Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is a medical technique that uses a focused beam of light (laser) to remove unwanted hair.
The laser absorbs the light that is emitted by a laser and targeted at your skin, causing pigment (melanin) in your hair to be destroyed. The light energy is changed to heat, damaging tube-shaped sacs within the skin (hair follicles) that produce hairs. This damage inhibits or delays future hair development.
Though laser hair removal delays hair development for long periods of time, it seldom results in permanent hair loss. To begin with, several laser hair removal treatments are required, and maintenance therapy may be necessary as well. Laser hair removal is most helpful for people who have light skin and dark locks, but it can also be used on all skin types.
Why it's done
Unwanted hair is reduced by using a laser. Treatment areas include the legs, armpits, top lip, chin, and bikini line. Unwanted hair may be treated in almost any region other than the eyelid or surrounding area. Tattoos should not be treated on skin that has been tattooed before.
Hair color and skin type have an impact on laser hair removal. The basic idea is that the pigment in the hair, but not in the skin, should absorb light. Damage to only the hair follicle rather than both the hair and skin is essential for good results.
When contrast between hair and skin color is limited, the risk of damage to the skin is greater; nevertheless, advances in laser technology have made laser hair removal accessible for individuals with darker skin. Laser hair removal works less effectively on colors that don’t reflect light: gray, red, blond, and white. Light-colored hair, on the other hand, is more difficult to remove.
Risks
Side effects are dependent on skin type, hair color, therapy strategy, and compliance with pre- and post-treatment treatment. The following are the most frequent side effects of laser hair removal:
- Irritation and stinging can occur as a result of laser hair removal. Laser hair reduction may produce discomfort, redness, and swelling for a period of time. Any symptoms tend to go away within several hours.
- Changes in pigment. A laser hair removal treatment might darken or lighten the treated skin. These changes may be transitory or permanent. People with darker skin are more likely to have their skin lightened than those who don’t avoid sun exposure before or after laser hair removal treatment.
Blistering, crusting, scarring, or other skin texture changes are uncommon side effects of laser hair removal. Grayness of treated hair or excessive hair growth in treated regions, particularly on darker skin, can also be severe.
Eyelids and surrounding regions are not suitable for laser hair removal due to the potential for severe eye damage.