Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt?

 

One of the main questions asked when people are seeking laser hair removal is whether laser hair removal hurts or not.

This isn’t an easy question to answer unfortunately but if you want a quick response people say it’s about as painful as an elastic band flicking against your skin.

Laser hair removal works in “blasts” so when you’re using an at home laser hair removal device, or getting it done at a clinic, each time the trigger is pressed this is one blast.

What this means is that the pain associated with laser hair removal is not constant as some people seem to think, rather it’s more like two elastic band flicks per second if done quickly.

Much of course depends on your own pain tolerance. To some people if you’re used to pain laser hair removal will not hurt at all; you will barely notice it’s happening!

To others, especially if you’re not used to laser hair removal, you may feel some discomfort. You need to remember that the laser hair removal isn’t damaging your skin, just your hair follicles. So it’s actually a good thing feeling pain; it means it’s working!

Most pain will come post treatment from accidently rubbing the treated area against something. Or forgetting to put cooling gels on the treated area. This sort of pain is more of an annoyance than “pain” in the traditional sense.

Luckily there are loads of things you can do if you find that the pain of laser hair removal is too much. These methods should reduce laser hair removal pain by loads. Firstly most devices have various intensity settings.

So if you’re finding things too painful you can turn the intensity down from 4 to 3. This will mean the treatment is less effective and will take longer to do, but you should also be able to get used to that level of discomfort. Therefore you eventually can go back up to level 4, or even level 5.

All good laser hair removal systems at a clinic should have these settings.

Laser hair removal numbing cream is also an option. This can reduce pain by up to 40-60%. All good clinics should have this on offer if you request it and you can also buy it yourself for home systems. We recommend Dr Numb.

I know it’s hard to do but try not to think about the treatment you’re receiving. Keep your mind off it. Just have a similar frame of mind like you would if you were having a massage, or shaving with a razor.

A lot of the pain can be mental. You wouldn’t think getting flicked by an elastic band was unbearable would you? That’s because you know it’s not damaging you in any way. Neither is laser hair removal (apart from your hair follicles!)

In conclusion we can say that laser hair removal does hurt a bit but in no way is it unbearable and there are loads of ways to reduce pain so it’s at a very comfortable level. We think that the pain associated with it are well worth the results. The question you need to ask yourself is does laser hair removal hurt so much that I won’t get it done?

If you have a question which isn’t answered on this site already, please feel free to get in contact with the at home laser hair removal team.

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Electrolysis vs Laser Hair Removal

Which is best for me? What advantages does one have over the other? These are some of the questions I will answer in this article so you can decide which is best for you.

Hopefully I have fully answered the question what is laser hair removal on this site already. But for those of you who don’t fully know it can be described as this: Laser hair removal devices identify a hair in the skin by targeting the dark hair pigments and then destroy / damage the hair follicle with intense heat so it won’t produce hair.

It can do this to an area or section of skin therefore targeting several follicles at one time. This involves a moderate to small amount of pain. Electrolysis on the other hand works by putting an electronic current directly into the hair follicle via a needle which completely destroys the hair follicle. Electrolysis is completely permanent as opposed to laser hair removal which, given enough time, may grow back.

For more information on that point see my is laser hair removal permanent article. Since electrolysis can only treat one follicle at a time and requires a needle, it’s quite a lengthy and painful treatment process.

I think it’s going to be best if I list some of the advantages and disadvantages of laser hair removal and electrolysis so you can make a quick comparison:

Advantages

Convenient – you can have short sessions at clinics (under an hour) or even buy an at home laser hair removal device so you can treat yourself whenever you want.Treats a relatively large area – a laser hair removal device can treat quite a few hair follicles in one go, so doing an area like your legs won’t take forever.Not too painful – laser hair removal doesn’t hurt too much, most people say it hurts as much as an elastic band flicking against your skin. Also most devices have intensity settings, so you can turn the device down if it does hurt.Good results – laser hair removal does damage the hair follicles a lot, so it will take ages (many years) for them to repair themselves and start producing hair again (if they repair at all).

Disadvantages

Cost – Laser hair removal can be very expensive in clinics. Up to $200 per session. However if you buy an at home laser hair removal device you could cut back on costs.Number of treatments required – On average you will need 3-4 hair removal treatments because of the stages of growth hair goes through.Semi permanent - unlike electrolysis laser hair removal isn’t guaranteed to remove your hair forever meaning you may need more treatments.Only works on on light skin with dark hair.

