Removing unwanted hair is expensive, time-consuming, and gets in the way of a confident, active life. With laser hair removal at Dundee Dermatology in West Dundee, IL, you can enjoy long periods of smooth skin without dealing with uncomfortable, ineffective at-home methods for removing unwanted hair.
Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent?
Arguably, the most significant downside of at-home hair removal methods is they are all incredibly ineffective. A sharp razor or harsh chemical may remove all of the unwanted hair in an area for a while. However, unwanted hair grows back at a rapid rate.
With professional laser treatments, you will not have this problem. Once you finish your course of treatments, your follicles’ ability to grow hair will be slowed forever. If unwanted hair grows back due to extreme hormone changes, it will grow back extremely fine and light.
How Many Treatment Sessions Will I Need To Achieve My Desired Results?
You will need several laser sessions to achieve the results you desire. The hair growth cycle consists of three phases, known as the anagen, catagen, and telogen phases. Also known as the growth phase, the anagen phase is the phase during which your hairs are actively growing. You need several treatments to achieve virtually permanent hair-free skin since the laser can only damage follicles that are in the growth phase.
Several treatments are necessary because not all of your follicles are in the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle at the same time. By spacing treatments several weeks apart, we can target more of the unwanted hairs in the targeted areas, leading to far better results. Most people find they need between four and eight sessions spaced between four and six weeks apart to damage all of the follicles in a given area.
How Do Lasers Help Me Achieve Smooth, Hair-Free Skin?
We use an FDA-approved laser to remove unwanted hair from your body. This safe, effective device emits light that is absorbed by the hair follicles in the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle. When the large amounts of melanin in your active hair follicles absorb the energy emitted by the carefully calibrated lightwave, the hair follicles are heated to the point that they are damaged severely.
These damaged hair follicles are no longer capable of producing unwanted hair. Thus, you won’t have to worry about the damaged hair follicles producing unwanted hair in the future.
How Should I Prepare for My Laser Session?
There are multiple rules you should follow in advance of your first laser session to protect your skin.
Minimize UV Exposure
Don’t tan in the weeks leading up to your treatment session. For the health of your skin, you should always wear sunscreen with a strong SPF when you go outside during the day. However, it is particularly important that you minimize your time outdoors and avoid tanning beds so you don’t accidentally get a sunburn before your scheduled appointment.
You should also avoid other methods of tanning, such as tanning lotion and tanning spray in the weeks before your laser session. The laser targets the high concentration of melanin in the hair follicles in the growth phase. If your skin is darker than usual, the treatment will be less effective; the laser will struggle to identify the active hair follicles due to a minimal contrast between the concentration of melanin in the follicles and the surrounding skin.
Don’t Tweeze or Wax
If you want this treatment to be effective, refrain from tweezing or waxing unwanted hairs in the days leading up to your scheduled laser session. Such methods of removing unwanted hair get rid of the hair follicles the laser targets for annihilation.
How Long Should I Expect My Session To Take?
You should expect your laser hair removal session to take anywhere from a quarter of an hour to two hours. Your treatment should take only around a quarter of an hour to complete if you only wish to destroy hair follicles in a small area, like your chin or above your lips. If you want to remove unwanted back hair, expect your session to take a lot longer.
What Recovery Time Should I Plan for?
You don’t have to plan for much recovery time at all. You’re free to return to work or school if you can’t take the rest of the day off to relax. However, you should be very careful to protect your skin for several days after your session is over. We’ll give you a comprehensive list of instructions when you come in for your initial consultation. However, the bottom line is you should avoid excessive heat, prolonged sun exposure, and unprotected sun exposure.
Achieve Smooth Skin Without Pain
It’s common to feel self-conscious due to unwanted body hair and facial hair. Removing the hair that keeps you from your ideal appearance takes a lot of time and mental energy. Contact us at Dundee Dermatology in West Dundee, IL if you are ready to enjoy virtually permanent unwanted hair removal. We have proudly served West Dundee and surrounding communities, like Elgin, South Elgin, Carpentersville, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Huntley, St Charles, and Geneva for years and are excited about the opportunity to serve you.