Common Misconceptions of Laser Hair Removal

by Cindy L. Sult, RN |

There are many myths and common misconceptions about laser hair removal. This article clears up some.

It doesn’t work on certain skin/hair types/colors: All skin and hair types can now be successfully treated. There are two categories of lasers: those that target pigment and those that target blood. “Pigment” lasers can only treat clients with great contrast between the skin & hair such as light skin with dark hair. “Blood Supply” lasers (1064 ND:yag) can treat both dark & light skin and hair. Gray/white hair cannot be treated, but advances are continuing.

Laser Hair removal is painful: Newer lasers have more settings and a cooling tip that blows cold air over the area being treated providing natural anesthetic. Laser hair removal is less painful than tweezing, waxing or getting a tattoo. Electrolysis only does one hair at a time while laser does an ‘area’ which includes multiple follicles. So, with laser, the “area” of pain may be larger than electrolysis. However, electrolysis takes much longer—so the pain “time” is increased. Also, there is a much higher incidence of scarring and other issues than with laser.

Lasers are dangerous: When performed by a qualified practitioner, laser hair removal is quite safe. Potential side effects are rare.

Laser hair removal creates more hair: Laser hair removal cannot create more hair than you were genetically born with. If this was the case, bald men would be knocking down doors. We are born with all of our hair follicles in place, but not all follicles are producing at any given age. For example, a woman may get chin whiskers in her mid forties. Hair follicles seem to have a pre-determined time frame. Hair follicles can only be killed during a growth stage. Certain hair is programmed to grow when we are children, when we enter puberty and later in life. If a hair follicle is actively growing, is lasered and the follicle destroyed, that follicle can never produce a hair again. But it didn’t kill the hair from the next follicle that is due to start its growth cycle. Between 10-30 percent of our hair is in a growth phase at any given time (except on our head which is 85%). So while one treatment will kill follicles that are in their active growth phase, multiple treatments will be required to kill all follicles in their various growth phases, usually between 4-10 treatments.

Shaving hair makes your hair thicker and denser: Shaving does not change the type of hair that you grow. Your hair is genetically predetermined to be thick or thin and shaving cannot change this. However, hair that is shaved has a blunt end, which can make it appear thicker.

Laser hair removal is expensive: When you add up a lifetime of razors, shaving cream, bleaching, waxing and electrolysis, not to mention embarrassment, rash and ingrown hairs, it adds up to a lot more than the cost of laser hair removal. Many spas and businesses offer multi-treatment discounts as well as possible financing, sometimes at zero-percent interest.

References:

1. Fotona Medical Lasers – www.fotonamedicallasers.com
2. www.hair.lovetoknow.com/the_myths_of_hair_laser_removal Initial author: Saejo
3. www.allsands.com/health/advice/hairremoval_wuv_gn.htm
4. Livestyles from Yahoo: Top 10 cosmetic treatments misconceptions – part 1-3 interview with Dr. Stephen Mulholland
5. www.laserhairremovalview.com/pages/misconceptions.html

For more info, contact Cosmetic Aesthetics Laser Salon at (775) 622-8505.