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Hair removal offers
If a woman shaves her legs 11,000 times in her life, just imagine the money spent on razors, let alone the time. Frustratingly, shaving doesn’t even last, with many women feeling the early stubble by the end of the day. Waxing is an alternative which lasts longer, but also costs more and can also cause uncomfortable and unsightly in-growing hairs.
Laser hair removal offers the genuine promise of being “hair free”.
The treatment works by destroying the hair follicle with a beam of concentrated light. The pigment in the hair follicle is selectively heated and damaged, so that the hair literally falls out and doesn’t re-grow. Since the laser only works on an active hair follicle, the treatment is normally carried out as a course of around 6 sessions in order to treat all the follicles at their different stages in the growth cycle. After that, patients can generally expect to be up to 95% “hair free” and only a quick whiz with the razor every couple of weeks is required.
Laser hair removal also suits “problem” hair issues such as in-growing hairs, or excessive facial or body hair. No wonder it is so popular.
However, medical professionals are warning that this popularity could come at a cost. To meet the demand, laser hair removal, including the popular IPL (intense pulsed light) machines, is now quite widely available; yet the industry remains unregulated and there have been a number of cases of severe burns.
As with all cosmetic treatments, from anti-wrinkle injections and chemical peels to hair colouring, customers should choose their provider very carefully.
Bristol cosmetic doctor, Dr John Quinn, has specialised in Medical Aesthetics since 2005 and has treated literally thousands of patients. His Clifton-based clinic, Q Clinics, offer laser hair removal and skin rejuvenation treatments.
Permanent hair removal
The Hair Removal Journal recently released the results of a poll conducted on their website breaking down the age demographics of people actively searching for laser hair removal.
"...we found the share of young adults (18-29 yr olds) looking to have the procedure performed at its highest levels on record. Of the 1,541 responses in the survey, 61% were in the 18-29 age demographic, up from 43% in 2009. The share of 30-40 year olds has dropped significantly, from 36% to 24%."
What does this information tell us? Perhaps the economic downturn of the last year has hit the 30-40 year old age group harder than the younger generation. After all these are the people more likely to have children and mortgages to consider. Or does it mean that the younger generation has become more susceptible to the pressures of "looking good". I would tend to believe the former.
What is IPL hair removal?
You may have heard of IPL hair removal and wondered what it is as it often often talked of alongside laser hair removal as a permanent method of hair reduction.
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and is actually one of the most common forms of “laser hair removal” used though it doesn’t actually use lasers in the strictest sense of the word!
The difference is that lasers (or Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation) produce a precise high energy beam of light in a single wavelength while Intense Pulsed Light systems use hundreds of different wavelengths of light. The bursts of light in IPL are filtered so that the flashes can be targeted at the hair in as precise a way as lasers would be.
In fact there are very few differences in the effect of laser and IPL hair removal treatment. Both work in the same way. The high energy light (whether from a laser or IPL hair removal machine) is designed to burn the hair and damage the follicle while leaving the skin relatively unscathed. The hair follicle is affected by the light energy heating up the cells at the base of the hair and damaging them causing them (hopefully) to be unable to produce further hair growth.
IPL Hair removal on legs and feet
The benefits of IPL hair removal over lasers are that it treats a much larger area of skin per light pulse than laser hair treatment. It is therefore extremely popular with patients and clinics alike as it is both faster and cheaper without appearing to have any reduction in effectiveness. However the costs of laser hair removal you see quoted are generally those for the IPL form so this reduction has already been taken into account.
Another benefit of IPL over laser treatment is that there is less risk of damage to skin. That’s because the light is sent out in 4 or 5 pulses. The skin heats up less rapidly with each pulse than the darker hair and follicle and cools down faster between pulses resulting in damage to the hair follicle but not to the surrounding skin. Skin is generally treated with a cooling gel to reduce any burning sensation too.
While it will always be easier to treat patients with fair skin and dark hair (where the difference in hair and skin color is greatest) some IPL machines have been designed to deal with different skin colors these days.
The problem with treating other shades of hair is that it is the melanin in dark hair which absorbs the heat from the IPL machine. If you have blond or gray hair it has very little melanin to absorb the heat energy and so it does not get destroyed.
