Laser hair removal is a cosmetic procedure, which involves removing unwanted hair with the help of a laser. This procedure is performed by exposing the hair follicles to laser light, which is absorbed by the follicles, thereby destroying them. It can be used on areas like face, arms, leg, underarms, bikini line and so on. It is a comparatively safe and efficient method, and can be adopted by those individuals who want a more permanent solution to hair removal.
The patient should avoid waxing, plucking, tanning or any other such skin treatment for a minimum of 3-6 weeks before undergoing laser treatments as a preparation for the same. Waxing and plucking remove hair follicles temporarily, and considering that laser can only be performed on existing hair follicles, it should be avoided for best results. Before the procedure starts, the laser will need to be adjusted keeping in mind the type of hair that needs to be treated (colour, thickness) for the best possible results. Protective eye wear is worn by both, the patient and the doctor. The hair is trimmed short to a few millimeters and a cooling gel is applied to the skin. The gel not only helps in the better absorption of light, but also protects the skin from damage. The doctor will then apply the laser light to the area that needs to be treated and make necessary changes to suit the patient and for the best possible results. The hair starts falling out two to three weeks post the procedure.
Laser hair removal is a fairly safe treatment.
However, there may be a few side- effects and risks as listed below:-