Laser Hair Removal Is A Lasting Answer

by Thomas Tooma

Are you embarrassed by unwanted hair? Some people could care less if their leg hair was long enough to style, others go into hiding if they forget to pluck the stray hair growing from their chin. If you want to get rid of unwantedbody or facial hair, there are a few choices, some of which are more or less permanent. Probably the best is laser hair removal. Laser hair removal has grown in favor since it came out in the 1990's, and many swear it delivers the longest lasting hair removal. As with any optional procedure, however, you should weigh all of your options before undergoing laser hair removal.

Alternatives to laser hair removal are shaving (repetitive but effective and economical in the short run), electrolysis, or using an epilator. Electrolysis is the moreuncomfortable of the latter two, and can cause damage to delicate skin. It is also a slow procedure which works better for limited areas like the upper lip or the eyebrows. Eventually, with electrolysis, the hair returns. An epilator causes less discomfort and has the advantage of being portable. Women often use an epilator on more sensitive skin.

Laser hair removal is a more permanent solution than any of the above. In laser hair removal, the hair follicle takes in more and more laser light energy, eventually destroying the follicle and removing the hair. Laser hair removal is more efficient than electrolysis in taking the hair off wider areas of the body, such as a man's back. It is good for small areas as well.

There are a couple of considerations with laser hair removal. First, it works best on those whose hair shade is darker than their skin color. Also, recent attempts at hair removal or a few sessions in the tanning bed can undermine the successfulness of laser hair removal. There are few sides effects to consider, however, but they endure only a short period of time. Some blistering and redness of the area can be expected as well as dark bumps as the follicles expire. Again, all fade quickly. Finally, some hair may eventually grow back, but it is often thinner and lighter.

Laser hair removal can be an excellent choice for many men and women who are perpetually bothered by hair in embarassing places. It is usually a very affordable solution.

About the Author
Ashworth University

Hair Removal Techniques and Methods by Juliet Cohen

Modern day technology comes with ways to eliminate excess hair. Of course, the obvious solution is waxing. This is a huge industry that includes razors, bleach and treatment clinics. Every year, billions of dollars are being spent to develop new methods and new techniques for removing hair. But when all options shaving, waxing and tweezing exhausted, where should ugly women, as well as beautiful women looking for the answers? Electrolysis is a process that removes hair permanently. The process destroys the hair follicles individually and decide the return of the hair growth. This process is achieved by inserting a thin probe into the hair follicle. We must be very careful when inserting the probe so as not to pierce the skin in the process. When the integration is done, an electric current is allowed to pass through. This current reaches the end of the probe, which allows a chemical reaction that makes the molecules of water and salt to change laundry. That makes washing the hair loose. Damage base of the hair follicle has suffered is permanent. The hair is then gently removed with tweezers.

The process is repeated for each hair follicle, which must be removed. This is a very common method - promoted by both women and beautiful ugly - to remove hair permanently, but it is quite expensive. It is not recommended to remove hair permanently in large areas. What you should seriously consider consultation with a technician with prior experience: if the operation is not carried out properly, the damage it can do for your skin is dry and irreparable can grow back again. The thermolysis process involves the insertion of a probe in the same manner as electrolysis. However, the process is different, because the water molecules in the follicle move to produce heat after the probe is inserted. The heat that is produced can destroy the basis that prevents hair growth in the future. Although this method is faster than electrolysis, it is less effective. Again, consult an expert is proof of the necessary caution: this method can also cause burns and scars. However, the ugly people, as well as the most beautiful have other options for permanent hair removal: the laser and the method of intense pulsed light with radio frequency method.

