Is Laser Hair Removal Safe?

While laser hair removal is a relatively new procedure, it already has millions of devotees. Eschewing the razor and sticky wax forever, more and more women (and men) are electing to do laser hair removal as a more permanent means to get rid of unwanted body hair. You may be finally ready to try the procedure for yourself, but are wondering, is it safe? 

Lucky for you, the general answer is that laser hair removal is safe. 

But let’s back up a little and explain how laser hair removal works. Laser hair removal is a process by which a beam of light is directed towards the hair. The hair will absorb the pigment, becoming lighter and lighter, and eventually disappear. The beam of light will then be directed towards the hair follicle itself, fading and eventually getting rid of the hair inside the follicle. As you can imagine, this process takes a period of several months and works slowly, making sure to lighten and then eliminate the hair entirely. Because the beam of light is aiming to reduce and eventually eliminate the hair follicle, it is totally safe for the skin. 

Laser hair removal is also a painless process – you won’t experience any discomfort or irritation from laser hair removal. As the process begins, tell your technician if you feel anything that is hot to the touch or uncomfortable and they will adjust the tools accordingly. But largely, you won’t feel a thing. At most, you’ll feel a slight pinch that is not painful at all. 

Laser hair removal is good for all skin types, hair types and skin pigmentation. It works on everyone, though of course the amount of sessions you need will vary depending on the coarseness of your hair and skin type. Any good salon/clinic will work with you to determine how many sessions you need. 

The only risk involved with laser hair removal is if you allow yourself to be exposed to the sun during treatment. This is why most laser hair removal takes place in the Fall or Winter. Exposure to light makes your skin more vulnerable in terms of pigmentation, and if you expose yourself to the sun during this time, you can accidentally reverse the laser hair removal process or cause yourself skin darkening issues/pigmentation issues. If you notice a dark area or any odd pigmentation issues after laser hair removal, take care to make sure you haven’t been exposing yourself to the sun. 

Those who have very sensitive skin may experience a slight rash after laser hair removal, or even just a small bit of redness, but most patients don’t experience this at all. Laser hair removal is very safe and surprisingly gentle on the skin. If you’re interested in laser hair removal, rest assured that it’s a very safe process with little to no risk, is painless and irritation/discomfort-free, and takes place in easy, managed sessions over a period of time. At the most you’ll feel a little painless pinch, and the end result is no more unwanted body hair!