Advantages

Completely permanent – since electrolysis completely destroys each hair follicles it won’t grow back.Cheap sessions – each session won’t cost much, even though you will need quite a few of them. This means you can have manageable sessions for as cheap as $30Works on all – electrolysis will work on everyone regardless of skin or hair color since it directly target the follicle.

Disadvantages

Painful – since the needle is going into your skin, then gives you a shock, it hurts quite a bit!Take a while to do – although you only need to treat each follicle once, only one can be done at a time. It will take ages to treat every single hair follicle on your body!Still can be expensive in the long run – even though one session doesn’t cost much, you will need loads of them, which will add up to quite a lot of money.

When thinking about both options it’s safe to say that laser hair removal will be the more comfortable experience; it’s a much more modern and convenient treatment. But not everyone can have it done.

So in conclusion answering the question which is better; electrolysis or laser hair removal, it can be quite hard. But I would say laser hair removal is better if you have dark hair and light skin, and electrolysis is the default winner if you don’t have a suitable hair / skin type but you want 100% permanent hair removal.

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How long does laser hair removal last?

Laser hair removal is sometimes referred to as permanent and semi permanent. We have already established in my article; is laser hair removal permanent, that the hair follicles can repair after some time.

This means that laser hair removal is really semi permanent. It perhaps should be called laser hair reduction. But how long does it last after your have fully treated an area?

Unfortunately it’s really hard to get any degree of certainty when trying to answer this question. I know you wanted a definite answer, like 10 years, but i’m afraid it differers in every single case. It could last forever, it could last a few months.Your skin type does matter, and if you’re a woman then various hormonal fluctuations could make a difference. If your hair is very dark, and your skin is very light then  your long term results are likely to be better.

So keep in mind any representations made in this article are just general estimates, they may not apply to you personally.

Let’s assume that you have had all the necessary treatments for a certain area (from 3-6 treatments depending on the area). At this stage you should have around a 60-90% reduction in body hair on the treated area.

The human body will start to repair itself after a certain amount of time. The hair follicles will repair themselves but in most cases they don’t regrow to the same strength that they were before the treatment. This means that if they do regrow, the hair will be lighter and thinner.

Your hair won’t grow back all of a sudden, so it’s not as if any laser hair removal treatment you previously received will be wasted. Usually there will just be one or two hairs which have repaired themselves over a matter of years. For this reason we reccomend getting a touch up treatment anywhere between 1 and 4 years depending on how the treated area is looking.

If it looks fine then there is obviously no point getting another treatment. But 1 to 4 years is the amount of time it will take after a treatment for the hair to slowly begin regrowing. Even if you waited 10 years and let it all regrow, there would still be much less hair than before.

You should also keep in mind that it’s possible some hair was missed during your treatments due to the hair being in different stages of growth. So hair may have been in a dormant phase while you were having your treatments. This means it may be a good idea to go for a top up session if you see significant hair regrowth. These top up sessions should be done once every two years. But this again depends on how many hairs were missed. If you have a home laser hair removal device you can just give yourself another mini treatment if you see hair growth.

Of course the best method to answer the question of how long does laser hair removal last will be to consult the specialist providing the treatment. They will make a judgement specific to you based on your skin type and numerous other factors.

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Laser Hair Removal and Pregnancy

Due to the increased hormone rate during pregnancy you may see an increased rate of hair growth over most areas. Therefore you could be considering laser hair removal around this time. You obviously want to make sure this is a safe and worthwhile thing to do. In this article we will provide you with general facts and advice on the possible negative effects it could have on you and your baby.

It should be noted that excess hair grown during pregnancy should fall our in the months after pregnancy. It’s not permanent! So you shouldn’t base your decision whether to get laser hair removal solely on temporary hormone changes.

Unfortunately there are very few studies done on laser hair removal during pregnancy. That does partially answer our question really – why take the risk? There is a real lack of information about its effect on unborn babies.

Theoretically it shouldn’t pose a risk because the laser hair removal rays penetrate only a few millimetres under the skin. Also they only target melanin – the dark pigments of hair, so this theoretically shouldn’t do any damage. Furthermore only heat is being used in most devices, not any sort of radiation. But the key point is we can’t say this for sure because of the lack of data.

If you really must remove hair during pregnancy then focus on the outer areas such as the face, arms and legs. Not areas like the stomach, back and bikini region. The best course of action will be oto wait until after child birth to have laser hair removal.

