Kingdom of Hair

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Chest Hair Removal

Chest hair removal can be of interest to some men. Like . unwanted backk hair, thick or excessive chest hair can be a source of embarrassment. Some men do not like having hair spill out from their shirts, or they may be uncomfortable going without a shirt in public. Tweezing or waxing can also be impractical since chest hair grows quickly and shaving will lead to quickly appearing stubble.

There are various solutions for unwanted chest hair, but laser hair removal is becoming increasingly popular due to the time, ease and more permanent results of the treatment. Laser hair removal is relatively quick and can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more, depending on the amount of hair and the size of the area being treated.

Laser hair removal is also much less painful than waxing and much less time-consuming than shaving, which must be done frequently to remain hair-free.

Athletic men, in particular, may enjoy the benefits of laser hair removal to achieve better results in their respective sports. Laser hair removal will also allow athletes to better show off their physiques.

With laser hair removal for chest hair, many men are happy to find their chests relatively hair-free after three to six treatments. How many you'll need depends on your specific situation, so ensure that you consult with a physician who can answer your questions and let you know what to expect.

What to Expect During and After Treatment

It's comforting to know what you'll experience during and after your laser hair treatment sessions.

During laser hair removal, you'll wear goggles so your eyes won't be exposed to light from the laser.

At first, you will likely feel a stinging sensation, indicating that the laser has been activated. The treatment involves a series of impulses that cause prickling and a slight burning sensation. Your clinician may also apply a topical anesthetic to the area being treated to minimize discomfort, but most people can tolerate the procedure without it.

Some people have likened the feeling to that of a rubber band snapping against your skin. You might also detect the smell of singed hair, which is nothing to worry about.

The procedure can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on the work you are having done. The smaller the area, the less time is involved, whereas a larger area, such as the back, may require several hours.

After laser hair removal, you may experience brief swelling and redness. Some people feel stinging and you may also experience a slight crusting of the skin. If the latter occurs, petroleum jelly (Vaseline) should be used to moisten the affected area.

Typically, most people don't have much redness at all. Don't expect, however, that all the hair will fall out right away — it may take as along as two weeks after treatment.

For the most part, you can return to your normal routine immediately, though you should avoid direct sun exposure. Be sure to use sunscreen with a high SPF. Some doctors also advise that you avoid exercise and strenuous activity for the first 24 hours so as not to perspire and cause increased irritation.

You should continue to avoid direct sun exposure and tanning booths for several weeks after treatment. Be careful when touching the treated areas: don't wax or pluck hairs, pick at the skin, or rub or scrub it. A gentle washing with soap and water is perfectly fine.

On average, people need between three and five sessions to really see results, meaning about 80% hair reduction in the area treated.

How Should I Prepare For Laser Hair Removal?

Like any procedure, laser hair removal should not be undertaken without a thorough examination of the risks, benefits, costs, and success rates. Before scheduling an appointment, you should discuss with your clinician the factors that determine

1. What areas are you considering for laser treatment?

2. Which of the following best describes your skin (please refer to the chart below)?
3. Are you currently tanned in the areas you wish to treat
4. Are you currently taking any medications that could make your skin sun-sensitive or have you taken Accucane (if you are unsure please list medications by name)?
5. What is the color of the hair you wish to have removed?

Refer to the chart below to describe your skin type

Skin types	Sun history	Example
I white	Burns, never tans	Most often fair Caucasians with light eyes, light hair, or red hair
II white	Usually burns, tans minimally	Most often fair Caucasians with blue, or green eyes, any hair color.
III medium white	Sometimes burns, may burn then tan.	Most often average-skinned Caucasians, mixed Caucasians, light-skinned Asians
IV dark white or olive	Seldom burns, minimally burns, gets a medium brown	Most often Mediterranean, Asian, Hispanic, Native American.
V light/medium brown or dark olive	Seldom burns, tans dark.	Most often darker Hispanics, Middle Easterners, some African-Americans, Indians
VI medium/dark brown to dark brown	Never burns, tans well.	African-Americans, dark Indians.

Types of Laser Hair Removal Systems

As the popularity of laser hair treatment has grown, so too has the number of laser manufacturers. The market is growing so quickly that the Food and Drug Administration, which approves devices for hair removal, has trouble maintaining an up-to-date list. Nonetheless, you can call the FDA provided you know the manufacturer or device name. Be advised that the FDA does not recommend one laser over another, nor does it provide comparisons for the various lasers on the market.

There are a few methods of laser hair treatment and for each method there are various laser products.

