Removing unwanted hair can be a constant monthly, weekly, or even daily battle. If you’re interested in getting rid of hair for good, laser hair removal at Perfect Skin Center in Scottsdale, AZ could be the answer you’re looking for. We have been offering effective laser treatments for men and women throughout the Phoenix area for more than a decade.
What Is Laser Hair Removal?
The Problem of Unwanted Hair
Whether it’s hair in a place you don’t want it at all or simply hair that’s too thick and causes constant nicking and razor burn, many people spend a significant portion of their lives removing hair. It’s not something we tend to talk about much, but at the Perfect Skin Center, we know that nearly everyone struggles with the problem to some degree or other.
Many women want to remove hair on the legs, face, or under the arms, while men want to remove it from their chest or back or thin out a beard to make shaving easier. But the usual options available for removing hair can be less than satisfactory.
How Laser Hair Removal Works
Laser hair removal offers permanent hair reduction through the use of near-infrared laser light. This light is absorbed by pigments in the unwanted hair. The light travels down the shaft of hair until it reaches the follicle, where it turns to heat and disables the follicle. Once the follicle is disabled, it can no longer generate new hair.
Laser treatments work so well because they destroy the follicle without damaging nearby cells. And because they go at the root of the problem, they provide a permanent solution.
The Problem of Inferior Treatment Choices
Traditional hair removal methods can be expensive, time-consuming, and–even worse–sometimes even ineffective. Consider how laser treatments “outshine” the other choices:
Shaving
Perhaps the most popular form of hair removal out there, shaving has been around a long time. Unfortunately, it never addresses the root cause of hair growth.
Temporary
Shaving can only ever remove hair that appears above the skin’s surface. This means the hair will just keep coming back, over and over again, on a daily or weekly basis. The average woman will spend 72 days of her life shaving and the average man only slightly less.
Safety Concerns
Worse yet, shaving takes time and comes with unwanted side effects. A small nick can give away the fact that you’re removing hair at all, and nicks can even become infected. Some people struggle enormously with razor burn, and there can seem to be no good solution to this even with sharp razors and creams for sensitive skin.
Expensive
Shaving seems like the cheapest option, but that’s only because most of us never consider the lifetime cost of all those razors and creams. The average person will spend around $10,000 over the course of their lives paying for shaving products.
Waxing and Plucking
These hair removal options last longer than shaving because they remove the whole hair, not just the part you can see above the skin.
Painful
The worst thing about both these methods is the pain. There’s simply no getting around the fact that it hurts to pull a hair up out from the root. Some believe there’s no beauty without pain, but wouldn’t it be better if we could have that same beauty without all the discomfort?
Inconvenient
Perhaps the worst thing about plucking and waxing is being required to let the hair grow long enough that it can actually get pulled out. If you’ve got dark hair that shows up dramatically against your skin, that waiting period can be very inconvenient and limit your wardrobe choices or social engagements.
Depilatory Creams
These creams are spread on, often in the shower, and then wiped off, taking the unwanted hair with them. But are these a good choice?
Temporary
Like shaving, these creams only remove the hair that appears above the surface of the skin, meaning they can only ever offer a very temporary solution.
Safety Concerns
Perhaps the most concerning thing about this method of hair removal are the safety issues. These creams use strong chemicals to melt the proteins in the hair, turning the hair to jelly. These toxins can irritate the skin for months.
This can show up immediately, or you might not find out how irritated your skin is until you expose it to the sun a few days later. Either way, it’s simply not healthy to regularly expose yourself to these chemicals.
Expensive
Again, the need to buy creams over and over to address hair growth gets expensive over time. The bottles last for a while, but you’re always going to have to buy another.
IPL Hair Removal
A better option than most on this list, IPL hair removal works somewhat similarly to laser hair removal. Intense pulses of light target the pigment in the hairs and travel down to heat up and damage the follicle. But where IPL uses a broad-spectrum light, laser uses a more controlled light.
Less Focused
Because IPL uses a broader spectrum of light, it can’t travel the same distance as a laser and tends to spread out more. This makes it dangerous for those with darker skin tones since the light can get attracted to the pigment in the skin rather than the pigment in the hair. This can cause redness, irritation, or even burns. This is especially an issue if you’re using an at-home device.
