3 (Unwarranted) Hesitations About Laser Hair Removal

With spring and summer on the horizon, unwanted hair is the last thing anyone wants to deal with. Laser hair removal is popular among my San Ramon and Danville-area patients partly because it offers permanent relief from shaving, waxing, or plucking.

But despite its popularity, there are still plenty of misconceptions that might keep people from pursuing laser hair removal. Let’s take a closer look at those.

“I thought it was only effective on dark hair.”

While this was true for previous versions of hair removal treatment, today’s advanced lasers are effective on a wider range of hair colors. Laser hair removal works by damaging the hair follicles with laser energy. That energy is absorbed and conducted by the pigment in the hair. While very dark hair is still the most receptive to laser hair removal, our Palomar StarLux™ laser is much more adept at treating lighter hair.

“The treatment is painful, right?!”

Laser hair removal isn’t an experience free of sensation, but few people say it hurts. Instead, most patients report feeling a snapping or pinching sensation as the laser handpiece directs energy to the hair follicle. Afterward, the skin may be temporarily red, sore, or sensitive, similar to a sunburn.

“OK, but it’s time-consuming, though.”

Not at all! Each treatment session at Essential Aesthetics takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour to complete, and you can feel free to resume your regularly scheduled activities once your visit is over. Laser hair removal requires several treatments to achieve optimal results, and they’re spaced several weeks apart. Once your treatment regimen is done, your unwanted hair is gone indefinitely.