Nowadays, no one will argue with the statement about the importance of healthy, beautiful and, most importantly, smooth skin. In no other way - at least with regard to women. How often are men "moaning" about the inconvenience of the daily shaving routine! But few people think that at least 80% of women experience serious difficulties in dealing with increased hair growth in areas that are considered undesirable for this. At the same time, 40% of the fair sex suffer real torment.
The most commonly called problems associated with hair removal are painfulness of the procedure, short duration of the effect, ingrown hairs and permanent irritation of the skin. A familiar picture? Well, let's talk about an alternative solution - laser hair removal.
What will it be about?
A relatively young procedure - laser hair removal - removes hair from certain parts of the body by the precise action of a laser beam. To understand its mechanism, one should seriously delve into the basics of the school physics course. In our article, we do not pose a similar problem. Consider only the main effects in their sequence.
The laser effect on the melanin contained in the hair destroys both the follicles and the hair shaft itself. How does this happen? The follicle, absorbing a light wave and heating up at the same time, is destroyed by excessive heat. This is due to the fact that melanin has the ability to convert absorbed light energy into heat. As a result, hair after laser hair removal no longer grows - their follicles died.
It is important to remember a number of nuances in order to maximize the effect of laser hair removal. The optimal result from the procedure can be obtained while taking into account the three most important components, namely:
- Your own skin type (which is related to the amount of melanin).
- Type of laser.
- Stages of hair growth.
Let's talk more about each of the three above parameters. The decisive of them when choosing an apparatus for laser hair removal is the first - skin type. There are several of them, conditionally we can talk about six different types - from the lightest to the most dark.
The first - the Eastern European type - includes people with skin of the lightest color, almost "transparent". As a rule, his representatives have green eyes and red hair. The second type - Scandinavian - has pale-skinned people with blue eyes and a light shade of hair. Further, we can talk about the Mediterranean type. The characteristic features of its representatives are a little dark skin, brown hair and brown eyes. If you have an Asian type of skin, then the shade of it can most likely be called very dark. You easily sunbathe and easily tolerate the sun's rays. The fifth type is the skin with a deep dark complexion (more than just dark skin). The very last type - black - is made up of representatives of humanity with extremely dark skin.
About types of devices
What are the varieties of lasers used for hair removal? They differ mainly in wavelength. This indicator determines the depth of radiation penetration. The main types of lasers are as follows:
Ruby. Its wavelength is 694 nm. It has the smallest penetration depth among all existing ones (no more than 1-2 mm). The target ("target") is only the melanin contained in the follicles. The effect of such a laser is shown to people with dark hair requiring light hair removal. The expected effect is a reduction in the growth of unwanted hairs after a single procedure by about 20-60% or after the course by 50-78%.
To whom is this option contraindicated? Laser hair removal of blond hair is not always successful for them. A ray of this type may not “find” hair if it is a light shade. It is not recommended to use this device with dark or tanned skin. This is due to the large amount of melanin contained in it, the impact on which can lead to damage to the skin.
Another type of laser is alexandrite, with a wavelength of 755 nm. The speed of its action is higher than that of the previous one. That is, at the same time, it is possible to process a larger area of the skin. It leads to a reduction in unwanted hair growth after a single procedure by 40-56%, and after their course - by 33-95%. The darker the shade of your body, the more you run the risk of getting swelling or causing a change in pigment. Contraindications exist for those with skin of the fifth or sixth type. They run the risk of getting a burn, which may result in hyper- or hypopigmentation.
The next type of laser is diode. Its wavelength is 810 nm. Working with it involves a long exposure with a sufficiently long exposure time. This is fraught with thermal damage to the skin, sometimes even the simultaneous use of a coolant does not save. The procedure using such a laser is shown to people with dark hair and dark skin. It is expected that hair growth will be reduced by 32-34% after a single procedure and approximately 84% at the end of the course. This type of device is contraindicated for those who have red and blond hair.
The last of the lasers proposed for use is a long-pulse type (wavelength - 1064 nm). It is able to penetrate deep into 8 mm. The absorption of the beam by the follicles is weaker. Eliminate this obstacle by rubbing into the skin of a coal suspension, "clogging" the follicle. Tiny particles of coal are susceptible to "explosion" under the influence of heat with the simultaneous destruction of the hair follicle.
This method is considered the most acceptable for those who have the darkest skin. It leads to hair loss in the amount of 27-53%. It is also contraindicated for people with fair skin and dark hair, like the first two options.
Laser hair removal - when does hair fall out?