The method uses the laser laser bursts, which are attracted by the colour in the hair follicle to penetrate the skin and damage, which prevents regeneration. This is a sure way to remove unwanted hair, leaving the skin intact around him. But the old ruby lasers are not so effective on people with dark skin or people with a slight hair. But the new age laser diodes are more effective for a wider range of types of skin and hair. The new generation of hair removal techniques is intense pulsed light with radio frequencies. This method uses pulses of light energy alternating with radio frequencies. Light is also attracted by the hair follicle, but the radio frequency follows light and neutralizes the follicle. Only intense pulsed light can cause a certain amount of pain, but alternate with radio frequency is a lot safer and more efficient. These are the solutions that people can adopt laid trying to remove hair permanently. Ugly women might be interested to remove hair permanently laid most of the men, because fewer women have ugly hair, the better they feel.

About the Author
Get information on hair styles tips and hair trends in our hairstyles magazine, including sections dealing with bob hairstyles and girls hairstyles.

Why Doesn’t Laser Hair Removal Always Permanently Remove Hair?

Submitted By: Jim McDonald

Laser Hair Removal is now one of the most common ways to get rid of unwanted hair, and done right, can definitely provide permanent hair removal. But the capability of Laser Hair Removal is reliant upon numerous factors, including (i) the variety of laser being used, (ii) the color of your hair, (iii) the color / variety of your skin and (iv) the phase of the hair in the hair growth cycle.

Today there is at least 5 types of laser that are used for hair removal. Your skin type and you hair color will help to determine the most effective laser for you. And even if you get it all correct, you still might not be left with permanent hair removal in a short period of time. You see, the answer lies in the hair growth cycle, and more explicitly, what phase of the cycle your problem hair is in.... sounds baffling - it is !

Before we learn about the hair growth cycle, it is imperative to understand just how Laser Hair Removal really works. That is, to appreciate literally how you can accomplish permanent hair removal, acquiring an insight into the laser process is crucial.

The laser process doesn't actually physically remove the unwanted hair. The energy from the laser literally travels through the skin, and is drawn in by the pigment in the hair follicle and shaft. When this energy is drawn into a hair, the follicles are damaged, which then impairs that specific hairs capability to grow. Eventually the hair will fall out, usually within a matter of weeks.

Getting knowledge of how the laser operates is essential. You need to always remember that the laser doesn't just make the hair fall out on the spot. It actually impairs the capacity of a hair to grow, causing it to eventually fall out. Now that we have a brief understanding of how the laser performs, it is time to get an understanding of how the hair growth cycle affects the permanency of laser hair removal.

If the hair is in the wrong stage of the growth cycle, the laser might not provide permanent removal after a first treatment. You see, the hair growth cycle comprises three stages, and the permanent nature of Laser Hair Removal is more predictable when the hair is in one stage specifically - the growth stage.

A hair will go through 3 stages in its lifetime : (1) Active/Anagen (2) Regressive/Catagen (3) Resting/Telogen. Laser hair removal is more effectual in the Anagen stage where the hair contains the most pigment, and is most sensitive to the laser light. If the laser treatment is applied when the hair is in either of the 2 other stages, then the possibility of permanent hair removal is lesser.

Everyone's hair grows differently, and factors affecting hair growth include: age, weight, metabolism, hormones, genetics, medications and environmental influences. However, disregardful of how these factors act on individual hair growth, hair itself grows through three differing phases:

1. The ACTIVE or ANAGEN growth phase, consists of approximately 85 % of our body hair at any given moment in time and can last up to several years. During this stage, the hair shaft and follicle has an accumulation of pigment and is most affected by the laser light.

2. The REGRESSIVE or CATAGEN phase is the stage during which the hair stops growing but is not yet shed. This phase often lasts a few weeks comprising about 3 - 4% of our total body hair at any given moment in time. The laser will work in this stage, but if it is late in this part of the cycle, a new hair might already be coming through and the new hair will not be affected by the laser.

3. The RESTING or TELOGEN phase lasts 5 - 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and the new hair becomes visible. The new hair might not be affected by the laser because it will not have pigment in it yet, remembering that the laser actually relies on the pigment to find the hair. Approximately 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time.

