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Oh, the lure of the laser! Women nowadays can enjoy the benefits of unwanted hair through laser hair removal to have smoother, sexier skin. But the questions never end. Is it painful? How much will it cost? Is it permanent? Will it ever grow back? We dug deep and scoured the Web for the most common laser hair removal myths, and now we can give you the answers.
Myth #1. Laser hair removal is harmful and can damage internal organs.
No worries, the laser only destroys the hair bulb and laser penetration depth is only 1-4mm. It doesn’t penetrate deeper than that. It only reaches the hair follicles. Understand that laser hair removal is simply the removal of hair follicles without damaging the skin. The effect of a laser on hair follicles is simple: Treated hair collapses and falls. In fact, the laser beam merely “slides” on the skin surface, so it doesn’t cause any damage.
Myth #2. Laser hair removal can cause scarring and hair ingrowth. Non-laser methods are still better!
The fact is laser hair removal is recommended as a method to eliminate scarring and ingrowth! When does skin scarring happen? It often occurs when the needle touches the skin during electric hair removal. In laser hair removal, there is no scarring because your skin’s integrity is not breached. On the other hand, ingrowth of hair often accompanies wax depilation. This does not happen with laser hair removal. Compared to non-laser methods, many people notice that laser removal works better and the effect lasts longer. Your hair comes back smoother and with a more natural shade.
Myth #3. Laser hair removal is very costly!
First of all, consider how much money women usually spend on buying tools and paying for hair removal treatments. A survey conducted through Zoomerang revealed that an average woman will spend between $10,000 and $23,000 during her lifetime on hair removal by shaving, applying depilatories or waxing. That’s a whole lot of money for unwanted hair! Laser hair removal treatments, on the other hand, would take about 6-8 sessions with intervals of 2-3 months. Compare those brief sessions with the yearly spending on other hair removal methods, and you’ll find that you can actually save thousands on laser treatments!
Myth #4: The process of laser hair removal – OUCH!
This is a tricky one. It actually depends on each individual’s pain threshold. Experiences from laser hair removals range from painless to unpleasant, so there’s really no hard and fast rule on this. To help minimize pain, local anaesthetics are used prior to treatment. For sensitive areas like the underarms and bikini lines, anaesthetic creams are used. There are also skin-cooling devices built into hair removal lasers to make the process painless. One thing’s for sure though: Waxing and mechanical depilation are definitely much more painful than laser hair removal!
Myth #5. Goodbye to unwanted hair in one treatment!
Although the effect of one laser session can produce long-term hair removal, as a rule, laser hair removal requires multiple treatments if you want to obtain the best results. This is largely due to the fact that laser hair removal is most effective for hair in the anagen, or the growth phase. Our hair grows in cycles, so further sessions are necessary to seize all of the hairs when they are growing.
admin @ August 19, 2009
Great Myth #3… I always use to think that getting Laser hair removal was a costly procedure but after checking it out and figuring out about how much I spend every year on hair treatments and the “tools” used to shave, I realized I was spending a fortune. I could have used that money for shopping! Laser hair removal has worked great for me and the wallet. Now I can use the money I saved on shopping:)
Doing laser treatment is painful depending on your level of pain but that pain will be worth it after it's done. I do agree that it can be very expensive but the results give you assurance since having unwanted hair is very very bad especially when you lack that self-confidence. It makes me feel that if ever I have unwanted hair, I just want to remove it as soon as possible. This blog is very helpful to people like me. I hope to read more!