subject: Laser Hair Removal - General And Basic Cosmetic Enhancement Info [print this page] Both men and women have hair that grows on the body. This hair is ultimately supposed to help protect the body from foreign invaders, such as germs and foreign bodies. That reason is why it grows on arms, legs, and in other areas. Sometimes, however, the hair grows where we do not want it to grow, such as when a stray hair or two grows on a womans chin or on her upper lip. It used to be that the only way you could get rid of such unwanted stray hairs was to pluck them out or to use wax to pull them out. Now, though, laser hair removal is often used to get rid of these stray hairs, or even the hairs on your arms and legs if you desire, permanently.
Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that is most often done by a cosmetic surgeon. This procedure uses laser light, which is a pulsating beam of light that comes from a special machine, to stop hair growth. The laser light targets the hair follicle and when the beam hits the hair follicle, the heat that comes from the beam destroys the follicle, making it impossible to grow new hair.
Laser hair removal is absolutely safe to use as long as it is done by a trained professional. While you can get it done by your cosmetic surgeon, many regular surgeons are now also offering laser hair removal as well. You will be asked to wear goggles during your procedure to protect your eyes from the laser light, and your cosmetic surgeon may also put a topical anesthetic onto the skin that is going to be treated so that you do not feel any discomfort. There may be some stinging for a day or so after the procedure, but after a few days, your skin should be back to normal.
It can take a few treatments to completely kill all the hair follicles in one area, and many find that they have to undergo six or eight treatments. Afterwards, however, the hair will never grow back and you will be free from plucking or waxing forever.
