These days, no one will argue with the statement about the importance of he althy, beautiful and, most importantly, smooth skin. There is no other way - at least in relation to women. How often do men "groan" about the inconvenience of daily shaving! But few people think that at least 80% of women experience serious hardships in dealing with increased hair growth in areas that are considered undesirable for this. At the same time, 40% of the fair sex suffer real torment.
The most commonly reported problems associated with hair removal are pain in the procedure, short duration of the effect, ingrown hairs and permanent irritation of the skin. A familiar picture? Well, let's talk about an alternative solution - laser hair removal.
What will we talk about?
A relatively young procedure - laser hair removal - removes hair from certain areas of the body with a point action of laserbeam. To understand its mechanism, one should seriously delve into the basics of a school physics course. In our article, we do not set such a task. Consider only the main effects in their sequence.
The impact of the laser on the melanin contained in the hair destroys both the follicles and the hair shafts themselves. How does this happen? The follicle, absorbing the light wave and heating up at the same time, is destroyed by excessive heat. This is due to the fact that melanin has the ability to convert absorbed light energy into heat. As a result, hair after laser hair removal no longer grows - their follicles have died.
It is important to remember a number of nuances in order to maximize the effect of laser hair removal. The optimal result from the procedure can be obtained by simultaneously taking into account the three most important components, namely:
- The type of your own skin (related to the amount of melanin).
- Laser type.
- Stages of hair growth.
Let's talk in more detail about each of the above three parameters. The decisive one when choosing a device for laser hair removal is the first - skin type. There are several of them, conditionally we can talk about six different types - from the lightest to the darkest.
The first - Eastern European type - includes people with the skin of the lightest shade, almost "transparent". As a rule, its representatives have green eyes and red hair. The second type - Scandinavian -have pale-skinned people with blue eyes and a light shade of hair. Then we can talk about the Mediterranean type. The characteristic features of its representatives are slightly dark skin, brown hair and brown eyes. If you have an Asian skin type, then its shade can rather be called very dark. You tan easily and tolerate the sun's rays without any problems. The fifth type is the skin of a deep dark shade (more than just dark). The very last type - black - is made up of representatives of humanity with extremely dark skin.
About machine types
What are the types of lasers used for hair removal? They differ mainly in wavelength. This indicator determines the depth of penetration of radiation. The main types of lasers are as follows:
Ruby. Its wavelength is 694 nm. It has the smallest penetration depth among all existing ones (no more than 1-2 mm). The object of influence ("target") is only the melanin contained in the follicles. The impact of a similar laser on people who have dark hair requiring removal with fair skin is shown. The expected effect is a reduction in the growth of unwanted hairs after a single procedure by about 20-60% or after a course - by 50-78%.
Who is this option contraindicated for? Laser hair removal for light hair is not always successful. This type of beam may not "find" the hair if it is a light shade. It is not recommended to use this device with swarthy or tanned skin. This is due to the large amount of melanin contained in it, the effect on whichmay cause damage to the skin.
Another type of laser is an alexandrite laser with a wavelength of 755 nm. The speed of its action is higher than that of the previous one. That is, for the same time, it is possible to process a larger area of \u200b\u200bthe skin. It leads to a reduction in the growth of unwanted hair after a single procedure by 40-56%, and after their course - by 33-95%. The darker the tone of your body, the more you are at risk of getting swelling or causing a change in pigment. Contraindications exist for those who have skin of the fifth or sixth type. They risk getting burned, which can result in hyper- or hypopigmentation.
The next type of laser is diode. Its wavelength is 810 nm. Working with it implies a long exposure with a fairly long exposure time. This is fraught with thermal damage to the skin, sometimes even the simultaneous use of a coolant does not save. A procedure using such a laser is shown for people with dark hair and dark skin. It is expected that hair growth will be reduced by 32-34% after a single treatment and by approximately 84% at the end of the course. This type of device is contraindicated for those who have red and blond hair.
The last of the lasers proposed for use is a long-pulse type (wavelength - 1064 nm). It is able to penetrate up to 8 mm deep. The absorption of the beam by the follicles is weaker. Eliminate this obstacle by rubbing into the skin of a coal suspension that "clogs" the follicle. Tiny particles of coal are subject to"explosion" under the influence of heat with the simultaneous destruction of the hair follicle.
This method is considered the most acceptable for those who have the darkest skin. It leads to hair loss in the amount of 27-53%. It is contraindicated in the same way for people with fair skin and dark hair, like the first two options.
Laser hair removal - when does hair fall out?
