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[I530]Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent

by Ray Baker, Ray

There are two aspects to laser hair removal that are often misunderstood; first, that the process will result in the total eradication of hair in the 'offending area', and secondly, that the treatment will be 100% successful after the first treatment.

Sorry to disillusion you, but both these points are misconceptions, and they need a little clarification. If your chosen clinic or spa claims either of these, then my suggestion would be to find an alternative practitioner as soon as you can.

Permanent Doesn't Necessarily Mean Forever!

Laser hair removal is efficient and very effective - I don't want to give you the impression that it's a waste of time, however, it isn't always 'permanent' - some patients report hair re-growth, albeit the hair grows back much finer, usually much lighter in color, and far less noticeable than before any laser treatment.

So in reality, for some people it should be more accurately described as permanent hair reduction or long-lasting hair removal - having said that, the vast majority of patients are satisfied with their treatment, and will happily recommend the procedure to others.

There are some unscrupulous clinics that will claim that their treatment is "100% permanent", but they are misleading their customers - this is poor practice and is counter-productive in the long-term. We usually find that these individuals are not in business for very long. The problem was serious enough at one stage for the FDA to introduce a regulation that forces the clinics to use the phase 'permanent reduction' in any of their advertisements.

As I mentioned before, most people are more than happy with the results they get; as long as their expectations are set correctly before they undergo any treatment.

Why More Than One Treatment?

You will always need more than one session of laser hair removal treatment, and there are very good reasons for that. To understand why, you first need to know that hair has three stages of growth:

1. The Active Growing Phase - as it suggests, new hair is being formed and the hair itself is connected in the base of the hair follicle to the hair matrix.

2. The Regressive Phase - this phase lasts for approximately two weeks during which time the hairs is no longer growing, but it isn't yet ready to be shed.

3. The Resting Phase - after 4 to 6 weeks of this phase, the hair is naturally shed, and the hair growth cycle starts again.

Laser hair removal treatment only works on hairs that are in the first, active growing, phase of the hair growth cycle. For that reason, your first treatment will not remove any hair that is in the second or third stages of the cycle, meaning you will need to have repeat treatments at a later date to catch the hairs when they are in the correct active phase. This is why you will more than likely be given treatment appointments a week or so apart.

If you are tired of having to go on an almost daily routine of shaving or tweezing to remove unwanted facial and body hair, you are not alone. Unwanted hair removal is a tedious but necessary part of personal grooming and many are looking for permanent or semi-permanent solutions such as waxing or laser hair removal.

One of the main reasons why laser hair removal is more popular than other methods of hair removal is that it is a relatively painless process with results that can last for several months. Previously, only electrolysis offered a semi permanent option for hair removal but the procedure is tedious and painful. Both methods however work on the same basis of removing hair follicles to stop hair growth.

Contrary to what many believe, laser hair removal does not give instant results with one session. Laser hair removal can be used for face, underarm and neck with several sessions required before results start to show. As much as a 50 percent reduction in hair can be achieved after 4 months with 1 treatment. A second treatment is required after about 6 months when hair starts to grow back.

Patients who have used laser hair removal reported a 70-80 percent success rate after 2 or 3 visits. Also, when hair grows back, it is usually of a finer texture and more sparse than original hair growth.

One of the earliest hair removal laser systems to be approved was the Nd:YAG. This system required that unwanted hair be removed by waxing first in order to open up follicles, allowing the laser to reach them. A light absorbing, carbon-based lotion will be applied that is heated up by the laser. The heated lotion destroys hair follicle causing them to stop hair growth.

Since then, there have been new developments in the area of laser hair removal where instead of a continuous laser beam, a pulsing light is used. This more advanced method of removing unwanted hair is less time consuming and does away with the need for waxing and application of the carbon-based lotion. The use of pulsing light allows the hair follicle to be heated up more quickly thereby exposing the skin less to potentially damaging heat.

Although laser hair removal is an effective method for removing unwanted hair, the process is fairly expensive compared to other hair removal options. This is especially so when multiple sessions are required to obtain optimal results. For some areas such as the face, removing facial hair could cost around $1,000 or more lengthy procedures such as removing hair from the back or legs can cost around $3,000 for a series of treatments.

Before you decide on parting with your hard-earned cash on laser hair removal, make sure you do a thorough research on a professional clinic with a good reputation for hair removal procedures. Do a search on the clinic and the doctor who will be carrying out the procedure and check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if there are any complaints filed against the clinic.

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Both Ray Baker & Tamsin Gray are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Ray Baker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Interest, Hair Removal and Education. Ray Baker writes about medical issues for The Guide where you'll find helpful articles, information and advice about. Ray Baker's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.

Tamsin Gray has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Skin Care and Hair Removal. Learn more about and get tips on. Tamsin Gray's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.