If you are considering laser hair removal to get rid of unwanted body hair, you are most definitely not alone. Laser depilation is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments available, and over a million laser treatments are performed in the US alone every year. However, laser hair removal may not be for everybody, and before deciding if laser depilation is right for you, you'll need to keep in mind the following:
Are You A Good Candidate?
Despite advances on laser equipment, not everybody is a suitable candidate for laser depilation. The best results are achieved on people with fair skin, what is known as skin types 1 and 2. If you always burn and don't tan easily and have naturally fair skin, laser treatment can be the perfect solution to your hair woes provided the hair to be removed is dark. Blonde or red hair doesn't absorb enough energy from the laser for the treatment to be effective.
Can You Afford It?
Laser hair removal provided long lasting hair reduction, and can be cost effective in the long term compared with other depilatory methods, but it is not a cheap procedure by any means. It is important to consider if the convenience of forgetting about removing body hair is worth the effect on your finances. Laser treatments for hair removal require a series of treatments to be effective, as it will only affect hairs that are on a growing phase. This means your treatment can become really expensive if you require more sessions than initially expected.
However, don't be tempted to go for the cheapest options, as the side-effects of laser hair removal can alter your life dramatically and not in a good way. Imagine getting scars and pigmentation instead of hairless skin. That is what you can get if you choose a beauty clinic that doesn't have correctly trained technicians, uses the wrong equipment or doesn't follow safety procedures in order to save money and offer lower prices than the competition.
Does It Fit Your Lifestyle?
In most cases, a full series of laser hair removal treatments can take several months, with a commonly estimated number of 6 to 8 months, with sessions spaced between 4 to 6 weeks depending on the area to be treated. During this time you won't be able to wax or remove that hair, expose the skin to the sun without full sunscreen protection and you will have higher than normal sensitivity on the treated areas. Depending on your lifestyle and the time of the year you choose for your treatment, this can be very disrupting, so make sure laser depilation fits in with your life before you start booking appointments.
If you are researching what is laser hair removal in order to make up your mind, or considering whether the cost for laser hair removal is worth it, think about how much time and money you would save if you didn't have to shave, wax or sugar every few days to keep your body hair free. Laser depilation is an investment that can change your life for the better.