How much time do you spend removing unwanted hair? Hair removal is an unpleasant task whether you shave, wax, or use other methods. Fortunately, you can stop the cycle with laser hair removal. This treatment provides long-lasting results that let you forget about all that wasted time and money.
What is Laser Hair Removal?
Many men and women remove hair from their faces and bodies using various methods. Laser hair removal offers a long-lasting alternative that deactivates hair follicles to stop growth. At Laser Skin Care Center, we use the Cynosure Elite MPX, which uses two different wavelengths of laser energy to treat all skin tones safely.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
During laser hair removal, pulses of laser energy travel into the skin. This energy targets a pigment called melanin that gives hair its color. Each growing hair has its root inside a hair follicle, and when this root absorbs the laser energy, the resulting heat damages the follicle and stops the hair from growing.
How Effective is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal is extremely effective, but the process takes time. Most people need between six and eight sessions. Factors that affect how many treatments you need include the treatment area, skin and hair tones, and the speed of your hair growth cycles.
Laser hair removal can only treat a percentage of your hair during each treatment. At any time, some follicles are active and contain a hair root, but others are in a resting phase. The laser does not affect these resting follicles. We space your treatments four to six weeks apart to allow a new group of hair follicles to enter their active phase and become ready for treatment.
You should stop seeing hair regrowth by the end of your treatment series. Stray hairs will occasionally appear, so we recommend yearly maintenance treatments to keep your skin hair-free.
Can Laser Hair Removal Treat Facial Hair?
Laser hair removal can treat hair almost anywhere on the face or body. Common hair removal areas in the facial area include the upper lip and chin. Men and women have facial hair removal, making it a popular treatment location. Since unwanted facial hair can be especially visible and frustrating, laser hair removal can help you feel more confident.
Do I Need to Prepare for Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal requires some preparation if you want to see optimal results. Follow these tips to make sure every session is safe and maximally effective.
- Do not wax, pluck, or use any other method that removes the hair root
- Do not bleach the hair in the treated area for four weeks before the treatment
- Do not expose your skin to the sun or fake tanners
- You can still shave before and between treatments
- Shave 24 hours before your session
- Do not apply any products to your skin before treatment
Removing or lightening the hair root can make it more difficult for the laser to treat that hair. Shaving does not remove the hair root, so use shaving as a method of hair removal in the weeks leading up to your session.
Take the Next Step
If you’d like to learn more about laser hair removal, please fill out the form on this page or call (562) 997-1144. Laser Skin Care Center proudly serves the Long Beach, CA, area and offers various cosmetic dermatology services.
*Individual results may vary.
