The benefits of laser hair removal as an effective way to relieve people of the embarrassment of unsightly body hair have been well publicized. Thousands of people have already undergone the procedure, and thousands more are investigating it as a way to remove unwanted body hair.
Lasers are designed to target the cells of the hair follicles without causing harm to any nearby tissues. Short pulse lasers will heat the target cells less than long pulse ones, and are less likely to cause thermally-induced skin scarring, one of the possible effects of laser hair removal on the skin. There are also lasers controlled by automatic scanning which limit the range of the pulses to the correct areas.
The aim is to destroy the target cells while avoiding harm to the surrounding tissue. Short pulses reduce the amount that the damaged cells heat up, thereby reducing thermal injury that could result in scarring. Automated scanners aim to reduce the chance of overlapping treatment areas.
Possible Effects
But those considering laser hair removal should also educate themselves on the effect of laser hair removal on the skin. Knowing about the effects of laser hair removal on the skin will help you to decide if the procedure is right for you. And one of the most significant effects of laser hair removal on the skin is that of hyperpigmentation.
Laser hair removal can cause a temporary increase in skin-darkening pigments, especially in those who have naturally dark complexions or tan frequently. But the darkening can be lightened easily with skin bleaching products.
Another of the temporary effects of laser hair removal on the skin, which again occurs in those with dark complexions, is hypopigmentation, or lightening. Hypopigmentation results because of the higher laser exposure used to treat those with dark skin.
If a laser hair removal patient is overexposed to the laser during treatment, he or she may experience skin reddening; the degree of overexposure and thermal damage will determine the length of time the reddening lasts. But reddening rarely occurs, because of the cooling devices now available, and the proper exposure time training of laser hair removal specialists.
One of the more serious effects of laser hair removal on the skin is blistering. Blistering most often occurs in patients with the darker skin which demands higher laser exposure. To prevent blistering these patients should have their treated skin tissues cooled with a contact chill tip. Blistering, thanks to various new cooling techniques, is almost non-existent.
A less frequent effect of laser hair removal on the skin is the crusting caused by ruby or alexandrite lasers, which operate with long pulses which can cause overexposure. But all the effects of laser hair removal on the skin occur infrequently, and when done by properly trained specialists with proper equipment, it is a safe and successful method for ridding people of unsightly hair.
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