When it comes to body hair, there are many different opinions about it. Some women love to embrace every strand of hair that grows on their bodies, while others are in search of an end-all type of solution. To each their own, but I’m definitely in the latter group.
In high school, I was all about using a razor to get rid of my underarm and leg hair. It was such a time-consuming task, but the way my legs felt buttery-smooth afterward and the fact that I didn’t have to feel insecure wearing sleeveless shirts, was worth it to me; and thankfully, because I’m not really a hairy person, it wasn’t something I had to do often.
While I tend to stick with the old adage “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it,” when I discovered other forms of hair removal, I threw that saying in the fire. I experimented with hair removal creams with all types of chemicals (never again- not really my jam) and waxing - although painful, was a favorite since it slowed down my hair growth; however, once I discovered laser hair removal - it was a wrap.
It’s slightly on the pricier side up front, but, it’s essentially the most cost-effective choice as it can save you more money in the long run since it’s a more permanent solution to hair removal.
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There are a couple of places on my body in which I plan on removing my body hair, but I opted to beginmy laser hair removal journey with what I considered to be the easiest spot- my underarms. I’m five treatments in and I’m pretty hooked.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far since starting the process.
Laser hair removal does hurt slightly, but it’s not as bad as waxing
Of course, this depends on your pain tolerance. It was described to me as being popped with a rubber band and that’s what it feels like. It was enough to make me jump a little, but overall, it became easier to deal with after each treatment, especially because the pain only lasts for a brief moment.
It also helped that aloe vera was applied after each laser treatment to help soothe the pain and provide a cooling sensation which made the pain go away almost instantly. Needless to say, it’s way more tolerable than having my hair ripped out of my follicles when doing waxing.
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Laser hair removal sessions are pretty quick.
From the time it took me to walk into the small room, wipe away moisture from my underarms, put on the goggles provided and lie down on the bed to get each arm lasered and walk back to my car, took no more than 10 minutes altogether. No joke, it’s that quick.
You don’t have to have light or pale skin with dark hair to do it
Laser hair removal does work best on dark hair against light skin, but, thanks to advancing technology with the invention of the YAG laser, laser hair removal works on dark skin tones, too. Be sure to go to a salon that specializes in treating dark skin, specifically with that particular laser, as it has a longer wavelength which means it goes deeper into the skin, zapping hair follicles beneath the skin.
Your hair isn’t removed right away AND you still have to shave during the treatments
This may not make some people happy but you must be completely shaven before each treatment and continue to shave until all of your treatment sessions are complete.
The reason why you can’t wax while doing the treatments is because waxing causes the hair to be ripped from the hair follicle, which won’t allow the laser to be able to locate and kill the follicles, wheres with shaving, you’re just getting rid of hair on the surface so the follicle can still be detected and killed. After each session, I find myself having to shave less frequently.
Time your sessions accordingly
Most hair removal specialists suggest coming in for at least five sessions and as many as 10 (depending on the area) in order to get the results you want. Typically, treatments are spaced four to six weeks apart so a full round of sessions can take five months or more.
Also, keep in mind that treatments make your skin sun sensitive, so you’ll want to avoid exposing recently lasered skin to the sun as it can result in permanent pigmentation and is dangerous for treated skin.
I’m already in the process of completing my underarm sessions and will move on to the next part of my body pretty soon. Overall, laser hair removal does live up to the internet hype. I prefer it as a way to minimize a lifelong affair with the constant upkeep of future waxing pain and annoying ingrown hairs, as opposed to a quick sting when undergoing five to 10 laser hair removal sessions. I look at it as a way of showing my body a little extra love. With all the other stressors we women endure, our beauty routines should include stress-free experiences we look forward to.
