Laser Hair Removal London: What Can You Expect?

Keeping on top of your hair removal regime can often feel like a full-time job.

Between waxing, plucking and shaving, for those of us who like to keep our skin baby smooth, excessive or unwanted hair growth is a nightmare. If you’ve finally had enough of hours spent cooped up in your bathroom trying to banish the fuzz, then why not consider laser hair removal? Courthouse Clinics, Laser Hair Removal London specialists, explain what you can expect.

How does laser hair removal work?

The non-evasive cosmetic procedure works by damaging the hair follicle itself to minimise growth. The laser detects areas that have pigment, in this case the hair, and sends pulses of light energy, which is then absorbed. Once the melanin is targeted, the hair heats up, and it is this heat that damages the follicle, preventing, or slowing down future growth.

What areas can it treat?

As it’s a simple, pain-free treatment, laser hair removal can be carried out on practically any area of the body where hair grows. Popular treatment areas include underarms, legs, facial hair and bikini area however other places such as knuckles or toes can also be treated.

How can I prepare for my treatment?

There’s not much you can do before your treatment, as it’s pretty straight forward, however clients are asked to refrain from plucking or waxing the area for a month prior to their appointment. This is because laser hair removal targets the hair follicle itself, so pulling it out from it’s root means that the laser won’t work. Before arriving, clients are advised to shave to prepare the skin. This is so the laser can fully penetrate the skin to reach the hair follicles beneath, rather than just fry the hair on the surface, resulting in an ineffectual treatment. Throughout the course of your treatment itself, your therapist will usually ask you not to shave for one to two weeks before, so that they can see the stubble growth, and therefore the areas that require further laser treatment.

What can I expect?

The success of laser hair removal depends on hair colour and skin type; however, it is generally effective at reducing around 90% of hair in the treated areas. A consultation at Courthouse Clinics will always be offered first – both to discuss which areas of your body you’re looking to treat, and also to patch test a section of your skin to check for reactions. During the treatment itself, a cooling gel is applied to the skin, before the Soprano laser – widely considered to be the best laser on the market due to the combination of three different wavelengths – is moved across the skin. By damaging the follicles, the hair should naturally fall out around two weeks after treatment.

How many treatments will I need?

As laser hair removal treatment is only effective on actively growing hair follicles, the treatments are usually spaced apart in intervals of 4-8 weeks, so that hair follicles have time to grow. This is because hair travels through a cycle, Anagen –(The Growing Phase), Catagen (The Transition Phase) and Telogen (The Resting Phase).Hair follicles in the anagen phase have the largest amount of melanin and can therefore absorb the light energy from the laser better than hair in the other 2 phases, hence why the treatments are spread out to target only the anagen phase.

In terms of time, treatments can take anywhere between 15 to 90 minutes depending on the size of the area.

What do I need to do after my laser hair removal treatment?

Laser hair removal is a totally safe procedure, and most people won’t experience any serious side effects, other than minor skin irritation and discomfort, along with redness and swelling, however these are all temporary and should disappear within a few hours. After treatment, it’s normal for skin to be tender or more sensitive than usual – try and avoid using cosmetics for at least a day, to reduce the risk of skin irritation, as well as performing any exercise that will lead to excessive perspiration, as this can lead to hyperpigmentation. Courthouse suggests limiting sun exposure during the course of treatment, and for around six weeks after you have finished due to increased sensitivity in the skin.

Courthouse Clinics are a leading provider of doctor led cosmetic treatments and run 11 clinics across the UK and specialise in a range of different non-invasive procedures. From Laser Hair Removal and Botox to Body Contouring, they consistently provide the most up-to-date and effective aesthetic procedures to help you to look and feel your best.

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