Why is it impossible to kill all hair after the first laser hair removal procedure? The fact is that each hair in its growth passes successively three certain stages - anagen (or direct growth), catagen (an intermediate stage when hair growth stops) and telagen (loss). The first of these stages is characterized by the maximum filling of the follicle with melanin. It was at this time that the effect of laser hair removal would be maximized. That is, this is exactly the stage when the hair falls out after laser hair removal as intensely as possible.
On each of the skin areas, the growth of all hair does not occur synchronously, but differently - some are in the growth stage, while others are in the resting stage. Only the first type of hair will die after laser hair removal. According to scientific studies, only 20-30% of all hair falls into the anagen phase. The exception is the region of the upper lip. On it, the proportion of growing hair is about 65%. That is why achieving the desired effect requires repeating the procedure several times at intervals of about 6-8 weeks.
Let's talk about the benefits of laser hair removal
You can talk about the safety of this procedure in the case of a correctly selected laser type, taking into account all the recommendations, the absence of contraindications and cooperation with a competent specialist who has high-quality equipment. In this case, laser hair removal will be truly safe. Doubters should be reassured - the laser cannot penetrate deeper than the subcutaneous layer of fiber and has no effect on internal organs.
Another important advantage is the follicle destruction rate. Several of them are processed at a time.
Another advantage of the procedure should be called relative painlessness. Sometimes a little discomfort is possible.
Of course, the procedure cannot be called too affordable financially, but nowadays the price level is already becoming acceptable, especially considering that laser hair removal can really get rid of hair once and for all.
About contraindications
What contraindications exist for this procedure? Unfortunately, it does not suit everyone. The following are absolute contraindications for laser hair removal:
- The presence of malignant neoplasms on the skin.
- Existing skin diseases (acute or chronic).
- Active form of pulmonary tuberculosis.
- IHD (coronary heart disease) or severe hypertension.
- The defeat of the alleged treatment of a part of the body with varicose veins.
Among the relative contraindications requiring mandatory consultation with a doctor, you can name:
- Pregnancy.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Toxic diffuse goiter.
- Photodermatitis.
What is the correct preparation for the procedure?
2 weeks before the scheduled date of laser hair removal, you should categorically avoid the sun and do not use tanning. Hair before laser hair removal should be shaved (or apply a depilation cream) about 3 days before the date of the procedure. You should not resort to mechanical removal (for example, using wax) - you will lose the desired effect. It will be optimal if, on the day of the procedure, the hair length for laser hair removal is 1-3 mm.
Before the procedure itself, you should cleanse the skin of any cosmetic and anesthetics with water and tampons, then you need to wait until it completely dries. As an important precaution, it is necessary to mention the need to wear special glasses to protect the eyes from the laser, which is very dangerous for them.
How is everything going
Upon completion of preparation, we proceed to the actual procedure. What does laser hair removal look like ?
How painful is this? Much depends on the degree of your individual sensitivity, as well as the effectiveness of the cooling system used. But severe pain should not be expected. The range of sensations, as a rule, varies from the absolute absence of pain (most often) to discomfort, expressed quite moderately. Severe pain is usually not discussed.
Laser hair removal involves cooling the skin to reduce discomfort and minimize the risk of damage to its skin. Any cosmetology laser must have a special cooling device built into its tip. Such can exist in the form of a stream of cold air, a nebulizer of cryogenic substance or cooling with sapphire.
The procedure of laser hair removal itself consists in sequentially applying the nozzle of the device (“laser spot”) on the currently processed skin area. Laser spots are superimposed sequentially one after another, and each intersects with the previous one on no more than a third of the area. When the procedure is completed, a cold compress is applied to the skin. This is done to prevent edema and erythema (long-lasting skin redness).
In case when nevertheless skin damage has occurred, the wounds should be lubricated with antibacterial ointment until complete healing. This is done to avoid infection in them. You should wait for the complete "soothing" of the skin. During this period, you should not expose it to the effects of any cosmetics or tanning.
It should be borne in mind that the result will not be visible immediately. After laser hair removal, hair falls out after a while - immediately after the session, you do not have to wait. The calculation of time for repeated hair removal sessions is performed by a specialist taking into account the individual characteristics of your skin. They take into account factors such as the type of hair, the location of the treated area, the intensity of “hair growth”, and hormonal conditions. On average, the interval between procedures is one and a half to two months.
Most customers are interested in how much hair falls after laser hair removal. You should focus on a period of about a week, although here there are individual options.
Are complications possible after laser hair removal?
This procedure can not be attributed to the number of surgical interventions, but nevertheless certain troubles can sometimes be expected:
- The skin may be “swollen”. This will happen in the event of injury, an excessively large dose of radiation or an excessive overlapping of laser spots on top of each other.
