Here in Scottsdale, Arizona, we may not experience harsh winters like our Northern friends, but that doesn’t mean we’re sitting poolside year-round. So, now that your bikini has taken a back seat for a little while, it’s time to take advantage and get to work removing unwanted body hair.
We know that smooth, hairless skin is essential — and we also know that the best results don’t happen overnight. In this blog, JeanAnn Schwark, DNP, and Venessa Bell, LE, CLT, our experts at Serenity Women’s Care & Medical Aesthetics, highlight why laser hair removal is the gold standard and why now is the best time to get it done.
The thing about lasers
Whether you’re attached to your razor, unwilling to part with your wax strips, or dedicated to your pair of tweezers, we understand how easy it is to stick with what you know, especially regarding your beauty routine. It’s also easy to admit that traditional hair removal methods come with no small amount of drawbacks.
Plucking, shaving, and waxing are only effective for short-term hair removal, and they cause unsightly irritations, including redness and bumps.
Enter laser hair removal.
Laser hair removal harnesses the power of high-intensity light and delivers short pulses deep into your hair follicles. The pigment in your hair attracts and absorbs the light energy, converting it to heat and neutralizing the follicles. This process destroys the hair root and keeps it from returning — something your tweezers, razors, and wax strips simply can’t do.
At Serenity Women’s Care, we offer laser hair removal with the GentleMax Pro® system from Candela®, an industry leader in light-based technology.
In addition to fast, lasting hair removal, GentleMax Pro gets our patients’ love because it can be used virtually anywhere on your body. The most popular treatment areas include the bikini line, back, abdomen, arms, underarms, legs, eyebrows, upper lip, and chin.
Winter is the prime time for hair removal
It’s true: Laser hair removal is the only way to remove your unwanted hair permanently, but it does require some legwork on your end.
A few days before your first dip in the pool is not the time to make an appointment with us. Treatment time varies based on the size of the area you’re treating and the thickness and color of your hair, but on average, you need around 3-7 treatments to see permanent results. Because hair grows in cycles, laser hair removal is most effective during the most active growth phases, and that means more than one treatment to achieve optimal results.
We space your treatments around 4-6 weeks apart to give your skin ample time to recover. Because there’s a time requirement, getting ahead and starting now is crucial if you want to be truly hair-free by bikini season.
If you get a late start, don’t panic. You’ll see it only takes one session for hair to grow back lighter and thinner.
Before, during, and after
Ready to join the laser hair removal team? Start preparing now. First, make sure whoever performs your laser hair removal is a board-certified professional. If not, your treatment could get botched and leave you with pain, infection, and other complications.
Our experts have years of experience and thoroughly review your health history, medication use, history of skin conditions, and past hair removal procedures to understand your unique needs fully. We also help you get ready for your appointment by providing a few pre-treatment instructions, which usually include the following:
- Lightening your skin
- Using sunscreen when outdoors
- Avoiding excessive sun exposure, tanning beds, and sunless skin creams
- Not taking blood-thinning medications
Remember not to shave, wax, or tweeze before your appointment. We need a little bit of visible hair for the lasers to be effective. The lasers need something to seek out and follow down to the root and follicle, so leave some stubble behind.
If you’re worried about pain or have heard horror stories from your friends, don’t worry. Laser hair removal does create a snapping sensation against your skin, but you shouldn’t feel any pain. Talk to us about our methods for keeping you relaxed and comfortable.
Afterward, expect some redness and mild swelling at the treatment site. Any side effects you develop should be minor and easy to manage with cold compresses and over-the-counter pain relievers.
Some say beauty is pain. We say beauty is preparation. Don’t waste this winter season — use it to get a jump on your summer aesthetic. Call our friendly staff or use our online booking tool to schedule an appointment today.