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When I grew up in the 70s and 80s it would have been unthinkable for boys and men to shave their legs. Fast forward 40 years and males with shaved legs can be seen everywhere.
Men want to remove body hair for many reasons. These include sports performance, injury reduction (especially for cyclists), smoother skin, better muscle definition, reducing excessive or unwanted body hair, reducing folliculitis and inflamed hair follicles.
No matter the reason for wanting to remove hair from the body, laser hair removal is the best option. Laser hair removal has become more comfortable and effective with newer laser technologies. Shaving can be time consuming. Waxing can hurt and is only temporary as the follicle remains. Only laser hair removal is permanent. The cost involved is more than made up for in future time savings.
Laser hair removal works by light beams targeting the hair follicles underneath the skin to essentially disrupt the hair growth cycle, without damaging the skin. The light from the laser destroys the hair shaft to inhibit or delay future growth. The term hair removal can be misleading. While permanent removal may be achieved for some, often results will show only hair reduction. Regardless, the vast majority of people are happy with the results.
Those with lighter skin and darker hair usually experience more drastic and permanent results. It is recommended that patients do around 6-8 sessions of laser hair removal to see more permanent results. Darker skinned men or lighter haired men may still be candidates but require a greater number of treatments.
Pain levels from laser hair removal differ among each patient. The treatment usually doesn’t hurt too much, depending on the patient’s pain tolerance and the areas being treated. Patients report the procedure feeling like a pin prick or rubber band snapping on the skin, but if the pain is not tolerated well, numbing cream can be used beforehand if necessary.
Men receive laser hair removal on the back, chest, arms, legs, shoulders, neck, sideburns, bikini area, buttocks and/or abdomen areas. Basically anywhere hair grows.
Depending on the treatment area, the procedure can take as little as 5 minutes and as long as 45 minutes:
Laser hair removal treatment ranges from $100 – $300 per session, depending on the area you choose to receive the treatment.
To prepare for the laser hair removal process, the treatment area(s) should be freshly shaved, however waxing or plucking hair 2-4 weeks prior should be avoided. Pigment from the hair in the follicle is important as a chromophore to attract the light. If the hair is removed from the follicle the laser cannot do its job.At least 5 days before the treatment, any exfoliation, acidic skin products or retinoids should also be avoided, and you should not be actively tanning or have any sunburn.
After the treatment, you can expect to have some minor redness and swelling, which will go away after a few hours. You should avoid sweating and sun exposure for at least 24 hours, so no workouts or tanning for at least 1 day following treatment. No matter if you are looking for better comfort and performance in athletics, easier hygiene and grooming, relieving bumps on the skin that come from shaving, or just getting rid of excessive or unwanted body hair or ingrown hairs, laser hair removal is a great and safe option to feel more confident.