Do you find yourself shaving daily to fight unattractive stubble only to notice your hair growing in what feels like a few hours? Do you wish there was a hair removal technique that was virtually painless, could save you money in the long run, and offered a long-lasting solution to unwanted hair? If so, laser hair removal may be the perfect treatment for you. It’s just one of many top-quality treatments available at Refresh Evolution in Pitt Meadows, BC.

What Is Laser Hair Removal?

Laser hair removal is one of the best ways to permanently address unwanted hair on any part of your body. It uses advanced laser technology to target the melanin pigment in your hair follicles. When the laser comes into contact with the follicles, the intense heat is absorbed and the follicles are destroyed, which drastically affects hair production.

This treatment is typically spread out over a personalized treatment plan to effectively remove hair growth during your body’s entire natural hair growth cycle. Most patients see their ideal results appear in approximately 6-8 treatments.

Which Body Parts Can Be Treated?

Thanks to its advanced technology, modern laser treatment is safe for almost every part of your body. The only part of your body which is always avoided is your eye area. This is due to the potential damage the laser could cause to your sight if it is used too close to your eyes.

However, other areas on your face–including your forehead, cheeks, upper lip, and chin–are safe to treat. You’ll wear glasses during your treatment to protect your eyes when the laser is activated.

This treatment is most commonly used on the face, underarms, and bikini line. These areas respond well to treatment and, in many cases, long-lasting or permanent hair growth reduction is seen at the end of a treatment plan.

However, this treatment is also highly effective on areas like the chest, back, and legs. Your appointment length will depend on the size of the target area. For smaller areas such as the upper lip or underarms, an appointment can last between 10-20 minutes. For larger areas such as the back or legs, most appointments last at least an hour to precisely treat all hair follicles.

Benefits

This treatment offers you the best approach to long-lasting hair reduction over a relatively short period of time. When you think about the time you spend shaving in the shower each week or the money you spend for regular hair removal appointments, you realize that keeping unwanted hair at bay is a costly, time-consuming process.

Reducing the amount of hair your body produces by inhibiting follicle activity is the most effective way to ensure that you won’t need to worry about stubble anymore. You’ll save both time and money by investing in laser hair treatments. Best of all, you’ll see your confidence grow as you enjoy your smooth, hair-free skin.

Never worry about whether you shaved before a workout or dread a painful waxing appointment before a big event again. Once you commit to this treatment, you’ll find yourself feeling more at home in your own skin as you spend less time worrying about how to get rid of unwanted hair and more time enjoying the important things in life.

How Does It Work?

This treatment is typically performed over several appointments to achieve best results. Although the treatment process is relatively simple, there are important steps to follow during preparation and recovery which will affect the success of your appointments.

You should plan to consult your doctor before pursuing treatment and carefully follow any additional instructions they provide to ensure the best results possible.

Consultation

The first step in your journey to smooth skin is an initial consultation with your doctor. This gives your doctor a chance to examine your areas of concern, evaluate your hair and skin, and determine your candidacy for treatment. In addition, it offers you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about what you should expect in terms of treatment, recovery, and final results.

If your doctor approves you for treatment, they’ll give you instructions on how to prepare for your first appointment. Make sure that you follow these instructions to achieve your ideal results and to avoid any side effects.

Preparation

When it comes to this treatment, there are several important steps you should take to prepare for each appointment in your treatment plan. First, you should drink plenty of water to keep your skin healthy and hydrated, which will help it heal more quickly.

Your doctor will ask you to stop taking medications which may interact negatively with the laser technology, so make sure to do so 2-3 weeks before treatment.

Similarly, you should avoid skincare products with retinols for at least 7 days before treatment. Your doctor may also instruct you to stop using products from your normal skincare routine if the ingredients are not recommended to use before or after laser treatment.

Start With Sun Care

When preparing for any treatment which affects your skin, it’s important to begin with basic sun protection. It’s estimated that over 90% of all common skin concern–including wrinkles, dark spots, and skin cancer–are caused by harmful sun exposure.

To shield your skin from destructive UV rays, apply sunscreen daily and avoid direct sun exposure. If you plan to be outdoors for an extended period of time, apply sunscreen every 4 hours. Before laser treatment, avoid darkening your skin by tanning outdoors, in a tanning bed, or with at-home tanning products.

Tanning and Lasers

Since the laser targets the melanin in your hair, skin which is darker than your normal shade could cause the heat of the laser to be distributed in the area surrounding the hair follicles.

While there are lasers that can safely target hair in skin of every tone, doctors advise that you try to remain as close to your natural shade as possible before a treatment. In addition, you should try to avoid getting a sunburn, which can be irritated by the laser during your appointment.

Avoid Hair Removal Treatments

The main goal of laser hair removal is to inhibit your hair follicles and stop most hair growth within the treated area. This requires there to be existing hair to target with the laser. Since hair removal techniques like waxing, threading, and plucking pull the hair from the skin by its root, they leave no follicles to treat.

Since laser treatments follow the natural hair growth cycle of your body, this means that you could need to reschedule your appointment and that your treatment plan could be longer than normal as you wait for your hair to grow.

