There is no shame in having excess body hair. In fact, some people are confident in their body hair, whether that be armpit hair, chest hair, leg hair, or facial hair. It’s so important to feel confident, and comfortable in your own skin, whether you choose to be hair-free, or embrace your natural hair. For me, I grew up with shame around my body hair, as I was not allowed to shave until I was 15, and had thick, dark hair on my legs, armpits, face (in between my eyebrows, and lip), and arms. I was teased mercilessly for having a lot of hair, and was often told that I was ‘unfeminine’ and presented as masculine, which was a load of bull. Having body hair is natural, men have it, women have it, trans, and non-binary people have it. Hair is natural get over it. That being said, it was little wonder that I sought laser hair removal at Pulse Clinic, starting first with my armpit hair.
Seven years ago, I had my first laser hair removal treatement. While I didn’t have the carefree attitude to hair that I do now, I was still accepting of others who chose to remain ‘natural’, even if it wasn’t for me. Even now, I prefer to be ‘hair-free’, but am accepting of how quickly my hair grows, and how ‘thick and dark it is’. There might be some weeks where I really can’t be f**cked, and let it grow au-natural, and it does not bother me or my partner one bit. However, that being said, I do try and keep a good grooming routine, and prefer to be hair-free. That is my personal choice, but there is no shame in what you choose or choose not to do with your body hair. For some people they might want laser treatment, for unwanted hair removal, on all their body, while others might want partial body hair removal. If I could choose one now, it would be my legs, as this grows back the fastest, but so far, have only had it done on my armpits, and arms in the past.
One thing that had always put me off further laser hair removal was the price, as I am on a budget. However now in 2021, there are affordable treatment options where you can pay monthly, get a discount, or even choose the number of sessions that you have for affordability. It means that laser treatments have become more accessible, and you can get good quality treatment without breaking the bank. Of course, you have to remember that getting laser treatment is an investment, so it won’t be cheap as chips. However, I can say that the results are well worth it, and it is amazing how much it helped boost my confidence, and self-esteem in the past. It helped me change the way I dressed, because I was more confident in my own skin, and it made me comfortable in the way I was, naturally. Above all, I created better mindful self-care habits, which changed the way I saw body hair.
But What Is Laser Hair Removal?
It is a medical procedure that uses a concentrated beam of light to remove unwanted hair. Whether that be your armpit, your arms, or legs, the laser emits a light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair. This light energy is then converted to heat, which reduces the hair follicles that produce hairs. The aim of laser hair treatment is to delay future hair growth, and reduce the amount of hair that grows back. However, one thing you have to bear in mind, is that it is not ‘permenant hair removal’, and the hair growth is dependant on the number of sessions you have. I did not have a lot of sessions, and so my hair, while delayed, did grow back within a few months.
How Can Laser Hair Removal Boost Your Confidence?
It Gives You Long Lasting Results
One of the biggest reasons people love laser hair removal so much is that its results last for a long time. Once it is carried out successfully, the chances of hair regrowth are almost zero. In some exceptional cases, hairs start regrowing, but they can be tackled with another procedure.If you are someone, who is looking to say bye to shaving tools and waxing appointments, laser hair removal is a good choice for you. The results for this procedure start appearing right away!
For me, although I only had 3-4 sessions, I did find that it delay hair removal. If we look at my armpit laser treatment, it took a month and a half-2 months for my hair to grow back, which was incredible. I could only imagine how long it would take to grow back if I had 6-10 sessions, but my arm hair treatment did last longer. It took three-six months for my hair to grow back, and even then, it was no way near as dark, or as thick as it once was. Of course, as I said earlier, hair removal is dependant on hormonal changes as well, but it does give you long-lasting results. Although I predominantly shave at the moment, as well as threading my eyebrows, and upper lip, I am saving up for full-body hair removal for my legs, bikini line, arms and armpit, because it would save me so much time grooming.
Of course, you have to be patient. Results don’t happen overnight, but it is well worth the wait. Regardless of how many sessions you have, you will see an improvement in hair growth, but looking back I would reccomend a higher number of sessions. As I am saving up, I am looking to get 10 sessions of full body hair removal, and can’t wait to have smooth, hair-free skin, that has less ingrown hairs. My hair grows quickly, and after shaving, hair grows back within two days, although I usually shave 1-2 times a week. So imagine how much easier my grooming routine would be without frequent hair removal?
It Can Make Your Skin Smoother
Did you know that laser treatment can make your skin smoother, and more supple? This is because the laser used is capable of destroying the hair papilla, preventing new hair growth. As a result, the laser-treated area becomes softer and smoother.From shoulders and chest to legs and arms, you can get the smooth skin you desire, even in winter! Although razors and waxing, remove hair, your hair grows back faster, than laser does. I love shaving as much as the next gal, as it keeps my body super smooth, but by the time you fork out on razors, waxing, shaving creams, and grooming up-keep, you realize that the costs do add up.
