One of the best beauty treatments I have had is laser hair removal .The most helpful and time saving place I have had laser hair removal is from my underarms.
As soon as you have completed the course and don’t have to shave or wax all the time you realise just how helpful and time saving this treatment really is.
What type of lasers do you recommend?
Cynosure lasers are extremely well documented as being one of the best available in the UK to be used for laser hair removal. Cynosure lasers are award-winning and at Pro Skin Clinics they use the Alexandrite and ND Yag laser heads so that they can treat all skin types, including darker or Asian skin types, not just white skin with dark hair which is normally preferable for a laser treatment. This also means they are able to treat both small areas of hair and larger areas, with the same machine.
The Cynosure Elite laser is a very powerful machine, and, unlike many cheaper lasers, you actually get a very noticeable result after just a few treatments. A lot of salons offer extremely cheap ‘groupon style’ offers but use a very cheap or poor quality laser, so despite having many sessions no hair really seems to be reducing, this is a false economy and I can vouch for the Cynosure machines that this doesn’t happen at all, they are top quality and you get very definite results.
What happens during a session of laser hair removal?
I will assume that you have already had a patch test, and have been deemed OK to have laser hair removal, as this is what should happen at any good laser hair removal place, including Proskin Clinics. On the day of the treatment you shave the area, ready for them to laser it.
First off the person administering the treatment will they check if any medication/pregnancy or other changes have occurred since your patch test. You hop up on the bed and the area being lasered is cleansed and then a gel is applied, this will protect your skin and is also cooling. You are given protective glasses or goggles for your eyes and the nurse/therapist will also wear these too to protect them.
Once the area(s) that you are having lasered have been confirmed the treatment begins. The machine can sound very loud, but do not worry, this is completely normal. The machine looks like a big cabinet with a hose- attachment and the part of the machine that actually touches you is attached to that and is quite small and blows very cold air onto the area being lasered as it can get a bit hot, this cools and slightly numbs the skin so there is no pain.
There is a quick noise each time the laser ‘zaps’ the skin and if you do feel a slight pain (it has been described as a rubber band flicking against the skin type of feeling) then they are happy to stop for a second and let you have a break. The whole treatments are always very quick, I would estimate a few minutes for each underarm, slightly longer for the bikini line (depending on how much hair is being lasered) and also fairly quick for facial hair removal, obviously full body treatments can take a longer time, up to 2.5 hours.
After the first treatment I was so surprised with both how fast and how painless a laser hair removal treatment actually is.
Things to remember when having laser hair removal treatments
- Do not use sunbeds or fake tan on the area being treated
- Wear a high factor SPF if you are in the sun on the areas that have been treated
- Do not wax or epilate the area you are having lasered, it is best to shave.
- Shave the area being treated on the day of the treatment.
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How does the laser actually get rid of the hair?
To eliminate hair, the laser emits a pulse of energy when placed against the skin. This then passes through the skin to the hair follicle. The hair follicle absorbs the energy and is destroyed, rendering it unlikely to grow again.
How many treatments will I need?
Everyone is different and so is their hair and skin. It is said that patients will see results in 4-6 treatments although this does vary based on skin tone, hair colour, hair strength and sheer amount of hair in one area. The person administering your consultation will be able to advise how many they expect it will take.
The hair on your body – underarms, bikini line, female facial hair etc. is different to the hair on your head, arms and legs. One is called Vellus hair and the other Terminal hair. Vellus hair is the fine ‘peach fuzz’ hair that covers the body and is not affected by your hormones, Terminal hair is affected by hormones and therefore Terminal hair does sometimes need upkeep and another laser treatment after your course of laser hair removal is over (for example female facial hair for people with PCOS, bikini line) I have had 8 treatments of laser hair removal on my bikini line but perhaps once a year I do still need another ‘top up’ session as a few bits grow back due to hormones.
What are the costs?
Pro Skin clinics, despite using top quality equipment and staff, are so cheap I was actually quite shocked compared to my previous laser salon. They charge just £49 for a single area and have discounts if you have 2 or 3 areas done at once, you can see all of their prices clearly here http://www.proskinclinics.com/laser-hair-removal/
Overall I really recommend this treatment, it is an expensive investment to start with but you save so much money in the long run.