If you’re tired of the endless struggle against body hair — it seems to grow back immediately after shaving, plucking, or waxing — it’s time to explore laser hair removal treatment. Here’s some information that’s sure to have you ready for swimsuit season if you get started today.
A simple approach to a hairy problem
Annandale Ob-Gyn & Primary Care offers laser hair removal, a cosmetic treatment that uses concentrated beams of light to destroy your unwanted body hair directly at the source: the root. When you damage a hair’s root or follicle, you permanently eliminate the potential for hair growth in the area.
The precise nature of laser technology means your Annandale provider can customize the laser settings specifically for your hair and skin type to get you the best results regardless of your hair coloring, texture, or your skin tone.
Laser hair removal is also safe to use on your entire body from delicate locations like underarms and bikini areas to larger surfaces like backs, legs, and thighs — and there’s no risk of skin damage.
Plan on multiple sessions for smoother, silkier skin
While laser hair removal can permanently prevent hair growth, it takes several sessions to destroy all of the hair follicles in your treatment area. Why? Your hair follicles have a three-part life cycle, including:
- Growth (anagen)
- Regression (catagen)
- Rest (telogen)
An entire hair shaft is produced from root to tip during the growth cycle. Throughout the regression and rest cycles, hair growth resets, and stem cells wait for the signal to grow a new hair shaft. Only a hair follicle in the growth cycle can be permanently disabled.
While it may seem like your hair grows at the same rate, your hair follicles are in various growth cycle stages, so you need multiple treatments to permanently damage all of the follicles in the area.
Depending on the treatment area as well as your hair and skin coloring, you may need six to eight sessions to achieve permanent results.
It takes time to get results
When you’re undergoing multiple laser hair removal treatments, your skin needs time to rest between appointments. Certain areas like your face generally require six to eight weeks between laser treatments, while body hair on your legs or back might require as many as 10-12 weeks.
Fortunately, you can have multiple areas of your body treated at the same time without taking time off in between. Your provider at Annandale Ob-Gyn & Primary Care works directly with you to create a treatment strategy and schedule that provides optimal hair removal results as quickly as possible.
Be prepared for your appointment
When you’re looking for permanent solutions for unwanted body hair, the last thing you want to do is show it all to the world. However, to prepare for your appointment, you have to stop all methods of hair removal for the six weeks leading up to your appointment, whether it’s plucking, waxing, or shaving.
Before treating the entire hair removal location, your provider tests a small area to check your reaction to the laser. Sessions can take 20-60 minutes depending on the size of the hair removal area.
The discomfort associated with laser hair removal varies with each person’s sensitivity. You might experience tingling in the area or a sensation similar to the snapping of a rubber band.
Following your treatment, it’s common to have mild redness, irritation, or tenderness in the area, but you can expect this to fade within a few days. If you’re uncomfortable, applying an ice pack or cool compress can provide relief. Your skin will be sensitive, so you should avoid sun exposure and stay properly hydrated.
You can expect to see benefits of laser hair removal immediately, but best results occur within three months after having multiple treatment sessions.
Get your body ready for swimsuit season. Call Annandale Ob-Gyn & Primary Care or use the online booking tool to schedule an appointment to learn more about laser hair removal.
Author: Dr. Anna Le