With laser hair removal, you can get the results you want in just a few sessions. Imagine a permanent reduction in unwanted hair, and how much time, and money that would save you? After all, smooth skin is not an unatainable goal, with laser removal. What’s more, it is important to note that it works well on ‘shaved hair’. You don’t have to struggle with regrowth during your treatment cycle, and you skip the discomfort of stubble, ingrown hairs, itchiness and redness. From personal experiences of waxing, you often have to wait two weeks between waxes to shave, which can make for an uncomfortable itchy bikini line, unlike laser treatment, which creates a smooth bikini line.
With shaving it can seem like hair grows back thicker, and coarser, but this is actually an illusion. Shaving has no effect on the part of the hair shaft below the skin surface, which is where growth and pigmentation occur.The appearance of a small amount of growth on clean shaven legs is much more noticeable than a small amount of growth on legs that have hair. Likewise, the blunt, stubbly ends of new growth can give the illusion of darker, coarser hair. Nevertheless, laser treatment still reduces the amount of time you spend shaving your body, and results in smooth, hair-free skin.
It Can Reduce Ingrown Hairs
We have all been there, where we have shaved or waxed, and had itchy, uncomfortable, in grown hairs. I don’t get this on my legs, arms, or face so much, but I do get this on my bikini line and armpits. It gets red, itchy, and uncomfortable. Laser hair removal is the best and only real effective choice for getting rid of ingrown hairs quickly. This is because laser hair removal goes straight to the source of the problem, the root or hair follicle. The laser hits the follicle directly, burning away the follicle’s ability to produce hair.
Shaving, waxing, or plucking pubic hairs increases your risk for an ingrown pubic hair. That can cause a small, round, sometimes painful or itchy bump to form. The bump may be filled with pus, and the skin around the bump may also become darker. While I have never had any pus with my ingrown hairs, I can confirm that I do get itchy bumps, which sometimes can be painful, and irritated. But how do ingrown hairs occur? Well an ingrown facial hair occurs when a hair that’s been shaved, waxed, or tweezed curls and grows sideways into your skin instead of toward the surface. They can also happen when dead skin cells clog hair follicles, forcing the hair to grow at a different angle under your skin. Of course there are ways you can remove ingrown hair, without laser, but this is the most effective option.
Getting Your Hair Lasered Is Quick And Easy
Another distinguishing benefit of laser hair removal treatments is that it is pretty quick. There are no pre-operating procedures to be followed. It is a matter of minutes for hair removal at smaller body areas, and you can get laser-based unwanted hair removal treatment done during your free time on a Sunday afternoon.Most laser hair removal specialists can carry out such procedures swiftly, and they don’t require much time. You just need a prior appointment with the specialist and nothing else. When I got my armpits done, the actual treatment only took 5 minutes, which I was incredibly surprising. For my arms it took around 15 minutes, and I have been told that full body hair removal can take 90 minutes. Considering how much body surface that covers, 90 minutes is not bad at all.
Laser treatment is also easy. Your specialist will talk you through the treatment, and tell you exactly what will happen next. They will identify your treatment plan, and tell you how many sessions they would reccomend you having. They will also give you advice on aftercare, and how to look after your skin, pre-laser treatment. You must bear in mind that you will have an initial consultation, and patch test before you start your treatment, and this is to ensure that your skin reacts well to the treatment. After all, you don’t want to invest in something that you might have a reaction to, so it is important to check.
It Leaves No Scars And Usually Has No Painful Side Effects
With the help of specialist doctors and machine precision, laser hair removal is usually safe. Such procedures have almost zero side effects, and they can be performed over any body area. The lasers used to remove the hair follicle are safe, and they just do their work. They don’t leave behind any irritation, marks, or even side effects, except in very rare cases. I never had any painful side effects from my laser treatment, but I am aware that this is dependant on the person.
From personal experience, it does not leave behind any scars, and really helps boost your self-confidence. Of course there are rare cases of scarring, or blistering, but this is extremely rare. I don’t know anyone personally who has had scars from laser treatment, and like me would 100% reccomend getting it done. For me, laser treatment has had less side effects than conventional hair removal methods like waxing, where the chance of getting a rash, cutting your skin, or burning your skin, is far higher. This is why a patch test is performed, for specialists to see whether your skin is suitable for treatment. It ensures that the procedure is safe for your skin, and body, and gives you peace of mind, that your investment is worth making.
Have You Ever Had Laser Hair Removal?
*Disclaimer
As I am saving up for laser hair removal, I wanted to share with my readers why I think laser treatment is great for hair removal. It helped boost my confidence, and as you can see above, has so many benefits! This post is not gifted or paid, but I have been gifted laser treatment experiences in the past.
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