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Nah, I can’t wear that tonight, I haven’t waxed! Still using the traditional methods of hair removal? It’s time for a revolution!
In today’s era, most of us want to look beautiful, and for that, we try to do everything possible. One of the most important things on which we have to work on is body hair. Luckily, we have many methods to get rid of our unwanted hair.
And one of the most prominent and permanent methods is laser treatment.1 It is a treatment that removes unwanted hair from your body for a long period.
Generally, it is used to remove hair from the legs, bikini area, upper lip, underarms, and back. But what exactly is laser treatment? Is laser hair removal painful? Does it burn the skin? Read on to know everything!
1. Is Laser Hair Removal Painful?
Yes, laser hair removal is painful but the question is how painful is it? If you have done waxing then this pain will be lesser than that.
People describe it as easier than waxing but time-consuming. You can feel mild sunburn2, skin irritation, and the rubber band snapping and depending upon your skin type and the place of hair removal you can feel different things.
In your first treatment, you will feel the pain but after multiple treatments, you will get used to this. It requires about six treatments and more to give you permanent results.
If you will go to a good dermatologist3 for your laser hair removal then they will do all the procedures in a manner that you will feel less pain.
2. How Much Pain is Felt on Different Parts of the Body?
Laser hair removal creates more discomfort in sensitive areas. The pain depends on your skin type, skin colour, how much hair is to be removed, and the part of your body. If you have dark hair then you can feel more pain.
Let’s know one by one how much laser hair removal hurt in different areas.
a) On Face
Your face is a very sensitive part of your body, And in your face, your upper lip is the most sensitive area. You can feel the rubber band snapping very quickly on this part.
Other parts of the face comparatively feel less discomfort due to thicker skin such as cheeks, chin, and sideburns.
b) On Underarms
Underarms are also a very sensitive part of your body. But even here, laser hair removal can show you such a good result with less discomfort than waxing.
A deep needle sensation can be felt but the results will be pretty effective. You can also reduce discomfort by applying numbing cream.
After multiple sessions, your hair growth will stop for long periods, or in some cases, people get permanent hair removal also.
c) On Legs
You will not feel much pain in your legs, but you can feel a minor stinging sensation on the skin. You will easily manage this pain.
d) On Bikini line
It is also a very sensitive part like the underarms and you will feel pain but this discomfort can give you long-term results.
On a bikini line, waxing can be very painful. In contrast, laser hair removal will show you excellent results with fewer skin infections. Numbing cream can also be used to reduce discomfort.
e) On the Stomach
The pain is minimal and tolerable.
f) On Arms
Here the pain is quite low because of the thick skin. You may feel a weak rubber band snapping in your skin, however.
g) On Back
The skin and the amount of hair growth on the back make it sensitive. It may be painful if you are removing a lot of hair.
3. Pre Treatment Precautions
- Get enough sleep
- Drink plenty of water
- Don’t do waxing before ten days of your treatment
- Shave before laser hair removal treatments
4. Post Treatment Precautions
- Cover your treated area
- Don’t get sun exposure
- You can follow your normal skincare routine
Other Prominent Hair Removal Methods
Laser hair removal is very costly, making it inaccessible. So, some of the other hair removal methods are:
1) Waxing
It is a process in which you apply hot wax to your skin. You will feel a lot of pain and after the procedure, you may get skin irritation, red bumps, etc.
You can prefer waxing if you do have not the budget for laser treatments but you only want to do this every few weeks.
2) Shaving
It is one of the easiest and most painless procedures for removing hair safely. And generally, most people prefer shaving because you can do it on your own and if done correctly, then you will not get any cuts. It also does not have any side effects.
3) Plucking
In plucking, we remove the hair by using thread. It is also quite a painful and time taking procedure.
4) Electrolysis
Electrolysis4 is similar to laser hair removal but it is more painful, although it costs lesser than laser removal.
A small wire is inserted into the skin’s surface-level hair follicle. The hair root is destroyed by an electric current that travels down the wire to the base of the follicle.
5) Hair Removal Creams
In this procedure, we use a cream or gel and apply it to the affected part and after some time the hair gets removed from there.
It has many side effects because of the use of chemicals. Watch this short animation video to know how laser hair removal is different.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is the first laser hair removal the most painful?
The initial two treatments are usually the most painful.
2. How do you prepare for laser hair removal pain?
Skipping both alcohol and caffeine is usually a good idea because both can dehydrate your body and decrease your pain threshold. Drink plenty of water to rid your system of coffee and alcohol.
3. What is the most painful area for laser hair removal?
Considering the skin of your upper lip is thinner than everywhere else on your face, it is undoubtedly the most uncomfortable location.
Takeaways
Laser hair removal can be a safe choice for the removal of unwanted hair. It depends on person to person how much pain they will feel and how much is their pain tolerance capacity.
You can get permanent results after multiple treatments. After the first treatment, the hair follicles5 become weak and grow back very thin, it also slows the growth of hairs.
But, before taking any step, consult your doctor and think it through!
Book your treatment here.
- Sadighha, Afshin, and Golnaz Mohaghegh zahed. “Meta-analysis of hair removal laser trials.” Lasers in medical science 24 (2009): 21-25. ↩︎
- Daniels, Farrington, Jan C. van der Leun, and Brian E. Johnson. “Sunburn.” Scientific American 219.1 (1968): 38-47. ↩︎
- Wagner Jr, Richard F., et al. “Dermatologist and electrologist perspectives on laser procedures by nonphysicians.” Dermatologic surgery 26.8 (2000): 723-727. ↩︎
- Richards, Robert N., and Gay E. Meharg. “Electrolysis: observations from 13 years and 140,000 hours of experience.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 33.4 (1995): 662-666. ↩︎
- Krause, Karoline, and Kerstin Foitzik. “Biology of the hair follicle: the basics.” Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery. Vol. 25. No. 1. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co., c1996-, 2006. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Muskan Mishra
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