Everything You Should Know About Laser Hair Removal

The science of hair removal has come a long way. What once was accomplished only by razors, painful waxing, and depilatory creams has now entered a new age of ease and simplicity. Laser hair removal leaves your skin soft and smooth. Read on to find out more.

What’s Involved in Laser Hair Removal?

Two types of lasers are used to rid your body of hair at Nirunda Aesthetic Clinic in Bangkok - diode and YAG lasers. These lasers were developed specifically for hair removal, and have proven to be very effective on different skin types. Diode lasers are often used on people with light to medium skin tones, while the use of YAG lasers is generally used on those with darker skin tones.

Diode lasers were the first lasers developed for hair removal. They were effective at removing dark hair from light-skinned people but were less efficient at treating darker-skinned people or those with light-colored hair. The development of YAG lasers has solved these problems.

Both of these lasers work under the same principle. The lasers are contained in a hand-held device which the technician uses to focus the light at the base of unwanted hair follicles. The pigment in the follicle absorbs the rays of light, and the heat of the ray damages the hair and prevents it from growing back. Multiple treatments are generally required, and they will be scheduled four to eight weeks apart.

Laser Hair Removal Preparations

There are some preparations you should follow to ensure your laser hair removal sessions are effective.

It’s worth noting that laser treatments can’t be performed on recently sunburned or tanned skin because the skin may become hypersensitive, so you should stay out of the sun for at least two weeks before the session.

Avoid using skin products with benzoyl peroxide, retinol, and salicylic acid. These ingredients can increase your skin's photosensitivity and may cause the lasers to burn your skin. Stop using products containing these ingredients 2-3 days before your session.

Lasers target the pigment of the hair in the follicles. If the follicles are damaged by tweezing, waxing or other home treatments, laser hair removal may not work effectively on the damaged follicles.

You'll need to shave the area undergoing laser treatment within 24 hours before your appointment. Leaving unshaven hair in place increases the chance of them being burned by the laser and prevents the laser from reaching the follicles under the skin. If your skin is sensitive to shaving, you may want to shave well before the appointment to leave enough time for any irritation to subside.

Be sure to arrive for your laser treatment with clean skin free of creams, oils, deodorants, makeup or sunscreen. The technician will apply a layer of cooling gel to the treatment area before the session begins.