If you have dark, olive or tanned skin then the skin will also absorb some of the heat energy and may get damaged. This has been tackled by controlling the light in different ways for different skin types. Your treatment will probably take longer than someone who has fair skin and dark hair but it is now possible. Make sure you discuss these details during the initial consultation to ensure that the treatment and machine being proposed for IPL hair removal treatment are matched to your specific requirements.
Unfortunately just as with laser hair removal treatment IPL only damages follicles that are in their growth phase. This means that each Intense Pulsed Light treatment will only be effective on about 60% of the hair follicles that are actively growing at that time. (This percentage varies a little across different parts of the body). You have to rely on further IPL hair removal treatments to tackle the remaining hair. This means that everyone needs a course of at least 3 treatments and possibly 6 to 8 for best results.
Affordable, quality laser hair removal
Laser hair removal is a very popular form of hair removal. This is because it is very safe, and the patient experiences little pain or in some cases, no pain at all. Laser hair removal also produces permanent results.
A number of factors influence the cost of laser hair removal. This includes things like, the type of clinic you use, its location, the area of skin you need treated, etc.
However, you CAN get affordable laser hair removal treatments from professional salons and clinics.
Some clinics allow you to spread the cost. A laser hair removal should be free in most places. This allows you to check out the facilities and the treatment and talk through the breakdown of the costs. Most places will ask you for a deposit and then you can spread the cost over several months. As hair removal sessions usually last around 8 weeks, you can expect to pay over this kind of time frame too.
You should always use a professional laser hair removal clinic. This is because you want your procedure to be safe and effective. Laser hair removal cannot be done on people with tanned skin and some hair types also aren’t effective. Your hair removal salon should carry out an in-depth consultation with you about this.
Your cost also depends on the area of skin you need treated. You might want to only have the top of your legs done, and then get the bottoms done six months later. This can help you to afford the treatment. For most women, laser hair removal is usually carried out on the legs, arms, bikini line and face. In men this is different. They usually like to see laser hair removal on the chest, face, ears and back. A number of sessions may also be necessary, in which case the cost factor may also come into play here. Laser hair removal is charged on the basis of a session. The laser hair removal cost is not covered by health insurance companies so you need to discuss with the clinic which affordable laser hair removal procedure you can afford.
We cannot estimate your costs, as each session and person is unique – as well as each clinic! You need to check which affordable laser hair removal clinics and procedures apply to where you live as well as setting your own budget and sticking to it.
Ten facts about laser hair removal
If, like many people across the UK, you are tired of shaving or waxing then perhaps you should try something more permanent, and more effective. This includes treatments such as laser hair removal.
Here are some quick facts about laser hair removal that you probably did not know:
1. Laser hair removal is not suitable for everyone. Some skin types give the best results, like people with light skin and also those who have dark and coarse hair. This is because the laser hair removal procedure targets darker hair on light so tanned skin does not always give great results.
2. The more popular areas for getting laser hair removal include the lips, armpits, groin, legs and chest; men also like to sometimes have their back treated.
3. The length of the course of treatment depends on the area and skin and hair colour; this is usually around 6 to 8 sessions on most people.
4. Some people are not aware of laser hair removal side effects. This may include blistering or scarring. You should speak to your consultant about this.
5. The cheapest clinics do not provide the best results and they may not even be regulated so be careful who you choose. You should do your research carefully and take your time.
6. You should expect a detailed consultation which is expected to last 30-45 minutes about your specific laser hair removal. This shows your clinic is professional.
7. You should avoid the sun, tanning and fake tan before treatment. You should not bleach or wax the area for several weeks before treatment.
8. Laser hair removal is a highly skilled treatment which works by beaming a laser through the skin where the hair follicle growth is.
9. During your laser hair removal treatment, patients may feel slight discomfort if they don’t have a cooling device.
10. After the laser hair removal treatment, makeup can be used straight away but perfumed products should be avoided. Tanning products and tan beds should also be avoided for several weeks. After the treatment you can see the dead hair which comes out naturally. There will still be some hair that isn’t treated by laser hair removal which is why several sessions must be attended before full effectiveness is felt.