Laser hair removal has gained popularity in the last few years as technology and affordability have improved. Even so, there are still a lot of people who wonder: is laser hair removal permanent?
At SMooth Solutions Medspa in Naperville we’re committed to educating our clients about the treatments we offer. You’ll find a lot of medspas saying that laser hair removal isn’t permanent. However with the technology and techniques available today, there’s no reason we can’t achieve permanent hair loss with a dedicated treatment plan.
How does permanent laser hair removal in Naperville work?
Laser hair removal works by using light energy to heat and destroy hair follicles to prevent new growth in the treated area. We can use laser hair removal almost anywhere on the body!
Commonly treated areas:
- Underarms
- Legs
- Bikini/Brazilian
- Arms
- Back
- Chest
How laser removes hair
No matter where it is on the body, our hair grows in 4 stages. During your laser hair removal treatment, the laser is most effective on hairs in the growth stage. That’s when the hair is still attached to the follicle.
The laser targets the dermal papillae, the tissue that supports hair growth, and prevents hair from regrowing in that particular follicle.
Not every hair is in the same stage at any given time, however, which is why laser hair removal always takes multiple sessions. We space these sessions several weeks apart so that each session can catch more hairs in the growth phase.
Permanent hair removal requires the right technology
The most important thing to consider for laser hair removal is the technology being used. Some medspas offer IPL treatments for hair removal, but these treatments are not permanent. Getting IPL is not the same as a laser.
IPL stands for “intense pulsed light” and while some may find the IPL treatments less aggressive, they ultimately will lead to needing more maintenance treatments, not permanent hair loss.
Many “at-home” hair removal treatments also use IPL, but they are not as aggressive because they need to be safe for anyone to use at home. Getting proper, and permanent, laser hair removal requires visiting a licensed laser technician or licensed aesthetician trained on actual laser devices.
Using a medical-grade laser such as the Candela GentleMax Pro ® allows our staff at SMooth Solutions to provide actual permanent hair removal.
The GentleMax Pro ® is equipped to treat the full range of Fitzpatrick skin types with dual-wavelength, state-of-the-art technology. It provides 90% permanent hair reduction in all skin types. We can use both 755nm and 1064nm wavelengths, allowing us to treat clients across the spectrum of skin tones.
Actual lasers can penetrate deeper than IPL and provide quicker, more permanent hair reduction which eventually leads to hair removal if enough treatments are performed at optimally spaced intervals.
The process for permanent laser hair removal in Naperville
Laser hair removal is unique to each person’s body, and you want expert advice before undergoing any treatment.
Consultation
You should always schedule a consultation with a trained provider before starting any treatment plan. During your consultation, you’ll be able to ask questions and discuss your goals. It’s important that you don’t feel pressured to purchase laser hair removal during the consultation.
At SMooth Solutions, we’re much more interested in educating our clients than trying to sell them a particular treatment. Our providers will always be honest with you. Laser hair removal can’t be used on every part of the body, like the face. Sometimes you’ll need a combination of methods to actually achieve permanent hair removal, especially on areas such as the face.
Related: What You Should Learn In Your Laser Hair Removal Consultation
It’s possible that during your in-person consultation, your provider will recommend electrolysis rather than laser for your hair removal. Those with lighter hair colors like red, white, gray, or blonde, which lack pigment, won’t respond well to laser removal techniques.
At SMooth Solutions, we also after trial treatments to help you understand how your skin will react to the laser. We test the treatment on a small area before you commit to a treatment plan, so you know better what to expect.
Treatment
When you come for your laser hair removal appointment, you’ll be shown to one of our comfortable treatment rooms.
We will ask you to shave the treatment area before arriving. A close shave allows our laser to target the follicles directly and treat the shortest length of hair possible. Shaving 24 hours before your appointment is recommended.
During your appointment, your provider will draw a temporary grid on the treatment area to maintain accuracy. We’ll give you protective eyewear, as well.
Your aesthetician will tune the laser to the optimal parameters for your skin and deliver targeted pulses of light. The treatment can take as little as 15 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the size of the area being treated.
As part of our membership plans, clients can treat multiple areas over the course of the year affordably. Clients have a choice to alternate the treatments on a monthly basis as hair growth cycles on the body take a minimum of 8 weeks to surface.
Results
One of the best parts of laser hair removal is that you’ll be able to see results almost immediately, although it will take a series of treatments to achieve permanent hair removal. A few days after your treatment, the treated hairs will shed.
We promise a 90-95% reduction if you adhere to the guidelines and keep your appointments spaced at regular intervals. This ensures we can treat a majority of the hair in a given cycle during the early anagen phase of growth for maximum efficacy.
Our bodies keep producing hair as we grow older. You may still require some touch-up treatments after your initial series. But even these will decrease in frequency after the first couple of years.
Are there side effects from permanent laser hair removal?
Lasers are used to treat many skin and hair conditions and science has made many advances in laser medicine. In properly-trained hands, patients generally won’t experience any side effects from laser hair removal.
People with sensitive skin are more likely to experience the most common side effects, which are discomfort, swelling, and redness. These side effects are typically minor and last 1 to 3 days if they occur at all.
Laser hair removal is safe, and there is no associated downtime with the treatments. It is still a laser procedure, however, which means you need to limit your direct sun exposure afterward to protect your skin while it heals.
Frequently asked questions about laser hair removal
How many treatments will I need for permanent hair removal?
The number of sessions will vary for each individual. Typically, the lighter the skin tone, the quicker the results with fewer sessions required (about 6-8). This is purely due to laser physics and how it targets the hair pigment within the dermal layers. Darker-skinned individuals will see great results as well but may need an additional 2-3 treatments. It is important to remember that the number of treatments has no effect on the permanence of the treatment if you are not guided to space out your sessions optimally.
Is it okay to wax or tweeze my hair between laser hair removal treatments?
We don’t recommend tweezing or waxing your hair between sessions. This removes the hair from the follicle tissue, which removes the pigment the laser would focus on. You should only shave or trim new hair growth between treatments.
Is the laser hair removal process painful?
Correctly administered laser hair removal treatments performed by licensed professionals do not hurt. The mild pain can be compared to the feeling of a rubber band snapping against the skin when the pulse is felt on the area.
Am I a candidate for Permanent laser hair removal?
Anyone who wants to remove unwanted body hair is a candidate for laser hair removal. The only caveat is that lasers do not work well for removing light or gray-colored hairs. Those with lighter hair colors will have better results with electrolysis.
Our Naperville medspa is your source for SMooth Solutions like permanent laser hair removal.
At SMooth Solutions we offer true, permanent laser hair removal in Naperville. We specialize in laser and electrolysis procedures and often combine them to provide the best hair removal results for our clients.
We offer laser hair removal at both of our locations in Naperville and Oswego. Schedule your free consultation and complimentary trial treatment today!
Our aestheticians dedicate themselves to ensuring all of our clients are empowered to make informed choices about their aesthetic treatments. An in-depth consultation with one of our experienced staff members is the best way to learn about your options for removing unwanted body hair.
You can also use our virtual consultation tool to explore our other available treatments! Simply answer a few questions about your areas of interest and you’ll receive personalized recommendations right to your inbox!