The machine utilizes cooling to preserve the epidermis and keep the pain level low. When the pulse of light is delivered, most patients experience a mild pinching or heat sensation. No topical numbing cream is generally required, but a numbing cream application is available for an additional fee if necessary.

Most treatment areas require an average of 6 to 12 treatments for a 60-90% reduction. However, the number of sessions required for optimal hair removal depends on multiple factors – the area being treated, hair color and density, hormones, and the hair’s growth cycle. Interestingly, not all hairs are actively growing at the same time and actually go through three distinct phases. Laser hair removal treatments work by disabling the hair follicle that is in the active growth phase at the time of treatment. Since other hairs will enter this active growth phase at different times, multiple treatments are necessary to disable most of the hair follicles in a given area.

Immediately following your treatment, the area may appear a bit red and sensitive and you may experience perifollicular edema (swelling around the hair follicle), which will look like small red bumps. The treated hair can take up to 14 days after your treatment to fall out and this may appear to be regrowth of hair.

However, many of these hairs are being shed as a result of your treatment and are not actually regrowing. Between treatments, you should not wax, tweeze, or do anything to the hair that removes it from the follicle, but you can shave as often as needed. Removing the hair from the follicle will change the growth cycles making your laser hair removal treatments less successful.

Following the treatment, you can return to most normal activities right away, but some redness may occur in the treatment area. It is important to refrain from anything that causes excessive heat or sweat for the first 24 hours after treatment. It is also important to refrain from any sun exposure to the treatment area for at least 72 hours post-treatment. The use of sunscreen is recommended on any treated areas exposed to the sun.

Although patients experience few side effects, the most common ones are slight reddening and local swelling of the skin, similar to a mild sunburn. These effects typically last for several hours or less. Consult with your technician for complete information on the benefits and risks of treatment.

Shaving, waxing, and depilatory creams are all temporary methods which must be repeated on a frequent basis. Laser hair removal treatments offer permanent hair removal for lasting results.

Electrolysis is a tedious and invasive process that involves inserting a needle into each individual hair follicle and delivering an electrical charge to them one at a time. Electrolysis often requires years of treatments at regular intervals. By delivering light based energy to hundreds of hair follicles at a time, laser hair removal effectively treats an area in just a few seconds that would take over an hour with electrolysis.

Laser hair removal is absolutely safe and effective for dark hair on the face. This is a great way to permanently remove your facial hair and boost your self-confidence.