Most salons will probably refuse to treat you during pregnancy do to insurance reasons, and the unknown factor of potential harm. Be wary of salons who try and push expensive treatments on you while you’re pregnant or clam it’s 100% safe. They simply can’t know this and a salon who clams this won’t have your best interests at heart.

Overall laser hair removal during pregnancy isn’t worth the risk, even if the risk is unknown. If there were several reliable scientific studied which stated “laser hair removal is 100% safe during pregnancy” then our opinions may be different. But even if it was 99% safe would it really be worth the risk to you and your child?

We think in this situation it’s best to air on the side of caution and not get laser hair removal during pregnancy. There are more important things than being completely hairless!

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Laser Hair removal Before and After

You want to know what laser hair removal will look like before and after the treatment right? Of course you do, you want to see how well it works. We have a selections of images for you here but remember that results do vary loads depending on your skin color, hair color and hormonal state.

So to get the most from the pictures choose images where the individual has similar characteristics to your own. Then it should give you a rough idea of the sort of results you can expect after several treatments. These several treatments will have been done over many months though. Great laser hair removal results don’t just happen overnight. They take time.

So these images are what you can expect after full treatments. Talk to your doctor about results you can potentially achieve. They will be able to give you more of an accurate picture.

Here is a selection of laser hair removal devices you can buy from Amazon. Hopefully these pictures should show you what full laser hair removal treatment can do. This way you can see if you think it’s worth the price or not. As you can see there is a massive improvement in all the pictures. Not only does the skin have much less hair, but it appears smoother and cleaner looking too.

The skin on the “after” shots overall looks much healthier.

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Nair Hair Removal

Nair hair removal is basically a cream which can remove your body hair. It breaks down the chemical bonds of your hair weakening them so they can easily be removed.

It is a good alternative to shaving since it avoids any skin irritation caused by a razor, and it’s much less expensive than laser hair removal. However unfortunately it isn’t permanent.

There are actually loads of advantages to Nair hair removal cream; as mentioned before it’s really inexpensive. Price does vary but you can usually pick it up for less than $5. The whole treatment process doesn’t take long either. Depending on which part of your body you’re doing, it can take less then 3 minutes. Obviously bigger body parts will take longer.

One of the few disadvantages of hair removal cream is the smell. Because of the chemicals, Nair  does have a strong odour, but thoroughly washing the treated area afterwards should completely remove the smell and just leave the area nice and smooth. Washing the area will also remove any left over hairs too.

Removing your hair with Nair will actually be more effective than shaving; it will last much longer. This is because the cream doesn’t just remove the hair at the skin level, but it actually dissolves hair closer to the hair follicle too.

The chemicals in Nair break down the bonds of the hair and weakens them massively. It does this by reacting with the hairs protein strand. This does not in itself remove the hair. The next stage is to scrape the weakened hair off after the cream has had time to do its job.

Nair does use quite a lot of chemicals. So a small area should be properly tested first in case you suffer an allergic reaction (or if it’s too itchy).

You can use the cream pretty much anywhere on your body; your legs, arms, bikini area etc. But you need a special formulation to use on your face due to its sensitive nature. So make sure you pick that one up the ultra sensitive or upper lip kits and not the normal one!

If your hair is extra dark or thick there is also a ”Tough Hair Coarse/Dark Hair” kit which is extra effective. Make sure you test it on a small patch of skin even more though due to the increased strength.

In conclusion removing hair with Nair is a fast and cheap alternative to other hair removal procedures, but results can vary loads from one person to the next; at less than $5 you may as well give it a try!

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No No Hair Removal Reviews

The No No Hair Removal reviews can be found everywhere which shows how popular the device is becoming. Over 2million units have been sold – it must be doing something well shouldn’t it?

How else would it sell so many. But looking on sites such as Amazon you can find very mixed results. Some people say it’s great, others say it didn’t work at all.

So how do we know what to believe. Does it work or doesn’t it? In this article ill look into the details to attempt to give you an honest review of the device.

Firstly, before looking at some reviews let’s look at what Radiancy (the manufacturers of No No) say the product does. They claim you can achieve clinic standard hair removal from the home without any mess, pain, cuts or noise. This is done not by using a laser (heat & light) like other products featured on this page, but just heat.

Radiancy say the No No uses Thermicon technology to direct heat into the hair follicles to disable and weaken them.