Why is it impossible for all hair to die after the first laser hair removal procedure? The fact is that each hair in its growth goes through three distinct stages - anagen (or direct growth), catagen (an intermediate stage when hair growth stops) and telagen (loss). The first of these stages is characterized by the maximum filling of the follicle with melanin. It is at this time that the effect of laser hair removal will be maximum. That is, this is exactly the stage when the hair falls out after laser hair removal as intensely as possible.
On each of the skin areas, the growth of all hair does not occur synchronously, but out of order - some are in the growth stage, while others are at rest. Only the first type of hair will die after laser hair removal. According to scientific studies, only 20-30% of all hairs enter the anagen phase. The exception is the area of the upper lip. On it, the proportion of growing hair is about 65%. That is why achieving the desired effect requires repeating the procedure several times at intervals of approximately 6-8 weeks.
Let's talk about the benefits of laser hair removal
Talk about safetythis procedure is possible in the case of a correctly selected type of laser, taking into account all the recommendations, the absence of contraindications and cooperation with a competent specialist who has high-quality equipment. In this case, laser hair removal will be truly safe. The doubters should be reassured - the laser cannot penetrate deeper than the subcutaneous tissue layer and does not affect the internal organs.
Another important benefit is the speed at which the follicle is destroyed. Several of them are processed at once.
Another advantage of the procedure is the relative painlessness. There may be slight discomfort at times.
Of course, the procedure cannot be called too affordable financially, but these days the price level is already becoming acceptable, especially considering that laser hair removal is really possible to get rid of hair once and for all.
About contraindications
What are the contraindications for this procedure? Unfortunately, it doesn't suit everyone. As absolute contraindications for laser hair removal can be called:
- The presence of malignant neoplasms on the skin.
- Present skin conditions (acute or chronic).
- Active form of pulmonary tuberculosis.
- IHD (coronary heart disease) or severe arterial hypertension.
- The defeat of the area of the body intended for treatment with varicose veins.
Among the relative contraindications requiring mandatory consultation with a doctor are:
- Pregnancy.
- Diabetes disease.
- Toxic diffuse goiter.
- Photodermatitis.
What is the correct preparation for the procedure?
2 weeks before the scheduled date of laser hair removal, you should categorically avoid the sun and do not use self-tanning. Hair before laser hair removal should be shaved (or apply depilatory cream) approximately 3 days before the date of the procedure. Mechanical removal (for example, using wax) should not be resorted to - you will lose the desired effect. It will be optimal if the hair length for laser hair removal is 1-3 mm on the day of the procedure.
Before the procedure itself, you should clean the skin of any cosmetics and anesthetics with water and tampons, then you need to wait for it to dry completely. As the most important precaution, be sure to mention the need to wear special glasses to protect the eyes from the laser, which is very dangerous for them.
How things go
After completing the preparation, we proceed to the actual procedure. What does laser hair removal look like?
How painful is it? Here much depends on the degree of your individual sensitivity, as well as the effectiveness of the cooling system used. But severe pain should not be expected. The spectrum of sensations, as a rule, varies from the absolute absence of pain (occurs most often) to discomfort, expressed quite moderately. Severe pain is usually not discussed.
Laser hair removal procedureinvolves cooling the skin in order to reduce discomfort and minimize the risk of damage to its cover. Any cosmetic laser must have a special cooling device built into its tip. This can exist in the form of a stream of cold air, a spray of a cryogenic substance, or cooling with sapphire.
The procedure of laser hair removal itself consists in the successive application of the nozzle of the device ("laser spot") on the currently treated skin area. Laser spots are superimposed sequentially one after the other, and each intersects with the previous one by no more than a third of the area. When the procedure is completed, a cold compress is applied to the skin. This is done to prevent swelling and erythema (skin redness that lasts for a long time).
In the event that skin damage has nevertheless occurred, the wounds should be lubricated with antibacterial ointment until complete healing. This is done to prevent infection. You should wait for the complete "calming" of the skin. During this period, she should not be exposed to any cosmetics or self-tanner.
Please note that the result will not be visible immediately. After laser hair removal, the hair falls out after a while - you don’t have to wait for this right after the session. The calculation of the time for repeated epilation sessions is made by a specialist, taking into account the individual characteristics of your skin. They take into account factors such as hair type, the location of the treated area, the intensity of "hair growth", and the characteristics of the hormonal background. Average intervalbetween procedures is one and a half to two months.
Most customers are interested in how long hair falls out after laser hair removal. You should be guided by a period of about a week, although here there are individual options.
Are there complications after laser hair removal?
This procedure cannot be classified as a surgical intervention, but some troubles can sometimes be expected:
- Skin may be "bloated". This will happen in case of injury, an excessively high dose of radiation, or excessive overlapping of laser spots.
