Deciding whether or not you should remove your body hair is a personal choice. Several people choose to embrace their body hair and learn to love it. But many still prefer to remove some or all of their body hair to look and feel their best.
For these people, body hair removal often involves shaving, waxing, and depilatory creams, which take too much time and money. These traditional hair removal methods don’t produce long-lasting results and can irritate your skin. Laser hair removal is a great alternative at Renew MD, as it produces longer-lasting results than conventional body hair removal methods.
What Is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal is a quick, long-lasting way of removing your unwanted body hair. This state-of-the-art treatment can treat several areas of the body, including the legs, underarms, chest, face, bikini area, and more. Laser hair removal can also help with ingrown hairs, unlike conventional hair removal methods.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
You will be expected to shave two days before your procedure to make sure there are no long hairs but just enough small hair stubbles present for the treatment. Before starting your laser treatment at Renew MD, your medical provider may give you a topical anesthetic to reduce pain and discomfort, especially in more sensitive areas like the bikini line.
Next, your provider will use a laser that uses concentrated light to remove unwanted hair. The laser targets the melanin, or pigment, in the hair shaft and destroys the follicles and bulges. At the same time, the laser system cools down your skin. The treatment will feel like a rubber band snapping against your skin, but it will hurt less during the following sessions.
What Can I Expect After Laser Hair Removal?
After the procedure, it is vital to follow your provider’s post-treatment instructions to learn how to take care of your skin. After laser hair removal, it is normal to feel some warmth, redness, and swelling, which will fade within a few days. Your medical provider might give you some ice packs or apply a cream to help ease these side effects. Additionally, you will have to avoid sunlight and tanning to protect your skin.
After two weeks from treatment, some of your targeted body hairs will begin to fall out. After your first laser hair removal session, you may notice a hair reduction. After six treatments, each spaced six to twelve weeks apart, most patients see 80%-90% hair reduction. However, some patients need additional treatments depending on several factors:
- thickness and color of hair
- the areas treated
- skin color
- type of laser
- health history
Some patients may need more sessions to achieve optimal results. Each session aims to target the remaining hair follicles that were at their resting phase during the past treatments. Laser hair removal can only treat active hair follicles.
How Long Do Laser Hair Removal Results Last?
Laser hair removal will delay hair growth on your body for several weeks or years. Less hair will usually grow back thinner and lighter, making it less visible. Your medical provider will recommend the best time to receive additional treatments to maintain your results.
Am I a Candidate for Laser Hair Removal?
At Renew MD, we use two different types of lasers –Cutera CoolGlide Laser and Cutera Pro Wave– to safely treat all skin types and tones. Laser hair removal works best for people with light skin and dark hair color. However, some advanced lasers can effectively treat people with darker skin and dark hair color. Laser hair removal cannot treat grey, white and blonde hair.
Take the Next Step
If you’d like to learn more about laser hair removal, we encourage you to schedule a private consultation with Renew MD in Reno, Nevada. Call us at (775) 852-4500 or fill out our convenient online contact form. We look forward to meeting you!