Using a laser for hair removal is one of the most advanced techniques available to the South African public for achieving smooth skin. In contrast to more conventional methods like waxing, shaving, or using depilatory creams, this isn’t something you’ll have to do every week or even every few days. Rather, it allows you to enjoy lasting, smooth skin with results that last for months, plus simple follow-up sessions to keep it that smooth.
Yet, with this new technology-driven theory having recently become so popular, curiosity about its function has grown, too. This article offers an in-depth technical perspective on the process, providing insight into the procedure. We’re here to give you all the information you need on laser for hair removal procedures, so you can book your first consultation with no fear.
NuSkinnovation is a South African skincare brand with nationwide clinics specialised in administering laser hair removal therapy with a commitment to a high standard of care and results.
How Hair Growth Works Before Any Laser For Hair Removal Treatment Begins
Central to the laser hair removal process is the hair follicle. This is a funnel-like structure that sits within the dermis of the skin. At the base of this funnel is a component called the bulb, which receives nutrients via blood flow and is responsible for growing the hair itself.
The bulb is rich in melanin, the pigment that gives your hair its colour, and you’ll soon learn why this makes it so important to laser therapy. While the bulb uses cell multiplication to grow your actual hairs, this isn’t a constant process. It moves through three phases: anagen, catagen, and telogen.
The first phase, anagen, is the growth phase when the bulb is at its richest concentration of melanin, and this is where our focus sits. That’s because it’s the easiest to target the follicle with laser energy during this phase compared to the other two, due to the concentration of pigment, which absorbs energy incredibly well.
That’s why laser sessions are spaced apart; we’re trying to target all of your hair while it’s growing through the anagen phase, which doesn’t happen to all of your hair follicles at the same time.
How Laser Energy Finds And Targets The Hair Follicle
Using a laser for hair removal involves sending out small bursts of concentrated light rather than a continuous beam. These pulses are naturally drawn to the dark melanin pigments found in the hair follicle. As melanin absorbs the light, it converts it into heat.
The follicle essentially begins to cook from the inside, and the more melanin is concentrated within it, the faster this happens. This causes serious damage to the follicle, preventing it from effectively resuming the hair growth process.
The result of this is significant hair reduction that lasts for months on end. You might hear this and grow a bit concerned about the effects of the laser blasts on your surrounding skin, but the good news is that the procedure is incredibly precise and unlikely to cause you any serious harm.
Because melanin absorbs most of the laser, the surrounding soft tissue is left all but unharmed. All you’ll feel is a light burn or ‘snapping’ sensation, moderate in pain levels and fast to fade.
What Clients Typically Feel And See After Using A Laser For Hair Removal
Understanding the biological processes at play during your laser therapy session is interesting, but you may also want to know what to anticipate from your own physical experience of the event.
There isn’t one universal experience that applies to everyone, but most clients describe it as being mildly uncomfortable in the way that elastic bands flick against your skin are.
The more sensitive the area, of course, the more acute this sensation.
The skin will be left a little tender, but this is quick to fade. Over the following days and weeks, you’ll notice that treated hairs will begin to shed gradually rather than disappear instantly.
Don’t allow the slow nature of these results to disappoint you. This is a normal part of the follicular shutdown process, and as the sessions continue, the effects will accumulate. Your patience will be rewarded after all the sessions are done, leaving you with lasting, smooth skin.
Why Multiple Sessions Are Necessary For Lasting Results
As we’ve already established, when using a laser for hair removal, we can only target the hair while it’s in its growth phase – this is when the hair follicle contains its highest concentration of melanin pigment, which absorbs the laser energy.
Yet not all of our hair is in the same growth stage at any given time. While we target the portion of hair currently in its growth phase, a significant portion will also be in the catagen and telogen stages, making them resistant to the treatment.
To overcome this, we schedule laser hair removal in multiple sessions, allowing us to systematically work through all of your hair in the target area and catch every follicle during its anagen phase. After each session, you’ll be able to see the cumulative effects of the laser with your own eyes, seeing decreasing hair density and growth, eventually leading to smooth skin.