- Scabs can respond to the same damage. Both the first and second variant of complications are found mainly in tanned or dark-skinned clients.
- Perhaps a temporary phenomenon called hyperpigmentation and consists in darkening the skin.
- The opposite effect - hypopigmentation - (that is, the formation of light areas) is sometimes observed in other patients, but this phenomenon is very, very rare, possible only with severe damage to the skin, literally burning it, which is practically impossible when contacting a good specialist.
About cost
What will the procedure cost? Amounts can be very different depending on the area of the surface that is intended for processing. In Moscow, the average price of a procedure for small areas (shoulder, hand, upper lip) is from 1 to 2 thousand rubles. Sites of a larger area (thighs, lower legs, bikini zone) will be stretched by 3-6 thousand rubles. If, for example, we are talking about getting rid of the excessive cover of the male chest or back, on which men also often grow hair, laser hair removal can amount to 7-10 thousand rubles.
Why are women so fond of this kind of struggle with unwanted vegetation on the body? The main reason that outweighs all the inconveniences, shortcomings, expensive price - the duration of the effect. If the procedure is carried out correctly, if everything went well, after laser hair removal, hair grows on unwanted areas for a long (several years) period or leaves your body forever. Thus, you get rid of the unpleasant obligation to constantly take care of the smoothness of your own skin.
In the salons of laser hair removal, reviews and numerous before-and-after photos attract more and more customers. All unanimously claim that a similar effect cannot be achieved by depilation, carried out using a machine or creams.
One of the reasons for this is the disappearance of the probability of ingrown hairs. A similar phenomenon is possible after a procedure carried out using an epilator or a conventional machine. With it, only the upper part of the hair is cut off and quite often skin injury.
Around the procedure for laser hair removal from the very beginning there were many rumors and speculations, the veracity of which is worth a few words. As already mentioned, hair is destroyed by splitting melanin cells. That is why for a long time it was believed that the procedure is shown only to those people whose color type is characterized by high or at least medium contrast. This implies a combination of light or dark skin with light brown or, conversely, dark hair.
In fact, only the first of the above devices (ruby) works according to this principle. Other types of lasers, available to modern masters, allow you to process the skin of absolutely any color type. Most salons have an alexandrite type apparatus with the ability to customize a wide range of hair and skin parameters. That is, laser hair removal of fair hair these days is not a problem.
In addition, there are devices that combine a laser with electric current and are able to affect deeply located hair follicles. And another thing: with the so-called “cold” hair removal procedure, the beam works at an increased speed, which leads to a decrease in patient discomfort.
Is laser hair removal possible forever?
The human body itself is programmed by nature to be constantly updated. Places where certain cells are destroyed, after some time acquire similar new ones. That is why it is unlikely that it will be possible to remove absolutely all unwanted hairs once and for all. But this process - restoration of hair growth - is a very long one. And if several procedures are performed in a row, after laser hair removal, hair grows minimally - there is a very strong slowdown in their regeneration. Follicles begin to produce melanin in microscopic amounts.
In practice, this means that new hairs grow thin and very light, downy. On the skin, they are almost invisible. Depending on the genetic characteristics of the body, with the help of a specialist cosmetologist, you can calculate the number of procedures necessary so that further visits to the salon are required no more than once a year (sometimes maintaining the perfect smoothness of the skin requires a repeated procedure once every five years).
The number of sessions that make up a separate course can vary from 2 to 8-10. This is due to the fact that extra hairs that are visible are removed at a time. In this case, between the procedures the body is shown complete rest. Experts advise making such intervals between sessions for at least 21 days. Sometimes, in the presence of certain individual characteristics, a break can be up to 40-45 days. This is done in order to wait for the active phase of growth of as many hairs as possible.
Don't believe the rumors
A number of specialists promise all customers a complete lack of discomfort. But this is not always true. There may be some unpleasant sensations in those individuals who are characterized by a high pain threshold. They should resort to local anesthesia, which is most often used as helium with a base in the form of lidocaine. Most often, this is required when laser hair removal on the face and in the bikini area - the skin there is quite sensitive.
Most rumors are concentrated around the negative effects of laser hair removal on the state of internal organs. Some opponents of the procedure believe that as a result, skin cancer or a malignant formation on the internal organs is possible. But, as already mentioned, the short wavelength of the laser apparatus excludes the possibility of the penetration of the beam to the internal organs and limits it to the upper layers of the epidermis.
