Everybody wants a hair-free, smooth and glowing skin but nobody likes spending time frequently on waxing, tweezing and shaving, more so as these give temporary results and have to be carried out every other day. What is the alternative then to this almost daily chore? It is treatments on laser IPL machines that offer practical and permanent hair removal solutions.
What is Laser?
Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is a very focussed and intense beam of light that is used in a wide range of applications – industries, mapping and communication to name a few. In the medical aesthetics industry, special grade lasers are used that are safe for the human skin.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Laser hair removal is based on the property of laser to transform from light energy to heat energy. Laser, when directed on the area of the body being treated, is attracted to melanin, the pigment at the root of the follicle which gives hair its colour. The dark pigment absorbs the laser beam which then converts to heat and destroys the follicle from the source, thereby preventing further growth. A temperature of 70 degrees has to be reached to destroy a hair follicle. Further, to do so, the bulb of the hair follicle responsible for supplying oxygen to the hair has to be killed along with the stem cells that enable hair regeneration.
Dark and thick hair absorbs more light during the hair removal process. However, if you buy IPL machine, you have to understand the subtle distinction between IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and other laser machines. Light beams from an IPL machine are scattered like an incandescent bulb and are used for dark and coarse hair whereas that from a laser machine has a single focussed beam whose wavelength can be controlled. Hence a laser machine can be used for light coloured hair removal too.
Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent?
Yes, laser hair removal is permanent depending on a number of factors.
- The quality of the machines used plays a significant role in successful permanent hair removal. This treatment is a complex process, best done by trained technicians and experienced professionals. Additionally, the machines have to be of the highest international standards so that there are no side effects. Take the instance of Universal Medical Aesthetic’s IPL hair removal machine. The firm is a leading distributor and supplier of IPL machines in Australia and sources their stocks from top manufacturers from around the world. Permanent hair removal on these machines, therefore, gives excellent results.
- For effective permanent hair removal, you have to go through some sessions of treatments. This is because this procedure works best on growing hairs only. However, all hairs do not always grow evenly. At any given point in time, only about 20 to 40 per cent is in the growing stage while others are in the transition or resting phase. Hence, treatments every 4 weeks for the face and 8 weeks for other parts of the body are required to capture and remove all hair as they enter the growing stage.
- The darker the hair colour, the more will the light be absorbed by melanin. Hence the effectiveness of permanent hair removal treatments is more on dark coloured hair. Those with grey or white hair are not good candidates for laser IPL hair removal. Delicate and light hair is difficult to remove with lasers as there is not enough pigment to absorb the light.
- Another factor is the colour of the skin. Light beams cannot distinguish between the colour of hair and the colour of skin. Dark hair on dark skin means that both will equally absorb light during permanent hair removal which can lead to skin burns. Moreover, if your skin is light in colour, the intensity of beams can be increased by the therapist for hair removal without the surface being affected.
Laser IPL hair removal is an incredibly useful and safe procedure and is today one of the most opted for beauty care treatments in the world.