How to Prepare for Your Laser Hair Removal Surgery
Laser hair removal sessions fire intense, targeted beams of light into each follicle. The follicles are gradually heated to a level that disrupts their growth cycle and ultimately makes it impossible for them to grow hairs. It takes a couple weeks for hairs of the targeted areas to shed away on their own.
After the next treatment, hair grows back even finer and thinner than before, and is light brown. With each subsequent treatment, less hair grows back.
Here is everything you need to know about this procedure.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Laser hair removal works by delivering energy to heat the hair follicle. The heat damages the hair follicle and prevents it from growing new hair.
The dermis has a network of capillaries and small vessels that bring in nutrients and oxygen to the cells. The hair follicle has a bulge at the bottom called the bulb, which contains the root of the hair.
The lasers are targeted at this bulb, which contains mostly anagen hair follicles that are in their active cycle of growth. The energy from the laser damages the bulb and the bulb is unable to regrow hair.
How Many Sessions Do I Need?
You’ll need multiple sessions to eliminate all unwanted hairs. Most clinics recommend a minimum of six to eight sessions. The laser settings are changed slightly for each session, and the number of passes over each area is increased. This ensures even hair removal.
The number of sessions you need depends on the area you want treated and your skin type. Skin types can be normal, oily, combination and sensitive.
Facial areas need a lot of sessions as compared to less-thick body parts such as upper lip and underarms, while thick hair on the back takes even longer to treat. You can opt for maintenance sessions to ensure you don’t see your hairs again.
What Are the Side Effects?
A few people may experience redness or burning sensation after the treatment. This is normal and should go away within a few hours. You may also experience mild swelling and skin irritations, and bumps.
If this happens, apply cold compresses or ice to the affected area. It is recommended to stop using retinol or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) products two weeks before laser treatments. You should also avoid hot showers, saunas and spas before your procedure.
Prep Care for Laser Hair Removal
The day before your session, apply an antibacterial gel containing benzoyl peroxide or a topical antibiotic to the area to be treated.
After your appointment, apply a soothing gel to soothe your skin. Avoid scrubbing the area aggressively; it may cause irritation and skin redness.
Don’t take an alcohol-based product or shower right after the treatment. Rinse the area with cold water instead. The cold water will help soothe swelling and avoid skin irritation.
How Long Does Laser Hair Removal Take?
The procedure itself doesn’t take a lot of time. Most clinics offer packages at lower rates, since it may take multiple sessions over a period of time to remove all the hair.
Conclusion
Laser hair removal is a very effective way of removing unwanted hair permanently. It is a safe procedure, however, it may not be possible to remove 100% of the hair. It even makes the regrowth thinner than before.
If you are tired of shaving or waxing, try laser hair removal with CleanSlate Laser Clinic. We provide laser hair removal in Bali to help you lessen hair growth in the long run. Get in touch with us today to get started.