Facial Laser Hair Removal

Understand Your Facial Hair
Unwanted facial hair on women often appears on the upper lip, chin & sides of the face. Before you choose on the proper removal method first choose that the cause of the hair growth is not hormonal. If you are experiencing an abnormal growth of hair on these facial areas or if the hair is very thick, you should consult your physician to choose the underlying causes before you embark on a removal regimen.

If the hair growth isn’t caused by hormonal abnormalities, you have a number of different options for removal. I find that women often pick to tweeze the hairs. Overall, this is not the best solution because repeated plucking can cause irritation in the hair follicle &, on darker-skinned women, can also result in scarring. Unless you have a few stray hairs that occasionally pop up, save the tweezers for other uses.

Things to Consider Before Treatment
Before you start treatment, you should consult a physician to choose if you are a nice candidate for laser hair removal. You also need to make sure that the person treating you (whether it’s a doctor, registered nurse or licensed esthetician) is experienced. The two most important questions to ask during a consultation are:

Laser Hair Removal Can Accomplish Nice Results
Laser hair removal is the newest weapon in the hair removal arsenal. The ideal candidate for laser hair removal has fair skin & dark hair, but nice results can be achieved by an experienced laser practitioner on darker-skinned women. Overall, laser hair removal is not very effective on light blonde or white hair.

50-70% Overall Reduction in Hair After 3 Treatments
Although laser hair removal is often billed as permanent, a 50 percent to 70 percent reduction after two treatments, performed two weeks apart, is more realistic. On facial areas, maintenance treatments are usually necessary for complete removal. Depending on what part of the country you live in, charges for laser hair removal should range from $150 to $350 per facial area.

* Do you own the laser or rent it? If the doctor owns the laser, that tells me they've a high level of commitment & experience.
* How lots of patients have you treated?
* What kind of results can I expect?

Electrolysis
Electrolysis uses low-level electricity to kill the hair follicles. On the upside, results last longer than with waxing & depilatories. However, the process can be time consuming & pricey. Finding a reputable practitioner is key, because electrolysis performed incorrectly can cause scarring. Before you start treatment, ask for referrals from former clients, & make sure that a new needle is used for each session. I generally recommend electrolysis for women with white or very blond hair & for women who have areas with isolated hairs.

Avoid laser treatment around the eyes- - on the brow area & in between the eyes. Because laser rays can penetrate deeply, this is an area better treated by tweezing, waxing or electrolysis.

Depilatory Creams
Depilatory creams dissolve the hair at the base of the follicle. They are ideal for widespread areas (like the legs), but can be problematic when used on the face because they irritate the skin & usually don’t remove all of the hairs. On the plus side, depilatory creams are a relatively inexpensive option. On average, results will last for one to one weeks.

Waxing
Waxing is one of the most popular solutions among my patients. Generally, it's an effective method to remove hair on the upper lip & fine hair on the side of the face, but I don’t recommend it for the chin area, where hair tends to be more coarse. Waxing can also be problematic for darker-skinned women, who sometimes experience discoloration due to irritation & inflammation. Depending on the type of hair you have, waxing results should last from one to two weeks.