Hair removal is a mine field; do I shave, do I wax or do I laser?
As woman in her late 30’s, growing up in the 90’s shaving was the first option for me, stealing my mum’s razor and attempting to shave my legs over the edge of the bath!
I discovered waxing in my mid-teens – all the girls were doing it so why not?
My skin felt smooth which I loved, and I did not have to have a fight with the razor in the bath tub every other day. However, on the flip side, having to let my hair grow for weeks before, I could have them waxed drove me crazy!
I started my career in Aesthetics when I was in my mid-20’s and this is when I discovered “The Game Changer’ – LASER HAIR REMOVAL! A treatment where I not only had smooth, hair free legs ALL THE TIME but I no longer had to fight with a razor or wait patiently for enough hair growth to have them waxed out!
WHAT IS LASER HAIR REMOVAL?
Laser hair removal is when a high number of concentrated pulses of light are delivered to damage the hair follicle, in order to permanently reduce hair growth. The light released from the laser is attracted to the pigment (melanin) in the hair, the pigment absorbs the light which travels through the hair, damages the hair follicle, and destroys the root of the hair.
Our hair goes through 3 different growth stages: resting (Telogen), growth (Anagen) and falling out (Catagen). When treating the hair with laser, it needs to be in its growth stage for the treatment to work.
Around 20% of all the hair on our body is in its growth stage at any one time. Hence the reason laser hair removal is carried out in courses of treatments. We do this to ensure we are targeting all the hairs in the growth stage to achieve optimum results.
WHAT AREAS CAN YOU HAVE TREATED?
Almost ANYWHERE! Including: the face, bikini (even FULL Hollywood), underarms, legs, arms, back, stomach, neck, and fingers & toes. If the hair is thick enough and is not too light in colour it can be treated.
DOES IT HURT?
Most people describe the sensation of hair removal as “like being flicked with an elastic band” and find it very tolerable. It all depends on your pain threshold. At The Lynton Clinic alongside our “standard mode” laser, we also offer a ‘pain free’ mode, to make your treatments extremely comfortable.
HOW MANY SESSIONS DO YOU NEED?
The average number of treatments you need to see results is between 8 and 12 sessions. There are many factors that can contribute to this number and your clinician will discuss this with you before you start.
HOW LONG SHOULD I LEAVE BETWEEN SESSIONS AND SHOULD I DO ANYTHING IN THAT TIME?
Body treatments are carried out every 6-8 weeks, facial treatments every 4-6 weeks.
We leave this time in between to allow the hair enough time to return to its growth stage.
You don’t need to do anything to the area in between treatments and you can shave the area if you need to.
WHAT WILL I SEE DURING AND AFTER MY TREATMENTS?
During the treatment, you may see/feel the hair pop out of the follicle and there may be a slight smell of burnt hair – this is normal! These are a few of the things we look for during treatment, so we know we are using the correct settings to kill the hairs.
The area that has been treated may feel tingly or itchy. It may appear pink/red after and there may be some swelling to the follicles (like waxing). This will calm down within a day or two. Applying Lynton Light Soothe or aloe vera can help.
WHY SHOULD I HAVE LASER HAIR REMOVAL?
- LONG LASTING RESULTS – The hair that is effectively removed using a laser will usually not appear for several months and even years. When & if the hair grows back, the hair will be less coarse, lighter and a lot less noticeable. For many people, the hair will be gone permanently, which means it will never grow back.
- QUICK & SAFE PROCEDURE – It is a very quick procedure with some sessions taking as little as 20 minutes. The time it takes is largely dependent on the area size that is being targeted. For example, it will obviously take far longer to remove hair from your back, than it would be to remove hair from the upper lip. Using a laser over your skin may seem dangerous, but this form of hair removal is in fact extremely safe when performed by a trained and experienced clinician. This method also eliminates the chances of cutting or nicking your skin or getting a reaction to a nasty chemical.
- NON-INVASIVE – As highly effective as laser removal is, it is non-invasive and has a fast recovery time and very little dangers involved.
- NO MORE INGROWN HAIRS – Unlike other methods of hair removal, laser hair removal will leave you free from ingrown unsightly and painful hairs.
- NO MORE WASTED TIME ON SHAVING & WAXING – No need to purchase these anymore!
- FREEDOM TO WEAR WHAT YOU WANT – hair free means you can grab anything out of your wardrobe and not worry about unsightly hair!
- LOW MAINTENANCE – Once you have completed your treatments most people only require maintenance procedures. This usually means you will only require treatments once or twice a year at the most to keep on top of your results.
- REDUCES BODY ODOUR – Reduction in body odour can be a common side effect. This is due to the hair follicle being destroyed and the bacteria then has nowhere to cling to anymore!
HOW CAN I START MY LASER HAIR REMOVAL JOURNEY?
You will first need a consultation with one of our expert clinicians. This can be done virtually via Zoom, Facetime or WhatsApp at a time convenient to you. Here we will discuss the treatment, how it works, your concerns and your potential treatment plan.
You will need to visit the clinic prior to your first treatment for a patch test, this allows to assess the hair thoroughly, determine the correct settings to be used and it gives you a chance to see how the laser feels.
From here we can book in your first treatment after one week.
Payment can be taken per session or as a course. 20% discount is applied when courses of 6 or more treatments are purchased.
For more information or to book in for a consultation you can contact us at The Lynton Clinic on 01477 536979, you can drop us an email at thelyntonclinic@lynton.co.uk or you can find us in Instagram or Facebook @thelyntonclinic.