The tricky part of laser hair removal is targeting the hair shaft without damaging the melanin pigment in the surface of the skin. Thus the laser light has to be on long enough to heat the hair, but not too long to allow that heat to spread to the surrounding skin causing damage. In addition, the darker a patient’s skin, the more difficult it is to avoid injuring the surface of the skin while treating the hair. For this reason, there are three main types of hair removal lasers that are used today, and depending on the thickness of the hair and the color of the skin, one laser may provide benefits as compared to another.

Performing Laser Hair Removal at Sandon House Clinic
In addition to lasers, intense pulsed light sources are also used for hair removal. These light sources do not emit a single color or wavelength of light, but emit light containing many colors. It may be more difficult to predict the outcome and avoid complications when using light sources that contain many wavelengths of light. However, the results with any device depend upon the experience of the practitioner.

Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt ?
Certain areas of the body hurt more than others during laser hair removal. Because the laser energy is absorbed in the hair follicle producing heat, there is some sensation when performing laser hair removal. In addition, patients with very thick, dark hair may experience more discomfort than those with thin hair. This is because the thicker, darker hair will absorb more of the laser light during any given treatment.

Generally, the hair becomes thinner and less dense after each subsequent treatment. Therefore, the most discomfort is usually experienced during the first treatment.

The discomfort associated with laser hair removal varies considerably between individuals, and is a function of the patient’s skin type, the laser being used, the thickness and density of the hair, the area of the body where the hair is being treated, and ones ability to tolerate or feel pain.

In some situations, numbing creams can be used. However, numbing creams partially eliminate the ability of the patient to report on the discomfort associated with a treatment, which may be an indication of how this treatment compares with previous treatments.