Is Laser Hair Removal For You? General Information on Laser Hair Removal

Body Hair and Androgen

Some women suffer from the embarrassing physical appearance of too much body hair. But it is actually more than just a physical appearance. Doctors says that it is usually caused by the presence of too much androgen in a woman’s body. Androgen is a male hormone that every woman has a little bit of. In women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, androgen levels will be too high in their blood stream. This hormone causes male like characteristics to appear on a woman’s body, like excess body hair among other things.

Hair Removal and American Culture

Even women with normal amounts of hair on their body may want it removed in certain places. A smooth, sleek appearance of the skin is considered in the American culture to be more attractive. Women in Europe may not mind hairy armpits, but in other countries, hair in certain places on a female’s body is considered unappealing. Facial, arm and underarm, bikini area, legs and breast hair are common places where women wish to have the hair removed in order to feel prettier and more feminine.

Hair Removal Systems

There are many different types of hair removal systems. Shaving is probably the most common and it is pretty cheap in comparison to some other methods. However, it has to be done pretty much daily and with the busy and hectic schedules that most women in our society have today, shaving becomes a tedious, tiring and bothersome part of every woman’s routine. There are also a few other methods of hair removal, like waxing, tweezing, cream hair removal systems and laser hair removal. Waxing involves applying hot wax to the skin and then ripping off the hair with a strip of material stuck to the skin. It can be painful. Tweezing is simply not practical for anything other than eyebrows due to the pain and time involved. Cream hair removal systems have been known to cause allergic reactions on the skin and then they can no longer be used.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal involves the use of laser energy to produce the reduction and eventual permanent removal of hair. These lasers are used by a dermatologist in an office or clinic setting and they produce pulses of high energy light of a single wavelength. To accomplish the removal of hair, this laser device is directed toward the hair, specifically the melanin pigment within the hair shaft and produces heat within the hair. This heat transfers down to the hair follicle. This in turn will inflame the follicle sending a signal to the follicle to stop or at least slow its growth.

It is very important that the procedure is done by a skilled and experienced dermatologist, because it can be easy to damage the skin surrounding the hair follicle. The laser light must not be left on so long that that the heat spreads to the skin nearby. Darker skin is especially susceptible to damage in this way. To prevent damage of the skin, different types of lasers are used for different types of skin and different thicknesses of hair. Even if the nearby skin is not damaged, there is a certain amount of discomfort experienced with the first treatment.

The Price of Laser Hair Removal

The average price for one treatment is usually about $450 and three treatments are recommended to keep hair growth at bay for several months. Prices also vary depending on the part of the body needing treatment. The face is more expensive than underarms and back hair is more expensive than the bikini area. Most clinics will offer packages of treatments and special pricing for more areas purchased.