Laser Hair Removal: You’ll Wonder Why You Waited So Long

Procrastination is more than just another bad habit you need to break. Procrastination can harm your health. When you delay something you want or should do, that lack of action creates anxiety, depression, and even physical pain.

One way to break the cycle of procrastination is to take action. For instance, for months or even years you’ve had the impulse to throw away your razors and cancel your waxing appointments so that you can get laser hair removal. 

Joshua M. Berlin, MD, and our dermatology team in Boynton Beach, Florida, urge you to start laser hair removal now. Not only will you fulfill a resolution or two, but your legs and body will be ready when beach days roll around.

Laser hair removal is easy

Once you book your appointment, you don’t have much more to do. Avoid pulling out your hair by the roots or getting a suntan before treatment; both can interfere with your results.

A day or so before your hair removal session, shave your hair on the treatment area so there’s a little bit of stubble. You can remove hair from your:

• Legs
• Arms
• Back
• Abdomen
• Underarms
• Chin
• Neck
• Sideburns
• Bikini line
• Buttocks

On treatment day, lie back and relax. Laser hair removal uses highly targeted energy to disrupt the hair follicles in areas you don’t want to grow hair.

What happens during your session

When we perform laser hair removal, we pass an FDA-approved, hand-held laser device over any area where you want to remove unwanted hair. The laser delivers ultra-rapid pulses of heat energy into every active-growth hair follicle it encounters.

The laser energy targets the melanin cells that give hair its color. That’s why it’s important not to pull out your hair by the roots before your treatment. The laser needs to find that root in your follicle.

The laser energy quickly superheats the melanin cells from the inside out, damaging the follicles that contain them. That makes it impossible for follicles to grow hair again or grow it as densely and thickly as before.

Darker hair does better

Traditionally, laser hair removal worked best on darker hair with higher concentrations of melanin cells. However, today’s lasers are better able to zap lighter hairs. However, if you’re pale blonde or a redhead, your results may not be as dramatic as you’d like.

This safe, fully customizable treatment is an easy way to get smooth, hair-free skin on your body and face. The only area where laser hair removal is off-limits is around your eyes (for safety reasons). You must continue to wax or pluck that area. 

Why you need more than one session

Starting hair removal now is best if you want hair-free skin by summer. That’s because the hair growth-shed cycle has four distinct phases: 

• Anagen (growth)
• Catagen (transition)
• Telogen (rest)
• Exogen (shedding)

Although 85%-90% of hair follicles on your face and body are in their active-growth phase, 10%-15% aren’t. To “switch off” all the hair follicles in a treatment area, you must undergo multiple laser hair removal sessions over several weeks. 

Expect about 3-6 treatments, with at least four weeks between sessions.

No time to procrastinate 

Winter is ideal for laser hair removal. First, it’s important to avoid exposing the treatment area to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) light before and after each session. Second, since you need multiple sessions, allow a couple of months to be hair-free in time for summer.

The results are your reward

Most women and men see a 10%-25% reduction in hair even after their first laser hair removal treatment. By the time you reach the last session in your treatment plan, you can expect smooth, hair-free skin that stays that way indefinitely, with periodic touch-ups.

Are you resolved to remove your unwanted hair this year? Contact our friendly team by phone or online form for laser hair removal today.