Less Effective
The way the light from an IPL device spreads also makes it less effective in disabling the follicles. Even professional devices available in spa settings have this issue, and it becomes more pronounced when you consider the at-home devices. These cost hundreds of dollars, but they are far less effective than even professional devices. Many people don’t get great results from them, and they require far more treatments to get the same results.
More Expensive
Although the initial treatment cost for an IPL session is lower than a laser hair removal session, it actually ends up costing many people more because more sessions are needed. Even with at-home devices, the need to constantly replace the cartridge heads to keep up with the number of treatments can get quite expensive over time.
Less Versatile
Unfortunately, there are far more limitations on skin type and hair color with IPL than there are with laser treatments. Our lasers are able to effectively remove hair from people of nearly every skin color and all hair colors other than the very lightest: and in many cases, hair that is too light to be targeted with the laser isn’t an aesthetic issue in the first place.
The Best Lasers Available
The Soprano Ice Laser
This system is state-of-the-art and is the gold standard for hair removal treatment. It’s fast, comfortable, and effective. At 10 hertz per second, it can effectively treat even the largest areas of the body in just 10 to 30 minutes, which is far faster than most lasers can manage.
The Soprano also comes with special cooling that ensures the entire process is completely painless. This also means there’s no need to wait around for a numbing cream to take effect, which speeds up the process and gets you back out the door quickly.
Finally, the Soprano is also rated for use on skin types on the Fitzpatrick system, from I to VI. It can even be used on tanned skin, and it’s fine to use at any time of the year.
The Gemini Laser System
The Gemini goes a step further to provide effective hair removal service for even the darkest skin colors. This is a high-powered Nd:Yag 1064 wavelength laser capable of deeply penetrating the skin in order to avoid causing any issues on the skin’s surface itself.
There are other Nd:Yag 1064 lasers out there, but at Perfect Skin Center, we haven’t found any as effective and safe as the Gemini. Using the Gemini is part of our commitment to always offer you the best available treatment.
Revlite Laser Waxing
For those with very fine, light hair, the Revlite laser is a game-changer. For many people, hair that’s too light for the laser isn’t anything to worry about, but there are some who have noticeable hair even though it may be fine and lightly colored! ?
If this is your situation, you’ll appreciate what the Revlite laser waxing systems can do. It works a bit like a waxing treatment, but it’s much longer-lasting and not painful. This Q-switched laser has greater versatility and a larger power range than most, making it suitable for all skin types. It’s so effective because it’s able to produce a targeted, narrow pulse.
FAQ About Laser Hair Removal
Am I a Candidate? ?
Because of the wide range of lasers we use at Perfect Skin Center, we can offer an option that will work for nearly everyone. Most healthy adults without an active skin infection in the area they want to be treated are perfect candidates. Come talk with us and we can help you find the perfect solution for your hair removal needs.
Where Can I Have Hair Removed??
You can have hair removed from almost any area of the body! For women, it’s common to have hair removed from the underarms, legs, abdomen, face, chin, buttocks, thighs, chest, arms, toes, and the pubic area. Men tend to seek hair removal from the chest, abdomen, and back and hair reduction on the face and neck.
How Many Treatments Will It Take?
?Laser hair treatments are most effective on hair follicles in the active growing stage. At any given time, some hair will be in the dormant stage, and it’s important to come back and get another treatment in order to target those. Every person is different, but you can expect about six to eight treatments to take care of everything. If your goal is simply to reduce the amount of hair (such as in a thick beard), you’ll need fewer treatments.
How Long Should I Wait Between Treatments?
?It depends on which area of the body you’re having treated and the laser we use, but generally getting treatments every eight to 12 weeks is the best, most effective schedule. We can help you decide on the best schedule for your unique needs and the right laser for your treatment.
What Should I Do Before Treatment??
To prepare, all you need to do is avoid waxing, plucking, or anything else that completely removes the hair shaft for six weeks before treatment. The laser needs something to target, after all! You can shave as normal, and it’s a good idea to shave the day before your treatment so the laser’s energy isn’t lost on too much hair appearing above the skin.
Get Effective Hair Removal Today!
If you’re ready to be rid of unwanted hair, contact Perfect Skin Center in Scottsdale, AZ now to get started!
