Laser Hair Removal Ithaca NY: Pros and Cons of the Procedure

Many people have a difficulty in keeping unwanted hair at bay despite trying various hair removal methods. Most of them would address this challenge by removing unwanted hair routinely. Some hair removal processes not only can take your precious time, it can also prove ineffective in giving you a smooth and hairless body.

Tweezing, shaving, and waxing are some hair removal methods that provide temporary effects. On the other hand, laser hair removal is a popular procedure in removing undesirable hair from different parts of the body. If you are planning to undergo this fairly advanced technique, check out laser removal Ithaca NY and the pros and cons.

Laser Hair Removal: What is it?

Laser hair removal is performed by a trained specialist in a clinic. This is done by exposing laser lights into the hair follicles. When the melanin in hair is in focus, the laser burns the hair all the way down into the hair follicle and its root, destroying the hair during the process and prevents future hair growth in that location.

The patient’s skin type and hair color influence this technique’s success in removing hairs. It works on the principle that the hair pigment, not the skin pigment, absorbs light so that the laser only burns the hair follicle and not the skin. Thus, the best results are achieved when the patient has light-colored skin and dark hair.

Pros

Although laser hair removal exists for around two decades already, it took some time for it to be accepted. For now, this technique is already practiced by clinics and dermatologists all over the globe.

Here are the benefits of this procedure:

• Effective

Laser removal provides better efficiency than other methods and removes unwanted hair in desired parts. One session of this method takes only less than one minute. Generally, you will need multiple sessions to experience results. It would take around three to eight treatments depending on the area of the body part.

• Precise

Lasers can remove unwanted hair from different areas of the body including the bikini line, face, arm, leg, underarm, and other places. The technique provides precise results in that it only affects the dark, coarse hair and leaves the surrounding skin unharmed.

• Fast

A pulse of laser uses only a fraction of a second to treat multiple hairs at a time. The laser usually treats an area of the same size as a quarter for each second. Smaller parts of the body can be treated fast while larger parts such as the legs or back can take up longer.

• Protective

Waxing and shaving can also remove hair, but hurts your skin while doing so in forms of nicks and cuts, razor burn or irritated skin, particularly in sensitive areas such as the underarms and bikini line. Waxing can sometimes lead to ingrown hair, which later can become painful and infected. Laser hair removal lets you avoid skin damage brought about by other methods.

• Time-saving

Conventional hair removal methods such as shaving can add time to your daily routine and setting waxing appointments are sometimes expensive and inconvenient. On the contrary, laser removal lets you save time to do other important things.

Cons

Like all other treatments, laser removal of hair also comes with disadvantages. Take a look at the following cons of this technique.

• Selective

A major disadvantage of this technique is that fine and light colored hair cannot be removed with laser hair removal and is usually recommended for patients with dark hair. It is not effective for people with red, gray, white, and blond hair since these colors don’t absorb light well.

Also, patients with dark skin may experience frustrations with this technique. But this technology is being developed further to accommodate patients with light-colored hair.

• Risky

The procedure becomes risky if you happen to deal with an untrained person to use the technique or if the equipment used in the clinic is outdated. Also, there is a greater possibility of skin damage such as when the patient’s skin and hair color have little contrast. A patient may also experience temporary redness, discomfort, and swelling after the procedure, which usually disappears after a few hours.

Final Thoughts

Removing unwanted hair can be time-consuming under traditional hair removal methods. Using laser hair removal is a fast and an effective way to remove hair in different parts of the body while avoiding cuts and skin irritations. Knowing the pros and cons of the procedure will help you decide if it is right for you.