The ABCs of Laser Hair Removal

1. The ABCs of Laser Hair Removal

2. Synopsis 1. What Is Laser Hair Removal? 2. Who Is a Candidate for Laser Hair Removal? 3. Which Laser Hair Removal Equipment Is Best? 4. Benefits of Laser Hair Removal

3. What Is Laser Hair Removal? • If you’ve been looking for an effective and efficient way to remove hair and don’t want to keep waxing, shaving or tweezing, you may want to think about laser hair removal. • Currently, laser hair removal is one of the most common beauty treatments in the United States. During this process, beans of light that are highly concentrated are placed on the hair follicles to draw the hair out. The pigment in the hair follicles absorbs the light from the laser machine, which destroys the hair. • Are There Specific Benefits? • There are a number of benefits to laser hair removal, and the treatment can be done on various parts of the body, including the bikini line, arms, legs, underarm and face. • One of the reasons that people choose laser hair removal is because the procedure is very precise. The laser can target hairs that are difficult to remove without damaging the skin around the hair. • Laser hair removal is also pretty quick. The pulse of light in the laser takes less than a second to affect the hair. This hair removal method also allows you to treat lots of hair at one time. Each second, lasers can treat an area of hair about the size of a quarter. Smaller areas of the body like the upper lip can be treated in less than 60 seconds; however, large areas like the legs and back can take about an hour to treat. • This method of hair removal is also predictable. Most people who get their hair removed with lasers will be able to enjoy permanent hair removal after getting three to seven treatments.

4. What Is Laser Hair Removal? • Preparing For Your Appointment • It’s important that you prep your skin for laser hair removal. This protects your skin and ensures that the procedure is effective. • Laser hair removal isn’t just the “zapping” of unwanted hair from your follicles. It is actually classified as a medical procedure. This means that the people who perform the treatment on you should be trained so that there are very little risks. Before you have your hair removed with a laser, make sure that the credentials of the doctor or technician can be confirmed. • About a month or so before your appointment, make sure that you limit the amount of waxing, plucking or electrolysis you do. Remember that the laser goes straight for your roots, and when you wax or pluck your hair, your roots are removed temporarily. So, if you pluck or wax your hair too much before getting lasered, the procedure won’t be as effective. • What Should You Expect? • Right before laser hair removal, you’ll have your hair trimmed so that it’s just above the surface of your skin. The laser machine will be adjusted according to the thickness of your hair and skin color. Adjustments will also be made to the machine based on where you’re getting the hair removed. • Be sure to talk to your skin care specialist and laser hair removal professional about any concerns or questions before you begin. After you have a clear understanding of how laser hair removal works, you may find that you want to use this as your primary hair removal method.

5. Who Is a Candidate for Laser Hair Removal? • If you’ve been thinking about laser hair removal, you may be wondering if you are a good candidate for the procedure. There are a few things to be aware of before your laser hair removal appointment so that you can be prepared and get the right results. • Skin Tone • Laser hair removal works by targeting melanin. The concentration of melanin is high in both dark skin and dark hair. So ideally, you’re a great candidate for laser hair removal if you have dark hair and light skin. However, there are special machines and settings for people who have darker complexions or hair that is not very dark. This is why you have to have the procedure done by a professional who knows how to work with various complexions. • Skin Area • It’s also a good idea to get laser hair removal if you’re looking to treat a large area of your body. This is because laser hair removal is a quick process, so you can remove hair from areas like your back and legs in a matter of minutes. • Taking Precautions • Depending on the light source you’re using for laser hair removal, both you and the professional performing the hair removal may have to wear protective eye gear. You may also have to have special gels or cooling moisturizers applied to protect the outer layers of your skin. This makes it easier for the laser light to get through the skin.

6. Who Is a Candidate for Laser Hair Removal? • After the protective coating is applied, your technician should apply a pulse of light to the area that is being treated. He/she will then watch the area for a few minutes to ensure that the right machine settings are being used for the removal process. The technician will also check your skin to see if there are any negative reactions on your skin. No matter the color of your skin or hair, you’ll have to continue getting laser treatments until your hair is no longer growing. • Risks and Recovery • For about a day after your laser hair treatment, the part of your skin that has been lasered will look and feel a lot like sunburn. It’s important to keep your skin moisturized or use cold compresses to ease the discomfort. If you got laser hair removal on your face, wait a day before wearing makeup. If you find that your skin is blistering or especially red, wait a little longer before using facial cosmetics. • It’s also important to note that over the next 30 days or so, the hair that has been treated will fall out. This is why it’s important for you to wear sunscreen so that you won’t have any changes in your skin color. It’s pretty rare that you’ll get blisters from laser hair removal, but this is more likely to happen if you have darker skin. If you have a darker complexion, you can also experience other side effects like redness, swelling and scarring. This is why it’s best to have a small section of your skin tested first before treating an entire area with lasers.

