Laser hair removal sounds a little scary, right? Zapping your skin with laser almost makes it sound like you’re being fired at or targeted! However, it’s not actually as traumatic as this and still produces very effective results for both men and women. So, if laser hair removal doesn’t involve a laser pointer, how does it work? Let’s discover how laser hair removal works and expel a well-established myth…

How laser hair removal works

Laser hair removal works by using concentrated light energy in bursts or ‘flashes’ on the target area. The light is then absorbed by the pigment in the hair, breaking it up and travelling all the way down to the root. Here, it damages the root so that the hair, along with the follicle, may fall out and hinder its ability to grow back. Contrary to the imagery ‘laser’ conjures, it doesn’t burn away your hair or zap at you, it simply helps to damage the root and interior structure of the hair enough for it to potentially not grow back.

Does this make laser hair removal permanent?

Laser hair removal permanently inhibits the follicles’ abilities to grow back in the treated area. For some people, this may lead to their treated follicles never producing another hair, and for others they may need a top-up appointment in a year or so after treatment. It can depend on your skin type and the density and colour of your hair, so everyone’s treatment journey will be different. However, it does permanently lessen the growth of follicles within the treatment area to produce buildable results that many people find extremely liberating.

Okay, let’s bust these myths…

Myth: only pale skin with dark hair is suitable for laser hair removal

False, false, and false again! Some older or more traditional hair removal systems were only able to treat pale skin with dark hair because the pigments absorbed the laser light better. However, we’re proud to use a more advanced system that can treat darker skin types so that all may benefit from our services.

Myth: laser hair removal is painful

As above, more traditional or older models of laser hair removal might have been painful for treatment. With the more advanced system we use, however, treatment is actually little more than slightly uncomfortable. This is because our system uses a cooling technology during the treatment that still delivers strong light energy while cooling the treatment area. This ensures a comfortable patient journey.

Myth: you need to ‘save up’ your hair

Waxing and shaving may require to ‘save up’ your unwanted hair and not remove it for weeks at a time in order to achieve the smoothest results possible. This preserving of unwanted hair until the day of removal is not only frustrating, but very counter-productive considering the fact you have to wait for more growth before removing it entirely! With laser hair removal, we actually encourage you to shave in between your sessions and up to a few days before your next treatment. This is because the treatment only works on actively growing hairs and shaving them two days before a session ensures as many follicles as possible are in the growth stages. Not all of them will be, as hair growth occurs in cycles and your follicles aren’t all in sync, but those that are we can safely and successfully treat. This is why we also recommend you embarking on a full course so that we catch as many hairs in the growth stages as possible, ensuring the best treatment outcome for you.

We’ve expelled some myths, discovered how it works, and shown you the light, so why not book your initial consultation? Here at Unico Aesthetic, we offer laser hair removal in Derby with a free patch test 24 hours before your appointment, so you only receive the treatment that is safest and best for you. Enquire online or speak to a member of our team on 01332 289800 to book today!