pulls out the follicles — and those are what the laser needs to target!