The Ruby Laser is the oldest type of hair removal laser and works best for fine and light hair. The Ruby Laser cannot be used on patients with darker skin, including people with tanned skin. This and other factors, such as the relatively small area that they cover, have made Ruby lasers increasingly less popular for laser hair removal in recent years.
The Alexandrite Laser is the fastest of the laser types and is good for treating large body areas in patients with light-to-olive complexion. This is one of the most widely used lasers for hair removal.
The Diode Laser is most effective for darker skin types and is less effective on lighter, finer hair. It covers large areas and has fast repetition rates, allowing brisk treatment of large body areas.
The long pulse Nd:Yag laser can be safely used in all skin types, including tanned patients. Large coverage areas and fast repetition rates allow large areas to be treated quickly. That said, patients who use this laser report more discomfort during treatment. It is also less effective for fine and light hair than other lasers.
Intense Pulsed Light Devices are not lasers, but are “laser equivalents” in the sense that they use the same concept of selective photothermolysis to accomplish hair removal. IPL devices are more difficult to use than lasers and require a very skilled and experiences technician to operate.

Is Laser Hair Removal Right For Me?

Some people find their unwanted hair so embarrassing and inconvenient that it compromises their happiness, or free-time.

People get hair removal by laser over other methods of hair removal for a variety of reasons ranging from being self-conscious of facial hair, in-grown hairs, or the sheer time it takes to shave or wax on an ongoing basis.

Lasers usually target melanin so if you have dark hair and light skin you may be the “ideal candidate”. Since lasers usually target melanin, it may be more of a challenge to remove hair from people with dark skin. The same goes for removing hair from tanned people or people taking photo-sensitive medications such as Accutane. Lasers vary however, and many clinics have more than one laser that it better at removing hair from different types of clients. Bottom-line is that it makes sense to fill out our Free Consultation to find out if the laser clinic nearest to you has a laser that is appropriate for you.

Laser may be expensive, but from our experience, clients commonly come from every walk of life; each having very personal reasons for getting laser hair removal (sometimes from every imaginable body area). Remember not to be embarrassed to tell your laser technician about your unwanted hair. They are there to help you, and used to hearing a variety of requests. You are not alone in wanting your hair removed!

How Laser Hair Removal Works

If you're interested in laser hair removal, it's important, as a first step, to learn how it works. Laser hair removal technology is the use of an invisible beam of light and a constant source of heat that penetrates the hair follicle, disabling and then destroying it at its root while preserving the surrounding skin.

The procedure of removing unwanted hair is simply targeting the follicle and then directing the laser beam at its root. The hair removal process begins as the laser beam finds the hair follicle that it is targeting by first finding the melanin (the dark color of the hair).

Who can benefit from Laser Hair Removal?

Laser hair removal works best on those people with dark hair and fair skin.

Melanin is also found in skin, so those people with dark skin either from suntans or by birth will not be ideal candidates for laser hair removal. Neither will red headed or light blond haired people — simply because the laser is solely attracted to the darkness of the hair.

Laser hair removal is most successful when the hair is in its anagen phase (the phase when a hair follicle is its active growth). This phase lasts several years — 85% of our hair is in that phase at any given time. During this phase, the hair is easily targeted and more easily destroyed.

Are there any problems with Laser Hair Removal?

Unlike other hair removal methods such as electrolysis, waxing and, of course, shaving, laser hair removal is the most state-of-the-art and high-tech method in removing unwanted hair for longer (and even indefinite) periods of time. It is the only proven method available for easily removing hair from mass areas of the body including back, chest, legs and face. Laser hair removal is effective, precise and cost efficient.

The laser simply and directly pinpoints the root of the hair and removes it from the body. Although the process is precise and beneficial, it can be irritating to the skin — therefore it is important that the surrounding skin be cooled with a gel, a spray or a cooling device throughout the procedure. These cooling systems prevent the laser beam from causing harm or discomfort to the surrounding skin.

Types of Lasers

There are currently four types of lasers used for hair removal:

Alexandrite – such as the Candela GentleLase Plus
Ruby – such as the EpiTouch or Epilaser
Diode – such as the Coherent Light Sheer
ND and LP ND Yag – such as the Candela GentleYag and the Altus Cool Glide

Each of these techniques is FDA-approved and proven effective, fast and safe methods for successful hair removal and permanent hair reduction.

What to look for

Although it is the work of the laser that removes the hair follicle, successful laser hair removal depends upon the skill and knowledge of the technician who manipulates and maneuvers the laser. That is, once the laser is selected, it is the mastery of the technician that will yield the best results.

Now let's better understand the technique involved. Words like pulse, fluency and time are imperative to you, the consumer. These techniques will ensure that your experience is comfortable and effective.

For instance, long pulsed lasers are considered to be the safest. Energy and fluency levels of the laser can be specified depending on your personal skin type. The time allowed between pulses of light allows the skin and follicle to cool for longer periods of time, making your experience more pleasant. The size of the area on your skin's surface affects the speed and penetration of the laser — a larger area allows the technician to go deeper into the root of the hair follicle, which can give you better results per session.

Laser hair removal is not a one-time procedure. But, in just a few sessions, you can feel like a different person. The power of the laser is unchallenged by any other hair removal method available.