- Scabs can serve as a reaction to the same damage. Both the first and second variant of complications occur mainly in tanned or dark-skinned clients.
- Perhaps a temporary phenomenon called hyperpigmentation, which consists in darkening of the skin.
- The opposite effect - hypopigmentation - (that is, the formation of light areas) is sometimes observed in other patients, but this phenomenon is very, very rare, possible only with severe skin damage, literally burning it, which is practically impossible when contacting a good specialist.
About cost
How much will the procedure cost? The amounts can be very different depending on the area of the surface that is scheduled for processing. In Moscow, the average price of a procedure for small areas (shoulder, hand, upper lip) is from 1 to 2 thousand rubles. Larger areas (thighs, lower legs, zonesbikini) will cost 3-6 thousand rubles. If, for example, we are talking about getting rid of the excess cover of the male chest or back, on which men also often grow hair, laser hair removal can result in the amount of 7-10 thousand rubles.
Why are women so fond of this type of fight against unwanted vegetation on the body? The main reason that outweighs all the inconveniences, shortcomings, expensive price is the duration of the effect obtained. If the procedure is carried out correctly, if everything went well, after laser hair removal, hair grows in unwanted areas for a long (several years) period or leaves your body forever. Thus, you will get rid of the unpleasant duty of constantly taking care of the smoothness of your own skin.
In laser hair removal salons, reviews and numerous "before and after" photos attract more and more new customers. Everyone unanimously argues that such an effect cannot be achieved by depilation using a machine or creams.
One of the reasons for this is the disappearance of the possibility of ingrown hairs. A similar phenomenon is possible after a procedure carried out using an epilator or a conventional machine. With it, only the upper part of the hair is cut off and quite often the skin is injured.
Around the procedure of laser hair removal from the very beginning there were many rumors and conjectures, the veracity of which is worth saying a few words. As already mentioned, hair is destroyed by splitting melanin cells. That is why for a long time it was believed that the procedure is shown only to those peoplewhose color type is characterized by high or at least medium contrast. This implies a combination of light or dark skin with blond or, conversely, dark hair.
In fact, only the first of the above devices (ruby) works according to this principle. Other types of lasers, available to modern masters, allow the treatment of skin of absolutely any color type. Most salons have an alexandrite-type machine that can be adjusted to a wide range of hair and skin parameters. That is, laser hair removal of light hair is not a problem these days.
In addition, there are devices that combine a laser with an electric current and are capable of influencing deeply located hair follicles. And one more thing: during the so-called "cold" epilation procedure, the beam works at an increased speed, which leads to a decrease in patient discomfort.
Is laser hair removal permanent?
The human body itself is programmed by nature for constant renewal. Places where certain cells are destroyed acquire similar new ones after some time. That is why it is unlikely that it will be possible to remove absolutely all unwanted hairs once and for all. But this process - the restoration of hair growth - is a very long one. And if several procedures are carried out in a row, after laser hair removal, the hair grows minimally - there is a very strong slowdown in their regeneration. The follicles begin to produce melanin in microscopic quantities.
In practice, this means that new hairs grow thin and very light, fluffy. On the skin, they are almost invisible. Depending on the genetic characteristics of the body, with the help of a specialist cosmetologist, you can calculate the number of procedures required so that in the future visits to the salon are required no more than once a year (sometimes maintaining ideal skin smoothness requires a second procedure once every five years).
The number of sessions that make up a separate course can vary from 2 to 8-10. This is due to the fact that excess hairs that are visible are removed at a time. In this case, between the procedures, the body is shown a complete rest. Experts advise such intervals between sessions to be at least 21 days long. Sometimes, if there are certain individual characteristics, the break can be up to 40-45 days. This is done in order to wait for the active growth phase of as many hairs as possible.
Don't believe the rumors
A number of specialists promise all clients a complete absence of discomfort. But this is not always true. There may be some discomfort in those individuals who are characterized by a high pain threshold. They should resort to local anesthesia, which is most often used as helium with a base in the form of lidocaine. This is most often required for laser hair removal on the face and in the bikini area - the skin there is quite sensitive.
Most rumors are concentrated around the negative impact of laser hair removal on the state of internal organs. Partopponents of the procedure believe that as a result, it is possible to get skin cancer or a malignant formation on the internal organs. But, as already mentioned, the short wavelength of the laser device excludes the possibility of beam penetration to the internal organs and limits it to the upper layers of the epidermis.