Getting an appreciation of the hair growth cycle leads to the ultimate question, "Is it possible to get permanent hair removal?" The answer is Yes, Laser Hair Removal can certainly provide a level of permanence. As you can see, if a hair in the Active/Anagen stage is revealed to the laser, then that hair will most probably be killed permanently. If a hair that is in either of the other 2 stages is revealed to the laser, then that hair will most probably be killed, but the new hair coming through will still carry on growing.

So to get permanent removal of your unwanted hair, you will more than likely need a number of laser sessions. You could be lucky - your first Laser hair removal session will permanently remove all of your unwanted hair, but the expectation is that you will need a number of sessions at set intervals to ensure that you get to the hair when it is in the first stage of growth. And that's all there really is to know, permanent Laser Hair Removal is definitely realizable !

About the Author:
Laser hair removal permanently removes un-wanted body hair by targeting the follicles or root of growing hair. For further information please visit http://www.permanent-hair-removal-laser.com

Laser Hair Removal - Treatment For Permanent Hair Removal

Submitted By: Jim McDonald

The desire for permanent hair removal in both men and women has created a worldwide craze - Laser Hair Removal. People are queuing up at clinics around the world hoping for the miracle cure to rid themselves permanently of hair in undesirable places. But for permanent hair reduction, the bare reality is that it is very rare that just one session of laser treatment will give the desired result. And here’s why:

Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent ?

Some say YES, some say NO. Studies show that the best-known method of achieving permanent hair removal is Laser Hair Removal, and if the procedure is performed correctly (using the right equipment), permanency is definitely possible. That's because laser hair removal actually kills the hair follicle, which impairs it's ability to grow. But you need to get the hair at the right stage in the growth cycle to ensure permanent hair removal, which means that you will need to undergo a number of treatments.

You see, hair grows in 3 stages, and Laser treatment in the first growth stage (Anagen stage) is the best for permanent reduction. Laser treatment in the other 2 stages (Categen and Telogen) can be less effective, because in these stages new hairs are being formed which may not be target-able by the Laser. So for permanency you will need to undergo a number of laser treatments over time to kill all the hair follicles in that region.

Which Growth Stage is Best for Permanent Hair Removal ?

Everyone's hair grows differently, depending on their age, weight, metabolism, hormonal interactions, genetics, medications and environmental influences. Irrespective of this, hair grows in a cycle which has 3 distinct stages, and the ability of the Laser to target and destroy the hair follicle actually depends on the stage of the hair in the growth cycle. That is because the Lasers used in hair removal actually target the pigment in the hair to “zero in” on the hair follicle. In the initial growth stage of hair, there is more pigment in the hair, thus the Laser is more effective.

Following is an overview of the 3 different hair growth cycle stages, and how effective laser treatment is in each of these stages:

The ACTIVE or ANAGEN growth phase (lasts 2-6 years), comprises approximately 85 % of our body hair at any given moment in time. During this ANAGEN phase, the hair shaft and follicle has an abundance of pigment and is most sensitive to the laser light. So in this stage, permanent hair removal is very likely. The Laser will destroy the hair follicle and no new hair will grow.

The REGRESSIVE or CATAGEN phase (lasts 1-2 weeks) is the period during which the hair stops actively growing but is not shed. This phase often lasts several weeks comprising about 3 - 4% of our total body hair at any given time. In the early part of this stage, you can expect the same results as in the ANAGEN stage. But later in this stage, a new hair might already be forming, and because it will have no pigment yet, it won’t be destroyed.

The RESTING or TELOGEN phase lasts 5 - 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and a new hair begins to form. Approximately 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time. Again, the new hair will not have any pigment and the laser will not be able to target it. This new hair will shortly enter the ANAGEN stage, and if it is exposed to a Laser treatment when it has entered the ANAGEN stage, then permanency can be expected.

In summary, each hair on your body will naturally be at a different part of the growth cycle, and that is why it will be necessary in most cases to undergo a number of Laser hair Removal treatments at varying intervals to completely destroy all hair follicles in the region you are targeting. You might be lucky and destroy more than 85% of the hair follicles in the target region with just one treatment, but the statistics point towards needing at least 2 treatments (possibly 3 or more) to totally destroy all hair follicles in any part of the body.

