Permanent Hair Removal Article

Laser Hair Removal and Men

Men are as concerned by unwanted hair as women are, and until recently, the only effective hair removal treatments were hair removal creams, waxing, shaving or electrolysis. Today, laser treatments are able to provide more permanent results with less pain.

Lasers hair removal treatment works by destroying the growing hair follicle, rather than by removing hairs, as other treatments do. Laser treatment is particularly good for men, because lasers do not deal individually with hairs, but scan the treatment area. As such lasers are an efficient mechaninsm for the removal of unwanted hair from large areas such as the back.

The benefits of using laser hair removal in comparison with other methods include:

* less skin irritation when compared to other hair removal techniques, particularly when coupled with skin cooling before, during or after treatment;
* a larger area can be covered compared to electrolysis, plucking and waxing;
* relatively quick treatment with long-lasting results; and
* appropriateness for use on all parts of the body, with the exception of the area surrounding the eye.

People often ask how laser treatment differs from electolysis. Electolysis requires a needle to be inserted into each hair follicle, after which an electric shock is administered to burn the follicle and retard its growth. The process is time consuming, as individual hairs are treated in turn. Laser treatments, on the other hand operate via a laser that scans the skin pulsing cool light which targets the melanin in the hair follicle. Laser pulses are destructive to the growth apparatus in the hair follicle, disabling hair growth. Laser treatments may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, dependant on the size of the treatment area. Some clinics claim to be able to treat the entire back in one hour, which compares very favourably with electrolysis, where treatment can take up to 100 hours, with a good deal of pain thrown in!

Laser hair removal treatment is a gentle process. The technician will commmence by cleansing the treatment area, which is then scanned by a laser hand piece. Laser energy passes through the skin (epidermis) to the melanin pigment in the hair follicle. The energy is absorbed by the pigments, where it is transformed into destructive heat, whereby the growth apparatus of the follicle is disabled.

Laser hair removal is an ideal choice for men, as the typically larger treatment areas required by them can be dealt with far more quickly than electrolysis, with more permananent results than shaving, plucking or waxing.