Intense Pulsed Laser (IPL) is a safe and permanent method to achieve a smooth and hair-free look on body areas such as the underarms, the legs and the face.  While IPL does not really require any significant downtime, there are a few guidelines to follow before, after and in between treatments.

Before IPL treatments, be sure to refrain from any hair removal methods for at least two weeks before your appointment.  A certain amount of hair growth is necessary for the IPL technician to easily target the area to be treated.  Generally, the more visible the hair, the more successful the session is.  In addition, the use of waxing, depilatory creams, etc. tend to leave the skin weakened and prone to breaking.  You will need to ensure that the skin on the area to be treated is in optimal condition.  It will be a good idea to keep it moisturized daily.

After IPL treatments, your skin will feel as if it got sunburned.  For most patients, this discomfort only lasts a few hours.  You can ease the sensation by using cold compresses on the area and applying aloe vera gel or sunburn creams.  While you can shower and wash normally, avoid using harsh soaps that can cause dryness, because skin needs adequate moisture to heal.  Use lotion after bathing, but avoid those with very strong fragrances or other added potential irritants. Do not use any product with alpha-hydroxyl acids (AHA) in it. Be sure to avoid rubbing the area; simply pat dry with a soft towel.  For underarm treatments, it is recommended that you gently wipe the area with alcohol and avoid the use of any deodorants for the first 24 hours.  Some redness and swelling is normal, but any crusting will require the use of an antibiotic cream.  For at least three weeks after treatment, no new hair growth will occur, although some stubble may appear.  This is simply dead hair being pushed out of dead follicles and should be shed soon. If not, you can try some gentle exfoliation with a loofah to hasten the process.

In between IPL treatments, avoid exposure to sunlight for about 60 days after each treatment to avoid the development of pigmentation in the area.  Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.  While shaving is allowed, you will need to wait for about four to five days.  Other hair removal methods such as waxing, tweezing and even bleaching are to be avoided at all costs.  Because hair undergoes four different stages of growth, it is highly unlikely that an area can be completely treated in one or two sessions.  Usually, one session will result in a 30% reduction of total hair growth in a certain area.  After the initial session, it is a good idea to go back for a check-up with your IPL consultant in about one week.  This will give you both a chance to assess your reaction to the treatment, discuss any pertinent concerns on your part, and set the intervals for the succeeding sessions thereafter.

Joana Chrystal Ventura-Moises is a registered nurse.  She is also an expert on home plumbing and vessel sinks and is a prolific writer on home improvement topics.

Unfortunately, however, facial hair is not uncommon on women, especially as they age, and as a result it is standard procedure for women to search after remedies that can help with facial hair removal in order to increase their attractiveness and even just their own opinion of themselves; their self-esteem.

In searching for suitable hair removal techniques, you will undoubtedly come across both temporary and allegedly permanent results. It is worth considering both, as you may feel that the occasional temporary method is less invasive than any permanent facial hair removal technique. On the other hand, you may just want to do it once and get it over with, hopefully never having to worry about it again – or at least not for a long time.

Waxing, tweezers and shaving are the three most common temporary female facial hair removal methods. Most women would prefer to avoid shaving, for various reasons. They may be concerned about the idea that frequent shaving hardens the hairs and will make it worse, or that the act of shaving will do damage to their skin.

Tweezers take a long time to use effectively and are very painful, possibly resulting in more or less the same problems as shaving; redness and bumps or spots, for example. Waxing can work better than both, leaving the skin smooth and hairless for quite some time.

Permanent techniques of facial hair removal include electrolysis, which involves using electrical impulses to destroy the roots of the hair and prevent them from regrowing, and laser intervention, in which case high energy light is applied to the roots, where they are essentially burned and destroyed that way.

All of these techniques can work, but do make sure to talk to a professional dermatologist to make sure that your chosen solution is right for you.

Men are also now realizing the benefits of laser hair removal treatments for themselves.  Shaving every morning can get tedious at best but using laser removal you will still portray that clean cut professional appearance without the daily ritual.   Related benefits include the end to razor bumps and cuts that all men experience.

The newest equipment is able to treat areas without growing out the hairs as in the past. The hair is removed below and above the surface so the shadow of a beard is also gone.

Before you consider pursuing treatment, you should talk to your health care professional to ask his opinion on whether he thinks you are a good candidate for laser hair removal.  He should also be able to give a personal recommendation to help your search of a reputable facility.

The average time for a session is 20 minutes and you may resume normal activity immediately.  The best candidates are clients with dark hair.  Blondes and gray hair are the most difficult to treat. Skin tone is not a factor with the newest lasers.  Medical spas with the latest technology should have one laser – the Yag – to target people with darker skin tone and a second laser that is designed specifically to work on lighter skinned people.

Laser hair removal is classified as a medical procedure and should be administered by a trained professional.

Laser hair removal is never guaranteed to be permanent and you should be aware of the realistic statistics. Treatments of the face usually require maintenance for complete removal. A realistic expectation is a 50-70 % reduction of facial hair after three sessions.  Healing time between sessions is 6 weeks so as not to irritate the skin.

Prices vary depending on many factors.  It is dependent on the area you live in and possibly the number of medical spas offering the service.  The more competition, the better the pricing.

An overall average across the country for facial laser removal is between $150 and $350 per session.  Your first appointment often includes an evaluation and price for your individual situation.

The first factor that goes into determine laser hair removal pricing is the type of work that you actually want done.  If you are a man with a very hairy back, you are going to pay more for laser hair removal than a woman who has a little bit of stubble on her upper lip that she wants to have removed.

Another factor is your geographic location.  Laser hair removal is more expensive in some parts of the country than in other parts.  In many cases this has to do with the demographics of the people who live in the particular area.  If there are more wealthy people who live in a particular area, it stands to reason that laser hair removal clinics will charge a little bit more in that area.

Another factor is who you choose to go to for laser hair removal.  Plastic surgeons and dermatologists will generally charge more for for laser hair removal than specialty clinics that are setup and equipped to handle laser hair removal in large volumes.

You may get a discount if you have your laser hair removal done during the slow time of year.  Winter months tend to be a slow time for laser hair removal.  Since there are fewer people going in for laser hair removal during the winter months, they may offer a discount to get your business.

You may also ask the clinic if you can have a discount if you refer some of your friends to their clinic for laser hair removal.  Oftentimes there are referral discounts in many businesses and laser hair removal is no exception.

In 2008 the FDA finally approved the very first at home laser hair removal system. Since then a few more have come on the scene. All the products basically do the same job as their cousins in the bigger doctor’s offices or med spas. They all work by having a light zap the hair follicle causing enough damage to  make the hair fall out and even preventing future hair from growing in that area.

The at home laser treatments have the same restrictions and warnings as well. The treatment works best on people with light skin and dark hair; although people with dark skin or light hair can still use the product they will just not be as effective. The laser is dangerous to the eyes so taking precautions such as wearing shades or tanning booth goggles will help prevent damage.

One of the best reasons to have the at home kit rather than just going to the doctor is that the kit costs about as much as one treatment session. The at home version will have similar results and only cost you a fraction of what it would cost at the spa. That could equal about a thousand dollars. Besides saving money with the at home version you also save time that you would have otherwise lost waiting in a doctor’s office and having to take off from work.

It is no secret that people want smooth skin. We also hate those wild, unruly hairs that sprout up in the oddest places. Thankfully now with the advancements in hair removal we can enjoy the laser hair removal results in the comfort of our own home at a fraction of the laser hair removal prices at the laser centers.