Laser Hair Removal: Hair Raising Experience
by: Barry Lycka, M.D.

More and more people are giving laser hair removal a shot! If you're into this hot, new treatment, then you've come to the right place. Imagine never having to deal with messy creams. Imagine talking to the grocery clerk and not having her stare at the hair on your upper lip. Imagine never having to hide your precious parts at the beach.

Stop imagining! You can make your dreams of hairless summers and hairless winters come true. First of all I believe it’s important for women and men to find out what causes abnormal hair growth before they start drastic measure to remove it. Doctors say hair usually grows abnormally due to hormones. Once you’ve determined whether you have health concerns related to your hair, then you can decide on the appropriate remedy.

I can tell you lasers are safe and effective in the removal of unwanted hair. A trained specialist can help you determine what treatment is best for you using your skin and hair type. With lasers you don’t have to worry about shaving, tweezing, or waxing now and forever. Forever sounds like a long time, doesn't it? Lasers produce a beam of light that is used to remove hair. The light passes through the skin to the hair follicle. Once it gets to the hair it basically kills it. Neat, huh? The process only takes less than an hour.

Lasers are attracted to dark colors. You'll get the best results if your hair is darker than your complexion. You're wondering if the laser has any side effects. It does if you have a tan. Tanning and lasering leads to burning. Ouch, it really hurts so you’ll want to beware of adding the two in combo. Also, it's important to note that the laser doesn't do a thing for blondes, white or gray haired people.

If you’re not ready to give lasers a shot, then there are several other techniques on the market that can help you get rid of your hair-raising problem. Let's talk about the only permanent hair removal known to man right now. It's called electrolysis. If you're scared of needles, then this is not the treatment for you. You'll want to make sure that you have not waxed or tweezed within a few days of having a treatment. This makes the hair follicle easier for the electrologist to reach.

The electrologist inserts a tiny needle into each hair follicle and uses a short impulse of energy to kill the root. Sounds, cool, huh? The hair is tweezed out one at a time. Sounds like an awfully long process. However, it only takes a few hours. You will most likely need more than one treatment to kill all of your hair. There are electrolysis kits that you can use at home, but I wouldn't recommend it. You're better off using a licensed electrologist.

Speaking of problems, what's yours? Everyone has a specific area of the body where they want to be bald. Women usually hate facial hair on their upper lips, chin and sides of face. Hairs in those areas don’t seem to bother men that much! Okay, I shouldn't joke about it! Hair on the lip is very troubling to most women. It can be removed using a bleaching procedure.

Bleaching works if your hair is similar in color to your skin. Be careful, bleaching lightens hair in dark complexions. I’ll never forget someone with a dark complexion once asked me if she could use a depilatory creams on the lip. No way, don't even think! My response was fast and furious. Depilatories are harsh on sensitive skin and should never be placed on the lips or eyes areas.

The important thing to remember about depilatories is you should use them on the legs and thighs only. Depilatory creams dissolve the keratin in hair. As you can imagine that’s some pretty strong stuff! Be sure to test patches of skin before you put the cream on. The cream can cause rashes and skin discolorations. It is possible to treat a negative reaction with an anti-bacterial solution and antibiotic.

Waxing on the other hand is a great way to remove hair from the legs and thighs and bikini area. Your skin will feel so clean, smooth and soft after this procedure. Waxing doesn’t irritate your skin the way shaving and creams do. However, waxing is a temporary hair removal procedure. Waxing is similar to the sugaring procedure that is also temporary.

Sugaring is becoming more popular for people who want to be hairless in the bikini area. The sugar is warmed not at all like the high heat that’s used in waxing. The warmed sugar is placed on the skin. Your technician will then remove the sugar with muslin strips. The sugar sticks mostly to the hair and not the skin. That makes it easier when it’s time to remove the hair. I highly recommend sugaring because the red bumps and other skin irritations are minimized with it.

You’re daring, right? You want a bikini wax, but you want it all over. Then, you’ll have to try what is called a Brazilian bikini wax. Have you ever been to Brazil? The natives are not at all ashamed of their bodies. The Brazilian wax removes hair all over the pubic area including the labia and buttocks. You can tell your technician how far to go, or not go. A patch of hair is sometimes left above the vagina.

Now, the procedure for getting a Brazilian wax is the same just about as with a bikini wax. You’ll be given a paper thong if you’re a little shy to put on for Brazilian bikini wax. Your hair will be cut using some scissors. The wax is then put on using a wooden stick. Strips of cloth are used to take the hair off. Tweezers are sometimes used to pick away stray hairs. Some folk’s say it hurts, others swear it works magic to improve their self-esteem and body image. You now have choices whether it’s shavers and creams or lasers and wax. You no longer have to live with a hair-raising experience. Get rid of it! The choice is yours.

About The Author

Barry A. S. Lycka is a cosmetic dermatologist and surgeon who practices in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he has worked from 1989. Dr. Lycka was the Dream Makeover doctor for Edmonton's Dream Makeover. For more information you can visit his website at www.barrylyckamd.com.