The Truth About Whether Laser Hair Removal is Really Worth It
Laser hair removal gets a lot of attention, but is that attention really warranted? We’re going to reveal the truth about this method of hair removal, and why it doesn’t always live up to the hype.
We get it. Shaving, waxing, sugaring, epilators, plucking, and tweezing all wear very thin after a while. It’s easy to see why permanent hair removal solutions are so appealing to so many people. The amount of time needed to manage the temporary removal of unwanted hairs really adds up. Of course, that’s not even mentioning the pain, discomfort, razor burn, ingrown hairs, and other common annoyances that go with those types of hair removal methods.
When you’re looking to get rid of unwanted hairs, and have them stay gone permanently, there are only a select few options available. Electrolysis is one way, however it tends to be quite expensive, time consuming, and often very uncomfortable. Laser hair removal is another alternative, and one that many people opt for to solve their unwanted hair problems. However, as effective as laser hair removal may seem at first glance, there are many disadvantages to the process that many users are not aware of at the beginning.
Now, before we go any further, we should mention that there is a permanent hair removal method known as IPL that avoids all of the many shortcomings of laser hair removal, and we’ll explain why a little later in this article. First, we’re going to run through exactly what can be expected from laser hair removal, and why for many people it ends up being not all it’s cracked up to be.
How does laser hair removal really work?
To understand how laser hair removal works, it’s important to review why most other hair removal methods are only able to provide temporary results. For example, shaving, waxing, and epilators all work by affecting the actual hair strands themselves, either by trimming them close to the skin or by pulling the entire hair out of the follicle. However, these methods do nothing to prevent new hair from growing back. Over time, no matter how often you shave or wax, the same hairs will emerge and you’ll need to repeat the process all over again.
Light-based hair removal methods, like laser and IPL, work by preventing new hair growth. During a laser hair removal treatment, a high-intensity beam of light is directed at the unwanted hairs. This light beam is absorbed by the hairs, a process which converts the light energy in to heat energy. Once this heat travels down the hair strand and in to the follicle, it is transferred to the surrounding cells around the root. These cells are responsible for the regeneration of hair, and the heat energy works to inhibit the ability of these cells to regrow hair. With each subsequent laser treatment, the effects become more pronounced and eventually lead to a permanent reduction of hair on the treated area.
Advantages of laser hair removal
For people who are safely able to have laser hair removal, there are advantages over many other hair removal methods. First and foremost, the main advantage of laser hair removal is the fact that it is permanent. This alone is reason enough for many people to consider laser hair removal as a viable option for them. In addition, many laser hair removal advocates claim that it is more comfortable and more affordable than electrolysis. Laser hair removal clinics are also fairly common, especially in urban centers, making it relatively accessible for most people.
However, while laser treatments may offer an effective, permanent solution for hair removal for some people, there are many individuals for whom lasers are simply not effective, and in some cases laser hair removal is even deemed to be unsafe.
Disadvantages of laser hair removal
When it comes to the downsides of laser hair removal, the first one that many people discover is that not everyone is a viable candidate for laser treatment. This is due to the specific type of light energy used in laser hair removal. True lasers consist of a coherent beam of light from a precise range of the visual spectrum, usually either green, blue, or red. Because of this narrow range of light, lasers are only truly effective at treating patients with a certain combination of skin and hair tones. Generally, laser hair removal is only recommended for people with light skin and dark hair, as this will allow the laser light to be absorbed properly to achieve the desired results.
For users with darker skin or lighter hair tones, it’s likely that the laser light will not be absorbed efficiently enough to produce the desired effect. It also may result in the laser light being absorbed too much by the skin, which can cause discomfort, discoloration, and in some severe cases, even mild burns.
Furthermore, laser treatments can also be quite expensive. When factored in with the number of treatments many patients need to achieve permanent results, this can make laser hair removal rather unaffordable. In addition, coordinating the multiple treatments that are needed takes a lot of time, which can be a big hassle for people who already have very busy work/life schedules.
Potential side effects of laser hair removal
Those aren’t the only aspects of laser hair removal that should give you pause before choosing to move ahead with it. In some rare cases, there are other side effects that can arise from laser treatments that you should be aware of. Some patients have experienced lingering redness or irritation on the treatment areas. Others, particularly those with very sensitive skin, can experience dryness or crusting on the areas of the skin that have been exposed to the laser. Some other potential side effects can include mild burns or blisters, skin infection, skin discoloration, and changes in skin texture.
These risks, while minor, should not simply be ignored or discounted. We strongly recommend that you consult with your family doctor prior to proceeding with any laser hair removal treatments, and fully understand the potential risks of the procedure.
Why is IPL a better option for most people?
As we mentioned earlier, there is another option for permanent hair removal that offers all the advantages of lasers, with none of the side effects or negative aspects. It’s called Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL, hair removal treatment.
IPL and laser hair removal operate using the same basic scientific principle of light absorption to produce heat inside the hair follicles, leading to an inhibition of hair growth with each successive treatment. However, whereas lasers use only a narrow portion of the light spectrum in their beams, IPL devices use a much broader range of light in their light pulses. This approach offers many advantages over true lasers.
First, by using a broader spectrum of light, IPL devices can be used to treat a substantially wider range of hair and skin tones. Since the light produced by IPL devices consists of more than just one small portion of the colour spectrum, it can more easily be absorbed by lighter hair tones. In addition, the light produced by IPL devices is far safer for darker skin tones where lasers could potentially cause damage.
For reference, here’s a chart that illustrated the different combinations of skin and hair tones that can properly be treated using IPL hair removal technology.
Silk’n at-home IPL hair removal devices feature adjustable energy settings, thereby allowing complete customization over the treatment process and providing effective hair removal to a diverse range of skin and hair tone combinations. This is yet another advantage that IPL technology has over true lasers, in that you can easily perform the treatments yourself, right in the comfort of your own home, with an affordable and easy-to-use at-home IPL device.
If these numerous benefits of IPL have piqued your interest, then you’ll definitely want to learn more about the latest advancement in at-home IPL hair removal technology; the Silk’n Infinity.
Silk’n Infinity IPL Hair Removal Devices
When it comes to permanent at-home hair removal, there has never been a device as easy to use and effective at producing the desired results as the Silk’n Infinity. Our team of design engineers took the world-famous and scientifically-proven technology of our Flash&Go IPL hair removal devices and enhanced the Infinity with additional features to provide better results in less time than ever.
As the Silk’n Infinity is passed over the treatment area, a specialized electrode on the end of the device emits a steady stream of warming galvanic energy to the surface of the skin. This energy stimulates the natural repair and rejuvenation processes within the skin, providing greater comfort and smoother, softer skin with each treatment. In addition, this galvanic energy has the added effect of encouraging the pores of the skin to open wider, allowing each light pulse to more easily penetrate deeper down to the root of the hair inside the follicles, increasing the efficiency of your treatments and speeding up results.
The time has come to forget about the hassles and downsides of laser hair removal, ditch the razor and wax strips, and simply achieve the permanent hair removal results that you’ve always wanted. With the Silk’n Infinity, you’ll get the amazingly smooth, hair-free skin you deserve with unequaled comfort and speed.
We’re confident that once you experience the difference that Silk’n technology offers, you’ll never want to use another hair removal device again!