About the Author:
Written by Jim McDonald, a contributing writer for http://www.permanent-hair-removal-laser.com, an informative website about Permanent Laser Hair Removal

Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt?

Submitted By: J Schipper

Permanent hair removal has been available in some form for 125 years; the first electrolysis machine was invented in the late 1800s by an ophthalmologist who used the device to treat ingrown eyelashes (trichiasis). Since then, numerous electrolysis machines have been patented, but no new hair removal technology appeared until lasers entered the consumer market in the 1960s.

While electrolysis is undeniably effective, it can only target one hair at a time. The holy grail of permanent hair removal has always been the bulk treatment of many hair follicles at once. This reduces the time needed to treat an area of skin by a factor of several hundred.

The first lasers used in dermatology in the mid to late 1960s emitted a continuous wave, an impractical feature for hair removal since the beam also damaged adjacent tissue. The development of the Q-switch, similar to a camera shutter, allowed the beam to be emitted in timed pulses.

In the late 60s, early laser hair removal devices targetted individual follicles through a wire-thin fiberoptic probe, later modified into a penlight-type device. These devices were difficult to use, just as electrolysis probes are, and in addition were ineffective at destroying the hair follicle. The FDA forced the removal of these devices from the marketplace due to false advertising.

In a repeat of history, the late 70's saw the introduction of a laser device to treat ingrown eyelashes. This led to the introduction of argon laser equipment to treat unwanted hair elsewhere on the body, but this device also proved to be useless for body hair.

Other dermatologists noticed that lasers used to treat tatoos and vascular lesions produced hair loss in the adjacent tissue, which led to more experiments.

1995 the first FDA-approved laser hair removal device was introduced, the SoftLight by ThermoLase. However, FDA approval does not mean that a device is effective; it just means that according to the FDA's inspectors, it is not acutely dangerous and makes no medicinal claims that have not been substantiated by research.

The SoftLight used a carbon-based lotion which was rubbed into the skin immediately following hair removal by waxing. Theoretically, the lotion would penetrate into the open hair follicle, and then the laser would be applied to heat the accumulated carbon and destroy the follicle. However, this device proved less effective than light devices that targeted the hair follicle pigments naturally present in skin.

The company which produced SoftLight initially made an excellent profit by offering what they claimed was permanent hair removal through a chain of proprietary clinics called Spa Thira. However, by 1997, a medical study which followed treated patients found full hair regrowth, and in 1998 and 1999 successful lawsuits against the company forced it to cease manufacturing the devices.

In 1997, the FDA approved several more devices which target the melanin in the hair follicle. These devices have better results than the earlier versions; however, some are still so new it is difficult to tell if the hair removal is permanent. Of the 9 laser or light-based systems currently being used, 2 of these use non-laser light. The non-laser technologies use columnated light of many wavelengths which the system operator filters to select the wavelength most likely to be absorbed by the melanin in the patient's follicles.

Some consumers claim they have experienced long-lasting hair removal with the newer lasers. The treatments are safe if performed properly, and are useful for large areas such as the back or legs, where electrolysis would be a tedious, painstaking process. Even when hair is not completely removed, it grows back finer and lighter. Light-skinned patients with dark hair have the best results. The treatments are said to be more comfortable than electrolysis, and patients can usually tolerate them without analgesics.

3-4 year results are available for some systems such as pulsed light, but most of the newer machines have not been around long enough for long-term data to be available. Also, light-based devices do not work well on blondes or redheads, or people with dark skin. Untrained technicians can cause burns, lesions, skin discolorations and in some cases scars.

It is important to remember that any permanent hair removal treatment must be repeated several times, over a period of at least 1-2 years. At any given time, most hair follicles are in the dormant stage, not producing any hairs, and if there is no dark hair in a follicle, laser/light systems will not have any effect. However, after a year or two, most follicles will have restarted their growth cycle.

About the Author:
J Shipper is interested in hair removal - Hair Transplant