Since the earliest civilizations, we’ve been devising a way to deal with unwanted body hair. The ancient Egyptians viewed body hair as unclean and ungodly, so men and women would remove every trace of hair from head to toe — even add arsenic to their primitive depilatory creams.
The battle against body hair may not be new, but fortunately, we’ve upgraded our arsenal.
Our team of doctors at Marina OB/GYN is proud to offer the best, most advanced way to remove unwanted body hair — yes, even hair there. Here’s everything you should know about our technological approach to an age-old problem.
Why do I have unwanted body hair?
If smooth, hair-free skin is the beauty standard (even way back in the day), then why do we have it in the first place? Body hair is helpful in a few ways. It helps regulate your body temperature, protects you from minor injuries, and even alerts you when a bug lands on your arm.
However, the aesthetic implications of body hair usually outweigh the biological ones.
So, you take to your tweezers, razors, and waxing kits in a futile attempt to beat back the ever-advancing army of unwanted body hair. But the truth is, you never really get rid of your hair using traditional methods.
That’s because waxing, plucking, and shaving don’t get to the heart of the issues below your skin. To see permanent results, you need a hair removal method that disrupts your hair’s growth at the source.
Enter laser hair removal.
How do I get rid of unwanted body hair for good?
Every inch of your body is covered in hair, ranging from the light, peach fuzz on your face to the coarse, dark hair that grows in your nether regions. Each hair follows a similar growth cycle, starting in the follicle below your skin and ending in the stubble above.
Laser hair removal is the only treatment that safely delivers intense pulsed light (IPL) into the hair follicle to destroy it and, in turn, disturb the growth cycle. This process prevents hair from regrowing.
We can take laser hair removal almost anywhere on your body, but the most popular treatment areas include:
- Legs
- Bikini area
- Belly
- Chest
- Arms
- Underarms
- Back
- Upper lip
- Eyebrows
Laser hair removal is safe and effective for almost every skin type, but you should keep a few things in mind to help you prepare and recover.
What is the laser hair removal process like?
We love laser hair removal because it’s fast and safe, and there’s not much our patients need to do to prepare for treatments. Follow these simple guidelines to be ready for your appointment:
- Limit sun exposure
- Use sunscreen
- Avoiding tanning, tanning beds, etc., for at least four weeks
You can shave before your appointment, but remember that the lasers need visible hair to follow down to the follicle, so we encourage you to show up with some stubble. The same goes for other things that can disturb your follicles, such as chemical peels, collagen injections, and even your favorite perfumes and deodorants.
In short, try to leave your skin and body hair alone until your appointment.
When you arrive, we clean the treatment area and give you a pair of protective glasses to wear during your session. When we turn the machine on and apply it to your skin, you may feel a pinprick sensation or a rubber band snapping against your skin. Other than that, laser hair removal is virtually painless.
Recovery is a breeze too. Besides some swelling, redness, and tenderness at the treatment site, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. We recommend wearing loose-fitting clothing to stay comfortable before, during, and after your session.
A good rule of thumb is to stick to the guidelines we set before your appointment. Keep your skin clean, dry, and protected from the sun and harsh chemicals while it heals.
Results develop quickly, but because hair grows at different rates, you may need more than one treatment (around six sessions) for permanent results. If hair does grow back, it’s typically lighter, finer, and easier to deal with than before.
Ready to say sayonara to unwanted body hair? You can request an appointment online or over the phone today at our Marina Del Rey, Hawthorne, South Gate, or Carson, California offices.