Rumors of burns and skin cancer are generated by the fact that the apparatus heats up during the operation of the upper layer of the skin. The accumulated heat is transferred to the cells surrounding the hair follicle. But this effect is only a minor return. The principle of operation of the beam is local. It is directed only at the hair itself. In addition, modern devices, as already mentioned, are equipped with the function of supplying a cooling air flow during the procedure. There is a slight risk of skin cancer only if the patient has cancer.
Who is this procedure shown more than others?
There are specific categories of people who can only get real help thanks to laser hair removal. These are, for example, those suffering from hypertrichosis. What it is? This is the name of the disease, accompanied by increased hair growth. It is expressed not only in the speed of the process, but also in the density of the latter and the appearance of unwanted hair in completely inappropriate places, for example, on the skin of the face.
People of one nationality or another who have excessive hair growth fall into the same category. Laser hair removal is also indicated for people who have a lot of so-called vellus hair. Sometimes they only need a couple of sessions to solve this problem.problems once and for all. The laser is also preferable in those cases when it is necessary to work with a large surface of the skin, since the processing is faster with it compared to other means and devices.
Helpful tips
What else needs to be taken into account by someone who decided on such a procedure? Do not forget - it is very important that there is no contact with the solar radiation of those areas that are planned for processing. If this requirement is not observed, there is a high risk of subsequent pigment spots. That is why experienced professionals advise clients to resort to laser hair removal in the cold season with minimal solar activity.
Of course, you should refuse any visits to the solarium and other procedures related to tanning. 3-5 days before going to the beauty salon, refrain from any cosmetic products containing alcohol. This is due to the fact that laser radiation helps to remove moisture from the skin. The dehydrated layer of the epidermis can begin to peel off strongly. It is for the same reason (and also to avoid unexpected adverse reactions of the body) that it is forbidden to take tetracycline antibiotics.
Reducing the degree of discomfort during the epilation process is directly related to the thoroughness of the preparation for the procedure, in particular, with shaving or very short cutting of hairs. After the end of the session, it is also forbidden to use products containing alcohol, or visit the pool, sauna, bath. The skin, even in the absence of visible redness, is irritated after epilation, as it has undergonefairly severe exposure. It requires careful handling. During the first three days, all the prohibitions and rules listed above are in full force. Tanning taboos apply for a period of at least 2 weeks.
Features of work in different zones
Specific areas for epilation require a number of conditions. Most precautions to be observed by those who intend to process the bikini line. The structural features of this area, together with the sensitivity of the skin, make it very difficult to select the ideal hair removal option for it. Preparing for laser hair removal in this area should be the same, but the hair must be shaved on the day of the trip to the beautician.
As a rule, the skin needs to be anesthetized with a gel or aerosol with lidocaine. You should not take pills in advance without the consent of your doctor. The time intervals between procedures are the same, but sometimes women get by with just one session due to the increased sensitivity of this zone. Avoid shaving or waxing between laser treatments to avoid further irritation. To soothe the skin, treatment with a cream containing panthenol is shown within two to three days after the procedures.
On the arms and legs, the effect of laser hair removal does not affect so quickly. Usually, only after the third session of laser hair removal, the hair grows in these places more slowly, and their density decreases. The underarm area will serve you for the so-called test. If the impactthe laser here causes discomfort, you should not go to other areas.
How long will it all take? If we are talking about the armpit area, we can talk about 10-15 minutes, on the legs and arms (separately on each) - about 40 minutes, on the stomach - about 20 minutes. Laser facial hair removal usually takes 10 minutes.
Is it possible to carry out the procedure yourself?
Many women want to know if laser hair removal is possible in the so-called home environment. Theoretically, you can purchase an electric laser epilator, but the cost of such a device is 16-18 thousand rubles, which makes it not very cost-effective to purchase. Such devices "sin" with a small coverage area (about 30 square millimeters or less). Thus, the "cleansing" of a large area will take a large amount of time. In addition, lasers available to the consumer have reduced functionality and are not suitable for everyone.
In addition, it should be noted that carrying out such a procedure requires accuracy and known skill. Since we are talking about our he alth with you, only people with a medical education are allowed to work with a laser. A device that falls into the hands of ordinary consumers increases the likelihood of risks and possible negative consequences.
Of course, an unqualified specialist, as an exception, can also be found in the salon (sometimes impressive photos of the consequences of this are found in open sources), but still the likelihood of such troubles is many times lower compared to a situation where a complexequipment used by an amateur. Conclusion: a high-quality result of laser hair removal at home is not to be expected. If we talk about the salon procedure, then if you carefully read all the rules and restrictions and if you have competent medical advice, the effect can be simply magnificent.
