For years, pain-free permanent hair reduction procedures rank as the most popular non-invasive aesthetics treatment available today. There are many methods to eliminate unwanted hair, but very few can eliminate hair regrowth while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged. Laser and other light sources remove and prevent the regrowth of hair by using the principle of selective photothermolysis. Older generations of hair removal/reduction procedures were often painful and stressful making it much more like a trip to the dentist rather than a trip to the spa. However, now the new generation of laser hair removal is pain-free as well as long-lasting. Thanks to cutting-edge technology, permanent hair reduction can be added to the list of other relaxing spa services.
Laser hair removal treatment works by passing light through the skin and is absorbed by the melanin in the hair shaft. By raising the temperature of the hair follicle, the laser thermally destroys the cells responsible for regrowth. The wavelength, pulse duration, and power of the laser are chosen to ensure damage to these cells and not to the rest of the skin.
The benefits of permanent hair reduction include the ability of all pigmented hair on all skin types, including tanned skin. It is now a much more comfortable treatment with little to no irritation. Side effects of pain-free permanent hair reduction are also rare and mild. Treatment times are short and customers can return to normal activities immediately following treatments.
Several factors can affect the success of a series of hair removal treatments; but generally after each treatment, customers notice less hair growth in the treated areas. With each treatment, less and less hair grows back until hair reduction is complete. For most areas, 4 – 6 treatments are needed; sometimes more. This is to permanently reduce the number of regrowing hairs by more than 80%, six months after the last treatment. Once the hair follicle is damaged, it cannot grow new hair, thus accomplishing permanent hair reduction.