In older days body hair removal was taboo for a man. If a man had much hair on his body, he was believed to be a ?real? man. Today, body hair removal has become a fashion thing. Not just women but men also opt for removal of unwanted body hair including pubic hair, bikini line hair, and nose or ear hair. A number of techniques have been used over the years for removal of unwanted hair ? shaving, plucking, waxing, chemical lotions, electrolysis and now laser hair removal.



Laser hair removal is basically a method of damaging and retarding the growth of the hair follicles by treating it with laser ? a highly concentrated beam of light that literally burns out the hair follicle.

Laser hair removal works when light energy penetrates the skin, converts into heat during penetration, and causes thermal injury to the hair follicle. High temperature is generated by the laser beam to disable the follicle and inhibit re-growth. But it is necessary that the follicles are treated when they are in the growth stage. Since not all follicles are at the same stage at the same time but grow in cycles, laser hair removal follows a series of sessions for best results.

Laser hair removal is considered to be one of the best methods of body hair removal because it causes no pain and rarely requires use of anesthesia. Moreover the treatment can be very quick ? as low as 10 minutes to a maximum of one hour depending on the size of the area to be treated.

Laser treatment is safe for most part but there are chances of pigmentation, blistering, scaring or burning if the skin is too sensitive or if the laser is not properly regulated. In some cases, the treated area may become slightly red or swollen. But all of these conditions are only temporary and can be treated with cream or ointment.

Not everyone can benefit from laser hair removal because of the fact that it works well only for people who have skin that is lighter than their hair. The best candidates would be fair-skinned people with brown or black hair. Another big roadblock in everyone becoming eligible for laser treatment is the cost of the procedure. Laser is a high technology treatment that can be very hard on the pocket. As per a survey, the average surgeon fee for laser treatment in 2003 was $429 per session. A typical treatment would last a minimum of four sessions.