It may be gray and damp outside right now, but in just a few months, summer will officially begin — and beach season will be upon us. Hitting the beach means donning a bathing suit, and if you want to look and feel great, now is the time to start planning. Yes, you could devote hours and hours of your summer to shaving, plucking and waxing. But wouldn’t you rather spend those hours enjoying the beautiful weather? With laser hair removal, you can. Plus, your skin will be silkier, smoother and sexier than it would with repeated bouts of shaving and plucking. And if you schedule your laser hair removal sessions now, your skin will be beach-ready by the time summer arrives.
Like the name suggests, laser hair removal uses the power of lasers, or more specifically, the heat from laser energy, to destroy the hair root area. Hair grows from the root, adding cells deep at the base of the hair follicle. During laser hair removal, laser energy is absorbed by the hair shaft and then transmitted to the root and the follicle, damaging the follicle so it no longer produces new hair cells. No new hair cells means no more hair growth from that follicle. And that means no more shaving, waxing or plucking!
Of course, to be effective, laser treatments need to be performed while those follicle cells are “awake” and active. Hair grows in stages — an active phase of growth can last for a few years, followed by a resting stage that typically lasts for a few weeks, and then a shedding stage (when the hair falls out and the follicle prepares itself for a new round of growth). In order for laser hair removal to work, it needs to be performed during the follicle’s active phase. Since each hair follows its own cycle of growth, you’ll need to schedule a series of treatments over a period of a few weeks to make sure each hair follicle is treated during its active phase. And that’s why it’s important to schedule your treatments now, so you can have plenty of time to complete your series of treatments by the time summer arrives.
At Open Canvas Laser, our state-of-the-art laser hair removal system is designed to provide men and women with the best results, no matter what color or type of hair they have — even people with darker skin tones and lighter, finer hair can get great results.
During your session of laser treatment, the provider passes the handheld applicator over your skin. Laser energy is released in tiny bursts that target each hair follicle. As the laser energy is absorbed by your skin, you might feel a mild stinging sensation like the snap of a rubber band. Most patients report the sensation as being very tolerable, but if your skin is sensitive in the area you’re having treated, we can apply a topical numbing cream or an ice pack to make treatment more comfortable. The length of each laser hair removal treatment session depends on the size of the area that’s being treated. After treatment, it can take a couple of weeks before the treated hair falls out.
For a few weeks before and after your treatment, you’ll need to limit your sun exposure to keep your skin from becoming stressed or irritated. Also, before your treatment, you’ll need to stop shaving, plucking and waxing the intended treatment area completely. Right before treatment, your hair will be trimmed to the optimal length for your treatment.
Laser hair removal can give you the smooth, sexy skin you want this summer, but to make sure you’re ready for beach season, you need to schedule your sessions now. To find out more about the laser hair removal treatment we use at Open Canvas Laser or to schedule an office visit, book an appointment online today.