Rumors of burns and skin cancer are caused by the fact that the device heats up during the operation of the upper layer of the skin. The accumulated heat is transferred to the cells surrounding the hair bulb. But this effect is only a minor return. The principle of the beam is local. It is directed only at the hair itself. In addition, modern devices, as already mentioned, are equipped with the function of supplying a cooling air stream during the procedure. A slight risk of skin cancer is present only if the patient has cancer.
To whom is this procedure shown more than others?
There are specific categories of people whose real help is possible only thanks to laser hair removal. This is, for example, suffering from hypertrichosis. What it is? This is the name of the disease, accompanied by increased hair growth. It is expressed not only in the speed of the process, but also in the density of the latter and the appearance of unwanted hair growth in completely inappropriate places, for example, on the skin of the face.
Persons of one or another nationality whose hair grows excessively fall into the same category. Laser hair removal is also indicated for people who have a lot of so-called cannon hair. Sometimes they only need a couple of sessions to solve this problem once and for all. A laser is also preferable in cases when it is necessary to work with a large surface of the skin, since processing it is faster than other means and devices.
Useful Tips
What else needs to be considered for someone who has decided on a similar procedure? Do not forget - it is very important that there is no contact with solar radiation in those areas that are planned for processing. If this requirement is not observed, there is a high risk of subsequently age spots. That is why experienced specialists advise clients to resort to the procedure of laser hair removal in the cold season with minimal solar activity.
Of course, you should refuse any visits to the solarium and other procedures related to tanning. 3-5 days before going to the beauty salon, refrain from any cosmetic products containing alcohol. This is due to the fact that laser radiation helps to remove moisture from the skin. The dehydrated layer of the epidermis can begin to peel off strongly. It is for the same reason (and also to avoid unexpected unwanted reactions of the body) that it is forbidden to take tetracycline antibiotics.
Reducing the degree of discomfort during hair removal is directly related to the thoroughness of preparation for the procedure, in particular, with shaving or very short cutting of hairs. After the end of the session, it is also forbidden to use products containing alcohol, or to visit the pool, sauna, bathhouse. The skin, even in the absence of visible redness, is irritated after hair removal, as it has undergone quite serious radiation. It requires careful handling. During the first three days, all the prohibitions and rules listed above apply in all severity. Tanning taboos are valid for at least 2 weeks.
Features of work in various zones
Separate areas for hair removal require a number of conditions. Most of the precautions to be taken are those who intend to process the bikini line. The structural features of this area, together with the sensitivity of the skin make it very difficult to select the ideal option for removing hair on it. Preparing for laser hair removal in this area should be the same, but the hair on the day of the trip to the beautician should be shaved.
As a rule, the skin needs to be anesthetized with a gel or aerosol with lidocaine. Take pills in advance without consulting a doctor should not. The time intervals between the procedures are the same, but sometimes women get by with just one session in connection with the increased sensitivity of this zone. Between laser procedures, a razor or wax should be discarded in order to avoid provoking even more irritation. To soothe the skin, treatment with a cream containing panthenol is indicated within two to three days after the procedures.
On the arms and legs, the effect of laser hair removal does not affect so quickly. Usually, only after the third session of laser hair removal, hair grows in these places more slowly, and their density decreases. The axillary area will serve you for the so-called test. If the laser exposure causes discomfort, you should not go to the rest of the areas.
How long does it all take? If we are talking about the armpit zone, we can talk about 10-15 minutes, about 40 minutes on the legs and arms (individually on each), about 20 minutes on the stomach. Laser hair removal on the face usually takes 10 minutes.
Is an independent procedure possible?
Many women want to know if laser hair removal is possible in the so-called home environment. Theoretically, you can purchase an electric laser epilator, but the cost of such an apparatus is 16-18 thousand rubles, which makes acquiring it not too cost-effective. Such devices "sin" with a small coverage area (about 30 square millimeters or less). Thus, the "cleansing" of a significant area will take a large amount of time. In addition, lasers available to consumers have truncated functionality and are not suitable for everyone.
In addition, it should be noted that carrying out such a procedure requires accuracy and well-known skill. Since we are talking about our health with you, it is allowed to work with a laser only for people with a medical education. The device, which fell into the hands of ordinary consumers, increases the likelihood of risks and possible negative consequences.
Of course, an unqualified specialist, as an exception, can also be found in a salon (sometimes there are impressive photos of the consequences of this in open sources), but still the likelihood of such troubles is several times lower compared to a situation where sophisticated equipment is used by an amateur. Conclusion: a qualitative result of laser hair removal at home can not be expected. If we talk about the salon procedure, then with careful familiarization with all the rules and restrictions and in the presence of a competent medical consultation, the effect can be simply magnificent.