Is laser hair removal permanent? No, laser hair removal is not a permanent hair removal method.
Only electrolysis can be considered a permanent hair removal method. But we’re not here to talk about that.
The full focus is laser hair removal. About which, I could say that it can be considered kind of permanent partially.
It sounds a bit weird, doesn’t it? You’ll see why I’m pressing things like that.
If we were to properly answer the question is laser hair removal permanent we would say that laser hair removal is a hair growth reduction method.
It strives to achieve permanent hair reduction through maintenance sessions once a year or once every 6 months after the treatment is complete.
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How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
First thing first,
Laser hair removal is an amazing thing. An amazing hair removal method for those who can afford it.
It’s not a cheap hair removal method, nothing in the vicinity of waxing or using an epilator.
And even though it’s not permanent, a lot of efforts are put into making it permanent.
Another area where advances are made concerns the skin and hair type that a person must have in order to undergo treatments.
As you well know,
It’s still valid that only people with dark hair and fair skin can opt for this method but there is professional equipment designed for other skin tones, too.
Well, how does laser hair removal work? What happens to the follicles during the treatment?
A device attacks multiple hair follicles at a time with pulses of light.
Those pulses of light damage the follicles, stopping hair regrowth up to a certain percentage (it can be as low as 45% or as high as 90%) for about 2 years.
Besides laser, there is also IPL (intense pulsed light).
Those two are highly similar, only a technicality sets them apart.
Laser uses coherent and monochromatic light, while IPL equipment uses non-coherent light over a range of wavelengths.
The light from laser is much more concentrated, which can make it more dangerous to handle. It is why only trained professional perform laser hair removal.
Since IPL is safer, it is the technology used for what we call at-home laser hair removal devices.
Those are in fact IPL systems and they can be quite good. For some they work wonderfully, offering considerable hair growth reduction, while for others the results are not that noticeable, there’s not a noticeable percentage of hair growth reduction.
Other than that,
Everything is common, from results, percentage of growth reduction, pain and side-effects.
One of the most important things that you need to know is:
Before undergoing laser hair removal sessions, you need to shave your hair and shave it as close to the surface of the skin as you possibly can if you want to get good results, without feeling too much pain or a greater discomfort.
Don’t use an electric shaver, use a sharp razor.
That’s true for in-between sessions, too.
Only shaving is permitted, neither waxing nor epilation work because these two latter methods impact the hair follicle, while razors only cut the hairs at the surface of the skin.
How Effective Is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal can be performed by a specialist or at home, thanks to specially designed kits for home usage.
Both options can lead to similar results: massive reduction in hair growth.
Laser can be described as long-term hair reduction, up to 90% growth reduction on some areas.
Usually, the results last for about 2 years.
After enough sessions you might be so lucky as to have up to 90% of hairs not growing back for about 2 years.
Even a 60% or a 75% growth reduction is wonderful.
It means that you only have to remove a small percentage of hairs for the next few years.
You can do that by shaving, using an epilator or waxing, that’s your call.
The number of sessions needed depend from person to person as well as the growth reduction that you will experience.
6 sessions are usually standard because hair grows in 3 cycles so you should perform 6 treatments to make sure that you have attacked a big percentage of hair follicles.
However,
You might end up needing more sessions for getting as high as 90% hair reduction.
After that,
There are maintenance treatments.
Once every 6 months or once a year you should do another session.
And that’s basically how laser hair removal works, whether done in a beauty salon or at home.
At home, usually, it will take up to 30 minutes per leg, up to 10 minutes for the underarms and up to 8 minutes for the bikini area.
How Much Does Laser Hair Removal Cost
The average cost for laser hair removal is around $235 for each session.
Obviously,
It depends on the country you live in and on the beauty salon that you choose.
At home IPL devices can be as affordable as $200, up to $300.
You pay only once for the device and after that you only buy the cartridges. A cartridge can last for even 2 to 3 whole body sessions.
Is Laser Hair Removal Painful?
For some people, the sessions are not painful, whether it’s an at-home kit or a professional device.
Others describe the sensation as a discomfort, as an intense heat.
For others it’s not a discomfort, not a wave of heat, but pure pain. An aesthetic can be used to eliminate the discomfort.
Laser Hair Removal Side-Effects
The most common side-effect is getting red burns on the skin, similar to sunburns.
You can use ice packs to reduce the swelling and the redness.
Even if you leave it be, in two days’ time all that redness will pass and your skin will be smooth and beautiful.
The most serious side-effects are acne and skin discoloration.
So, we already answered the question is laser hair removal permanent with a no but we also explained that it’s as close as you can get without resorting to electrolysis because, the truth of the matter is that laser hair removal may not be permanent but it’s still an amazing and amazingly expensive hair removal method that can work perfectly for some people.