This method is not as intensive as laser hair removal which destroys the hair follicles, rather it gently disables them. This of course means the results will not be as effective or permanent as laser hair removal, but I don’t think that’s the point of the No No, it’s not meant to be a laser hair removal type device, but ill explain this in more detail soon.

This video (from Radiancy) explains exactly what No No does.

All this sounds great, so what’s with some of the negative reviews? One review states “I used it for about 2 weeks for an hour a day, 3 days a week. After the first time it didn’t really remove enough hair for me to stop shaving.” I believe people who think that the No No is some sort of miracle device that can instantly and permanently remove all of your hair will be disappointed.

Maybe they got the impression that the No No was some sort of miracle device from a TV advert? Who knows. But the No No should be compared to a razor, more than laser hair removal.

It’s a device which, given enough time, will reduce the amount of hair your body produces. It won’t completely stop hair growth so you don’t need to shave.

However it will reduce the rate your hair grows at, (and its thickness) to make shaving quicker and easier.

From most No No reviews that i’ve read, people do seem to misunderstand what the device actually does. They are impatient and want quick results.

If this sounds like you then the No No probably isn’t right for you, try waxing instead. But if you are willing to work towards massively reducing hair growth in the long term then it’s a great buy.

In conclusion some reviews have given the device some (in my opinion) unjustified bad press, think of the No No as a device to help you shave and save time in the long term and you won’t be disappointed.

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Permanent Hair Removal

There are essentially 3 types of hair removal – permanent, semi permanent and non permanent hair removal.  Most people assume that they need permanent hair removal, but is this always the best choice? Sometimes it can be painful expensive and time consuming.

In this article we will look at the different types of hair removal so you can make an informed decision about which one is best.

The first and most simple category is of course non permanent hair removal. This includes things such as:

WaxingShavingCertain hair removal creamsPlucking

These methods involve you cutting the hair at the skin level or removing it from its root. Using these methods the hair will grow back after a few days / weeks. But treatments such as waxing and plucking do weaken hair follicles and make the hair grow back lighter and finer. Remember they won’t ever completely stop hair growth though, they will only slow it down.

This is the biggest category of hair removal. This may surprise you due to the misconception that certain treatments such as laser hair removal are permanent.

Treatments such as laser hair removal are permanent for a few years, but then you will need a top up session as the body naturally begins to repair itself. I would classify the following treatments as semi permanent hair removal:

Laser hair removalThermicon hair removalOther hair removal creams

There are loads of laser hair removal devices on the market right now; just look at our reviews page. These devices will damage and destroy hair follicles for a while.

Unfortunately (and sometimes fortunately!) for us the human body is really good at repairing itself over a number of years. So while laser hair removal devices will destroy your hair follicles so they don’t produce any hair, this won’t last forever.

Your hair will gradually begin to grow back. So you can’t have a few treatments and forget about shaving forever. However I personally think removing hair semi permanently is the best option because even though you will need a few top up treatments, these are quick and relatively painless.

Any hair which grows back will be finer and lighter than before, therefore we can classify laser hair removal as permanent hair reduction, but not pernanet hair removal.

Electrolysis is the only 100% permanent form of hair removal. During the procedure a needle is inserted into the hair follicle (one at a time) and electricity is delivered into it. This procedure is actually quite painful and time consuming. Every single hair follicle needs to be treated – one follicle at a time. Therefore full body electrolysis could take up to 5 years.

But once you have the treatment, no hairs will ever grow from that follicle ever again. Electrolysis will work on any sorts of hair, not just dark hair and light skin. This means that if your hair is grey, ginger or blonde, or your skin is dark then electrolysis will work.

So even though electrolysis is the only permanent form it isn’t necessarily the best. The pain, cost, and time needed to perform the treatment are all way more than getting laser hair removal, and this is even taking top up sessions into account.

For that reason the semi permanent laser hair removal treatment will be the best choice for those wanting to massively reduce the amount of hair growth.

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Tria Review

The Tria is one of the most popular laser hair removal devices on the market right now. Let’s look at some of it’s features, and performance, in detail.

Remember the Tria home laser hair removal device keeps getting updated, and new versions released. So negatives I mention in this article may have been eliminated in newer versions.

