Laser hair removal involves using a focused beam of light (laser or IPL) to prevent future hair growth. It works by damaging the hair follicles – the place from which hair grows.
It’s a permanent reduction in your hair growth, The follicles, when treated correctly, shouldn’t grow another hair. But hormones control hair growth and as we cant control them, We cant say its permanent.
Those who benefit most from this non-invasive hair removal treatment are women or men with fair skin and dark hair – although it can be used on most skin types. The reason the treatment doesn’t work as well on those with white or grey hair is that the light is absorbed by the colour pigment in the hair and not the skin. This means the more contrast between the hair and skin, the better the results.
At Vale Laser Clinic, we offer Nd:Yag laser treatment for darker hair and skin types, 650nm IPL for ‘typical’ skin types, and the 650nm Advanced for finer, lighter hair on lighter skin types.
Where on the body is the treatment carried out?
Unwanted hair can grow pretty much anywhere on our body. But the most common areas for treatment are the upper lip, legs, chin, bikini line and armpits.
Are there side effects?
There tend to be very few side effects.
Slight skin discomfort with redness or swelling may develop but typically goes away after a few hours.
We test patch to make sure there are no adverse side effects such as changes to the pigmentation of your skin.
@NHSuk: “It’s important to make sure the person doing your laser hair removal is experienced and suitably qualified. Check they’re on a register to show they meet set standards in training, skill and insurance.”
Preparing for laser hair removal
You’ll have an initial consultation with one of our therapists here at Vale Laser Clinic, at which point we will do a patch test to ensure you won’t react adversely to the laser treatment. You cant have any suntan, real of fake for treatment. This means no sun exposure for 4 weeks and no false tan for 2 weeks. (afterwards, you’re advised to use an SPF30 sunscreen or above). You’ll also be asked not to use wax, tweezers, threading or electrolysis a month before laser treatment.
Shaving the treatment area the day before the laser treatment removes surface hairs on the skin.
How many treatments will I need?
We always recommend between six to eight treatments is typical so we treat every hair in your hair growth cycle. The time between treatments you’ll require depends on several factors. One of these is the area from which the hair is being removed (hair grows faster on the upper lip and slower on the back). It also depends on the colour of your hair and skin and the thickness of your hair.
The length of treatment will depend on whether you have upper lip treatments (10 mins) or full legs or full back around one hour.
After your course of treatments, you may require top up treatments in the future. This is where your hormones have triggered new hair growth and may not be for a few years.
