Laser hair removal is one of the most commonly done cosmetic procedures. It beams highly concentrated light into hair follicles. Pigment in the follicles absorb the light, which destroys the hair. Lasers are useful for removing unwanted hair from the face, leg, arm, underarm, bikini line, and other areas.
Lasers can selectively target dark, coarse hairs while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged. Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time. The laser can treat an area approximately the size of a quarter every second. Small areas such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute, and large areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour. Most patients have permanent hair loss after an average of six to twelve sessions.
If you are planning on undergoing laser hair removal, you should limit plucking, waxing, and electrolysis for six weeks prior treatment. That's because the laser targets the hairs' roots, which are temporarily removed by waxing or plucking. You should also avoid sun exposure for six weeks before and after treatment. Sun exposure makes laser hair removal less effective and complications following treatment are more likely to occur.
Shave the area to be treated 1 or 2 days in advance of the procedure. If the procedure is on the face, remove all makeup and DO NOT wax or tweeze the area. The laser equipment will be adjusted according to the color, thickness, and location of your hair being treated as well as your skin color.