Are you battling with excessive unwanted hair and are sick of fighting it with shaving, waxing, or plucking? Laser hair removal may be the best solution. During the procedure, a laser targets hair follicles and heats them with infrared energy, essentially destroying the bulbs to stop new hairs from growing. Are you considering it, but are worried about the rumors surrounding laser hair removal? Here are four common myths:
1. It removes every single hair.
While not all hair follicles will be destroyed, a large majority of them will be. “It’s really laser hair reduction,” said Kathe Malinowski, lead esthetician and Marketing Manager for Eterna MedSpa & Laser Vein Center. “The treatment thins out follicles and they gradually stop coming in. When a follicle gets really thin, it can be hard for the laser to see the hair. So while 95% of the hair is gone, there may be a straggler hanging around that is hard to get.”
2. It lasts forever.
Hormones play a big part in facial hair growth. “As women age, they start to see new hair growth on their chin,” said Malinowski. “They may have had laser hair removal years before, but now that they are menopausal, new hairs are sprouting up. This is due to hormones, so new treatments will be necessary.”
3. It works on light hair.
While laser hair removal can work on coarse light hair, vellus hair, also referred to as peach fuzz, cannot be targeted as well by the lasers.
4. It takes a long time to heal.
There’s actually no downtime after laser hair removal. “You do, however, need to stay out of the sun, as there is a chance you can develop hyperpigmentation in the treated areas,” said Malinowski.
Wondering if laser hair removal is right for you? Schedule a consultation at Eterna MedSpa to learn more about the treatment.