The Tria uses a pulsed diode laser which is claimed to be more powerful than the sort used in the Silk’n Sense. It works very well on pale skin with dark hair, and works ok on black skin too unlike a lot of other laser hair removal devices. Even if you have ginger hair it will work, just not as well. It may be more painful if your skin is dark because it confuses the dark pigments in the skin with hair. This could cause burns. So I would consult with a doctor before using it.

It works on other skin types by blasting the laser into your skin which then gets absorbed by the hair, destroying the follicle. Side effects such as redness and a tiny bit of swelling from the follicle are common, but this is to be expected when they are being fried by a laser! These symptoms should go after a matter of days and several weeks later your hairs should begin to weaken and fall out.

The Tria really does need patience though; don’t expect overnight results! There are several intensity settings, and obviously you should use the highest setting you can handle. It’s ok if you want to slowly build up to the highest setting. You can also use numbing cream to further reduce pain.

The charge can last up to 20mins which is perfect really because that’s how long you should spend on a area. As I said, shorter sessions are best, but you just need more of them.

The power of the Tria obviously isn’t as high as salon treatments, but you wouldn’t expect that from such a small device. Apparently you can’t use the Tria on your face (I’ve not tried), this is odd though because it uses the same technology as other devices that you can use on your face. All other parts of your body you can use the Tria on, and they give similar results as from a clinic.

To get the same results and better, just give yourself an extra treatment. Since you own the device this won’t be a problem!

If you have had laser hair removal from a clinic the treatment outcome will be very similar in terms of performance and pain. The pain will be slightly less because of the smaller head the Tria has. This means a smaller portion is treated from each laser blast; it takes a little longer, but it’s less intense.

I find the Tria a nice and safe option; less scary than going to a clinic, the power of the systems there do make burning yourself a real risk. Also there are some horror stories where the “professionals” carrying out the treatment have had little / no training. Proper training is not always required by law in all states. So it may come down to luck whether your clinic is good or not. Id prefer not to take the risk.

You do need to keep up with giving yourself treatments, as I have discussed in the is laser hair removal permanent article, your body can repair itself and new hair can pop up. So you need to give yourself top up sessions. Luckily you only need to do this around once a year, if you were getting this done at a clinic this would be yet another expense.

If you don’t follow the protocol, you won’t get satisfactory results. You really do need to take your time with the Tria, the more effort you put in the better your results. It’s not a miracle machine. If you want fast results then maybe try waxing.

The only improvements I would like to see on the next Tria would be longer battery life. Even though it’s good to have lots of shorter sessions, i’d like the option to have a longer one. Apart from that it’s great. Reliable, powerful, safe and user friendly.

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Laser Hair Removal for Men

Recently more and more men have been considering laser hair removal. It used to be considered a woman only treatment but times are changing, and a lot of men are now getting laser hair removal.

This is mostly due to the fact that laser hair removal is really good at removing hair on the chest and back. Just look at the other options – shaving, waxing, creams and electrolysis. All of these have problems and they are far from permanent. The best of these is probably waxing because it does weaken the hair and therefore make it grow back finer and lighter. Electrolysis, although 100% permanent, is an extreme and painful option.

The back and chest are such awkward areas to remove hair from – the back in particular is really hard to reach. Shaving it yourself is pretty much out of the question and going to a salon all the time for waxing can be expensive and time consuming.

This means that laser hair removal is a great option. You can get it done and then never have to worry about removing hair there again. Yes you will need a few sessions, and maybe a top up session after a few years, but this will be worth it. If you really care about being hairless on your back, chest, and even face then it’s a great option. Especially when you think about the long term benefits.

If you have dark hair and light skin then laser hair removal will work on a man just as well as a woman. Hair types are generally the same regardless of sex. It still works on the same premise - targeting the hair follicles by searching out the darkness of the hair. And then blasting heat at the hair follicle destroying it. It’s 100% compatible on men, and the same sort of reduction of hair growth will be seen too so it’s just as effective. This means you should see a 70-90% reduction in hair growth (depending on subject).

However certain laser hair removal devices are not recommended for facial use. Some are fine, some aren’t so you should research the product you’re thinking of buying (in the case of at home laser hair removal) or ask a practitioner (if you’re getting it done in a clinic). There are extra safety measures which need to be taken because it’s so close to the eyes. In my opinion this is why there is more caution. People don’t want to get sued!

Overall it’s a great option for mean, especially the home laser hair removal devices which can be used in privacy. Although most advertising is aimed towards women this will surely change in the future as its popularity amonst men continues to increase.

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