It’s best to stop techniques like waxing at least 4 weeks before your appointment to ensure that an adequate amount of hair has grown and that the follicles can be targeted. If you’re worried about enduring itchy stubble for a few weeks, you’ll be happy to know that shaving is allowed since it doesn’t affect the hair follicle.

Shave Before Your Appointment

Most people think that since waxing is prohibited, shaving is also restricted by your doctor before your appointment. In reality, shaving the target area right before your appointment is one of the most important steps of your preparation.

While you need your hair to grow before your appointment, having long hairs above the surface of your skin is not ideal for treatment with lasers as they increase your risk of burns. You want to shave your hair as close to the skin as possible. Don’t worry–the laser will be able to target your shaved hair, resulting in smooth, hair-free skin.

Be Kind to Your Skin

Although treatment itself is painless, the process of destroying the hair follicles with high heat can leave your skin tender and swollen for a couple days. This is normal, but you can reduce the amount of irritation you may experience by avoiding any new, untested products or harsh exfoliants for about a week before your laser treatment.

Keep your skin healthy with a gentle, soothing skincare routine and avoid trying new products which may cause your skin to react poorly. In addition, avoid exfoliating your skin for several days before treatment to prevent unnecessary irritation.

Treatment

On the day of your appointment, you should clean the target area. If you are having your face or underarms treated, avoid wearing makeup, face creams, or deodorant since the area must be product-free before treatment. Your doctor will ensure that your target areas are shaved and clean, then apply a numbing gel to your skin to keep you comfortable.

Once your skin is numb, your doctor will use the handheld laser device to direct a concentrated beam through your skin and into your hair follicles. When the laser beam is activated, you may feel a light, warm sensation that many patients compare to a rubber band snapping gently on your skin.

This sensation means that the treatment is effectively targeting your hair follicles and should be completely painless thanks to the numbing gel. Depending on the area being treated, your appointment can last between 15 minutes for the upper lip to over an hour for the legs or chest.

Recovery

Once your treatment is complete, you’ll be free to return to your normal schedule with zero downtime. You may notice that your treated area is mildly swollen, which is a sign that the laser was successful in reaching the hair follicles.

Swelling normally reduces within 24 hours of treatment. You can ice the area or apply a Benadryl cream to address any irritation. It’s important to protect your skin and prevent hyperpigmentation by avoiding sun exposure for 2 weeks after treatment. You’ll wait about 6 weeks before your next treatment to allow your skin to fully heal.

As your target area heals, you may notice some light hair shedding, which is normal. You may also see hair which did not seem to be affected by your treatment. This hair is usually part of the next hair growth cycle, which progresses for several months as some follicles produce hair and some remain dormant.

Your laser treatment will target your follicles over the course of this entire process. You should shave before your next treatment and follow your doctor’s recovery directions after every appointment until your treatment plan is complete.

Results

After your treatment plan is complete, you should see your final results within 6 weeks. Your skin should be smooth and hair-free–no more stubble or missed hair after your shaving session!

For the next 6-12 months, forget about unwanted hair in your treated areas and enjoy life to the fullest. If you begin to see sparse hair growth in your target area, you can schedule a maintenance appointment. Most patients find that 1-2 appointments per year are sufficient to maintain their ideal results and keep them looking and feeling their best.

How Long Does It Last?

Once you have finished your personalized treatment plan, your hair growth should be greatly reduced. For most patients, hair growth is non-existent for at least 6 months up to 1 year, and with every subsequent laser treatment, your hair grows less and less.

Some patients report that the effects of their treatment plan are permanent. When you think of the possibility of a lifetime of time and money saved on traditional hair removal, you’ll understand why so many people choose laser hair removal to achieve long-lasting results.

Am I an Ideal Candidate?

Laser hair removal is a treatment suitable for almost every man or woman seeking an effective, long-lasting hair removal option. Thanks to advances in technology over the past decade, there are lasers that can safely treat every skin color and almost every part of the body.

While selecting and finishing a treatment plan is a commitment, it’s also one of the best ways to get smoother skin and say goodbye to stubble.

This treatment may not be ideal for those with extremely sensitive skin, fresh sunburn, or a dark tan. It may also not be ideal for those who recently had other cosmetic treatments or procedures in the same target area–it’s best to allow your skin time to heal before beginning laser hair treatments.

Finally, this treatment may not be as effective on those with red, blonde, or gray hair. These hair colors lack large amounts of the melanin pigment which attracts the laser to the follicle and, as a result, you may find that this treatment does not meet your needs. You should consult your doctor to determine your candidacy for this treatment.

Are You Done With Dealing With Hair?

If you experience unwanted hair growth on any part of your body, you know how much this common concern can affect your self-esteem. You may spend social events worrying about whether you shaved your underarms or lose valuable vacation time trying to wax away the hair that ruins your swimsuit style.

Hair removal can easily become a repetitive, necessary part of our daily lives, but with laser hair removal, you can reclaim that lost time and boost your confidence over the course of a treatment plan designed for you.

Choosing this treatment can give you the satisfaction of that smooth, freshly shaved feeling all year long. If you’re ready to learn more, contact the professionals at Refresh Evolution in Pitt Meadows, BC to schedule your initial consultation today! We look forward to helping you meet your hair removal goals.