Why A Personalised Laser For Hair Removal Session Is Essential
Using a laser for hair removal affects different people in different ways, primarily depending on factors like hair and skin tone, hair thickness, and natural hair growth rate. The ideal candidate for laser hair removal is someone with thick, dark hair and pale skin, as this makes it the easiest to target hair follicles without damaging the surrounding skin.
Yet, with the right laser systems, settings, routine and attention from the technician, it is now possible to treat those with darker skin tones and thinner hair without damaging the surrounding skin. This does, however, require your clinic to adopt a careful and personalised approach that takes your unique variables into account.
Failing to do so doesn’t just compromise the effectiveness of your results; it could even cause you unnecessary skin irritation and burns. Be careful about the clinics you choose for your treatments, ensuring that they’re well-equipped with medical-grade laser systems and employ trained and attentive staff.
At NuSkinnovation, all of our laser aestheticians are experienced industry experts, and each session is tailored to your skin and hair type. As a trusted and certified skincare clinic, you can rest easy knowing you’re working with professionals.
The Skin-Related Benefits Of Using A Laser For Hair Removal Secondary To Hair Reduction
There are a number of related, more indirect benefits of laser hair removal that you should be aware of. Because laser hair removal results in long-lasting smooth skin, you’re going to be performing far fewer shaving, waxing, or hair removal cream sessions. As such, you’ll be subjecting your skin to less repeated irritation, leading to less inflammation and ingrown hairs.
Over time, this can actually result in smoother skin texture in those who undergo laser hair removal, as their skin gets irritated less. Of course, this is a major aesthetic bonus, but it’s also a practical improvement to your skin’s overall health.
Finally, it’s possible that laser hair removal can actually help you save money. Although the upfront cost of laser therapy certainly exceeds any conventional hair removal method, if you have particularly thick and fast-growing hair, it’s likely that you’d be spending large quantities over time on short-term hair removal methods—especially if you’re having it done professionally. The long-lasting results of laser hair removal can help you cut back on those costs.
Why Your Clinic Choice Matters
Using a laser for hair removal is a technical process that requires a steady hand and the right tools. Across South Africa, you’ll find many clinics offering this service, but you’d be well advised to be careful about your choice of laser clinic. Smaller, less established clinics may offer some of the best prices on the local market, but they offer little guarantee of quality without certification from the governing boards that oversee the provision of laser therapy in South Africa. You may be visiting a clinic that doesn’t have the right equipment at hand or whose staff hasn’t been properly trained.
You’ll risk irritation and injury, not to mention failed results. You’re better off investing in a certified clinic with an established name and enough online reviews to give you the confidence you need to have a treatment done there with peace of mind.
NuSkinnovation is an industry leader, a skincare clinic with a proven track record and a trusted name in the South African aesthetics industry. We’re known for carrying out personalised treatments tailored to your unique needs, while treating you with attentive technician care. We encourage you to seek out your nearest NuSkinnovation clinic and read reviews left by past clients for yourself.
Conclusion: The Hidden Science Behind Smooth, Low-Maintenance Skin
Laser hair removal is an incredibly effective modern method of hair removal that’s taken the aesthetic and beauty industry by storm. It’s well worth it for prospective clients to take the time to learn how this technology-driven treatment works. It is a biologically involved process that targets the very hair follicles embedded in your skin, using the concentrated levels of pigment present within the follicle during its growth stage to target the structure without energy bleeding over into the surrounding soft tissue, thus damaging the skin.
It’s a gradual process that needs to be repeated over multiple sessions over multiple weeks, with clients shedding hair in the target area until only smooth skin remains. During these sessions, you’ll feel little more than a moderately painful snapping sensation and some lasting sensitivity, quick to fade.
You’ll then be able to enjoy months, sometimes years, of smooth skin, cutting out the need for other conventional hair removal techniques entirely. More than just convenient and cost-effective, this helps to minimise skin irritation and boost overall dermatological health. Just make sure that you have this treatment done by a professional and trusted clinic with not only the most modern machines, but also trained staff and a dedication to personalised treatment plans.
At NuSkinnovation, we offer free consultations, so you can discuss your goals with a trusted professional who will then tailor a plan suited to your needs. With years of experience and a team of certified professionals, we pride ourselves on offering the highest standard of care.
Get in touch today to book your free consultation with a NuSkinnovation expert!