The area should be shaved cleanly within 24 hours before treatment. I booked to have all the hair removed from my armpits, legs and bikini and they told me that 6 to 8 sessions would be enough. However, 30 sessions later, my bikini and armpits are still growing as much as the day before I started my treatment plan, something I didn't expect at all. Turns out that if your body is a little more loaded with hormones (including people with polycystic ovary syndrome, people who are pregnant, or those with naturally high levels of testosterone), laser hair removal can be much less effective.
Hormonal changes can also cause hair growth even after apparently successful laser treatments. Oh, and let's not forget that hair grows in cycles. At any given time, only a certain percentage of hair is in the active growth phase (known as the anagen phase), which is the only time the laser is effective. That's why several sessions are needed: you have to detect each follicle at the right time.
Another thing to consider is the cost. Laser hair removal usually costs between 40 and 150 pounds per session, and 6 to 12 sessions are needed, but it's not always permanent. Electrolysis will cost you between 30 and 200 British pounds per session, requiring 8 to 15 sessions, depending on the size of the area being treated, but it is permanent. It is also important to avoid exposing the area to the sun after treatment, as the skin will be much more sensitive after laser treatment and will be more susceptible to the strong effects of UV rays.
Most patients describe the feeling of laser hair removal as if it were continuously broken with an elastic band. Electrolysis is slower and more painful, but it provides permanent results and works on all hair and skin types. However, warn that, for best results, you should not do any other type of hair removal other than shaving for several weeks before the laser treatment, since you don't want to do anything that can remove the root, that's what the laser is for. But, if you want to get rid of unwanted hair forever, remove razor bumps, razor cuts and ingrown hair, here's everything you need to know about laser hair removal. The sun will increase skin sensitivity and can cause burns and hyperpigmentation when the laser is applied.
This usually rules out treatment for people with blond hair or deep skin, but there are now options for deeper skin tones; the hair just needs to be dark enough for the laser to be directed at it. Electrolysis provides more permanent results, but is better for smaller areas, while laser hair removal is good for larger areas, such as the legs. If you are someone who loves to look tanned and you think that using an artificial bronzer before your laser hair removal appointment is a good idea, Think about it again. You can't epilate, as waxing removes the hair follicle, so the laser will have nothing to aim at to achieve permanent hair removal results.
And, only once you've read the pros and cons of laser hair removal and the resulting side effects, can you decide if the treatment is right for you. To find out what the hell was going on with my pubic and armpit hair, I asked an expert, Shireen Forster, the founder of Laser Me Out, to explain it to me. Skin tone and hair color are important factors when using lasers or electrolysis for hair removal. With laser hair removal, you can say goodbye to those annoying ingrown hairs and to the stinging sensation of hair growing back.
