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Zap That Beard: How To Make Laser Hair Removal Work For You

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Shaving is time consuming and often painful, leaving behind painful nicks and irritating razor burn. Laser hair removal can get rid of your beard, but it's important to understand the basic process and its limitations.

Basic Guidelines

Not everyone can successfully undergo laser hair removal. The laser targets the pigment in the hair, so it only works on dark-colored hair. Blond, white or gray hairs aren't typically affected by laser treatment. Since the laser targets dark pigments, you must also have light-colored skin. Darker skin pigmentation results in the laser burning the skin and the hair, which can result in major injury or scarring.

Prepare for the Commitment

Facial hair has both an active and a resting period, so some hairs are actively growing at the same time others are resting. It requires multiple treatments to zap all the follicles, because the laser only works on those that are in their active growth phase. Monthly sessions will eventually kill all the follicles.

Beards are also thick and contain more follicles than other commonly treated areas on men, such as the back or chest. Thinner beards may only require six monthly treatments, while a thicker beard may require up to 12 treatments to achieve the same result.

If you're worried about pain, know that each laser pulse feels similar to a rubber band snap on your skin. There will be hundreds of pulses applied in a single session. Although your skin may feel tender afterward, the feeling will soon fade. You should stay out of the sun immediately following a treatment to further prevent irritation and sun burn.

Come Up With a Treatment Plan

Fortunately, you don't have to remove your entire beard. Work with your salon technician to come up with a viable hair treatment plan for your goals. For example, the neck area is prone to razor burn, so you may choose to only remove the hair on your neck.

Another option is to work at thinning the hair. You will still grow a beard and need to shave, but the hair will be thinner and finer. This results in less irritation and sometimes lower shaving frequency. Thinning can sometimes result in patchy growth, so you may not have the ability to grow a full beard in the future.

After developing a treatment plan, treat it as a solid commitment. It's important to keep your carefully timed appointments so your hair is caught in the active growth phase. Missing an appointment may result in the need for additional treatments.

For more information, contact a business such as The De Pieri Clinic.


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