7. Which Laser Hair Removal Equipment Is Best? • Now that you know a little more about the people who are the best candidates for laser hair removal and how the process works, you’ll need to know about the right equipment. It’s important that the technicians you choose are using the right tools for your hair and skin type. This will increase the chances that you’ll be pleased with your results. The right tools also ensures that the hair is properly removed from your follicles. This means that you should see improvement with each treatment, and that after a series of sessions, your hair will be permanently removed. • When it comes to the right device for lasr hair removal, you’ll need to talk to your therapist about the devices that are ideal for the type of skin you. A number of practitioners suggest the long-pulsed ND:yg is the best laser to use. Other professionals say that the Lightseer is the highest quality laser hair removal machine. It is possible that either of these machines could work well. The length of time that you need to use the laser and the color and condition of your complexion will help your technician decide which machine to use. It has been said that ND:Ygis ideal for darker skin and Lightseer, also referred to as a diode laser, is ideal for people with lighter skin. There’s also a laser called the alexandrite laser, and this device could work for a variety of skin types. Alexandrite lasers are not as common, but are effective for lighter and medium skin, so if you think this is the device you want to go with, talk to your laser hair removal professional about the possibility of using this device.

8. Which Laser Hair Removal Equipment Is Best? • Be sure to talk to your technician which machines need to be on your skin for the longest amount of time to get great results. If you can use the laser less than one second per hair follicle, this is ideal. A quick treatment keeps your skin from getting burned or scarred. • No matter what type of laser you use, remember that you have to prepare your skin for the procedure so that you won’t experience scarring and irritation. You should shave your legs the day before your appointment. It’s best to use a brand new razor and lots of shaving cream to ensure that your skin is as smooth as possible. This also makes your hair follicles more prominent so that the machine can get to the hair right away. Be sure that you don’t add any lotion or oils to your skin after bathing, because the moisturizers will make it more difficult for the laser to work. If you’re getting your underarms waxed, don’t apply deodorant before your appointment. Make sure that you can see the roots of your hair before you go in for your laser treatment, since you shouldn’t pluck or wax before your appointment. • You can also ask your laser hair removal specialist if you can view before and after pictures before you have your hair removed. This can help you decide on the right device for your skin.

9. Benefits of Laser Hair Removal • Hopefully the information you’ve read has given you a clear idea of what laser hair removal is. You’ve also learned about the machines that are best for this procedure. While you’ve learned that laser hair removal is a common procedure and whether or not you’d be a great candidate, you may not be clear on all the benefits of this hair removal process. • There are several perks to having your hair removed by laser as opposed to other forms of hair removal. If you’re still not sure if laser hair removal is right for you, here are some of the benefits to consider. • One of the main reasons why people use lasers to take hair off their bodies is because the process is fast. If you’ve ever spent half an hour at the sink or shower shaving your arms or legs, you can likely appreciate that sensitive areas like your bikini region and underarms can be fully treated in about 20 minutes.

10. Benefits of Laser Hair Removal • It’s also important to note that laser hair removal is cheaper in the long run. Even though the treatments are more expensive initially than shaving or waxing, when you think about the fact that you won’t need these things after your laser treatments are over, you’ll be saving money. When you finish your series of treatments, you’ll never have to buy another razor or hair removal cream again. The overall cost of laser hair removal has also gone down over the years, since people are aware of new technologies and equipment that is more cost-effective. The cost of waxing, however, has increased. If you have to get waxed every month, you’ll likely see the cost add up pretty quickly. You may also notice that your skin may have an adverse reaction to shaving and waxing, such as ingrown hairs, razor bumps and redness. Once you have your hair lasered, you won’t have to worry about treating these skin issues again, which means that laser hair removal could be the best treatment for you if you have sensitive skin. • Another benefit of laser hair removal is that you won’t have to remove hair daily. This means it won’t take as long for you to get ready when you’re heading to work or a special event. You also don’t know to grow out your hair in between treatments. You can shave in between treatments and this could make it easier to remove the hair from the follicles so you can stop the growth process quicker. • Of course, the amount of treatments you’ll need is something you should discuss with your technician. If you have very thick or coarse hair, it could take more treatments than if you have lighter or thinner hair. The total time of treatment could span between 1 and 3 months, depending on the part of your body being treated. After every laser hair removal session, you should see at least a 10% reduction in hair; in some cases, you’ll see a 15% reduction. Talk to your technician about any existing health conditions as well, since these could affect your treatments as well.

11. For more details, please visit: http://sharplight.com/treatment/laser-hair-removal-machine-professional-equipment/ 8601 Jane St. #6 Vaughan, ON, L4K 5N9 T: +1.866.513.7797 or +1.905.337.7797 F: +1.905.337.7796 E: info@sharplight.com