Imagine this – you are heading to an all-important meeting and you are dressed in your best formal skirt attire when suddenly you realize that you have completely forgotten to shave your legs. Imagine this – you are on a holiday with your friends and at the beach, you come to the horrid realization that your underarms are completely hairy! These are all situations that could very well happen because unwanted hair is never a happy scenario.
Till recently, there were only a handful of methods by which you could remove unwanted hair from your body – these included shaving, waxing, and hair removal creams. Then certain electric hair epilators emerged on the scene, but the fact of the matter was that no matter which of these methods you were using, the hair would eventually grow back. A study once showed that in a matter of just 10 years, a woman would end up spending about 400 hours shaving and close to 200 hours waxing. Similarly, in the same time period, she would spend large amounts of money to shave or wax too. Laser
However, with the introduction of laser hair removal, things have started to look up for women and even metrosexual men! This is perhaps one of the easiest ways of removing unwanted hair from any part of the body, and the results are almost permanent – when the procedure is done properly and the sessions are timed well, you should be able to see a drastic reduction in unwanted hair. The basic tenet of laser hair removal is that the laser destroys the root of the follicle, ensuring that no hair is ever able to grow back from there.
While all this might sound a quite hunky dory, the fact is that getting a laser hair removal procedure done is not a decision you take lightly. There are plenty of questions that you need to ask before you sign any dotted lines. Some of the most important questions include:
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Am I an ideal candidate?
This is perhaps one of the first questions that you need to ask because laser is not meant for everyone – the most ideal candidate is someone who has fair skin with hair that is dark and slightly coarse. The laser targets the color of the hair, which is why the color of the skin needs to be lighter. So, if you have light hair and light skin, this procedure will not work for you. Similarly, if you have dark hair on dark skin, the chances of the procedure being successful are less. This is why it is absolutely important that you first get yourself checked out and tested; make sure that you are a good enough candidate for the procedure, before making any commitments.
What kind of technologies are used for the procedure?
Because there are different technologies in the market for laser hair removal, it is important that you ask this question right at the beginning. Not only can the technology affect the result of the procedure, but it could also determine how many more sessions you will need. Make sure that you are getting the procedure done through a clinic that has all the latest technologies and they offer you the best option for your skin and hair type. Newer technologies are better in most cases because they can remove hair without damaging the skin and causing the least amount of pain or discomfort. Newer equipment also means that the procedure will be over faster and will be more effective. However, it is up to you to ensure that you enquire about the technology and that the same is approved by the appropriate authorities, such as the FDA.
Who will be performing the procedure?
While most people would spend time choosing the clinic where they will get the procedure done, who will be doing the procedure is just as important. You need to make sure that you choose a clinic that has all the infrastructure that is required for the procedure and also has trained and experienced technicians. The technician or the doctor who is going to be performing the procedure needs to be not only properly educated about the equipment, but also have sufficient experience doing the actual procedure. It is just as important that the staff be equally experienced and seasoned because many times, the lead technician needs to be assisted by the support staff and if they are not good at what they do, the chances of things going south are high. You should ask questions about the level of hygiene that is maintained at the clinic and whether the entire staff also abides by those.
How much will the procedure cost me?
This is perhaps the most important question that you need to ask because you need to understand right from the beginning that it will not be cheap. Where you are getting the procedure done will also make a difference – for instance, laser hair removal cost in India might cost a little lesser than it might in the United States. In addition, the technology that is being used will also affect the cost – the more modern the equipment, the more expensive it might get. However, you also need to look at the bigger picture – a few sessions of laser hair removal could mean goodbye to razors, hair removal creams, and waxing forever!
Are there any risks involved?
At the end of the day, laser hair removal is a medical procedure, which means that there could be some side effects; but the risks involved are minimal. In most cases, there can be a little swelling, redness, or itching, which should disappear on its own within a few hours. In the worst of cases, there could be discoloration, scarring, or even infections.
How many sessions will be needed?
This is actually a subjective question because the number of sessions needed will vary from person to person. The amount of hair growth, the quality of the hair, and the areas that you want to treat will all have a role to play in the number of sessions. A proper examination done by the doctor should give you a fair idea of how many sessions will be needed.
When you start considering laser hair removal, make sure you do your research and ask all these questions.
