Laser hair removal naturally painful

Laser hair removal is naturally painful as the hair follicles are burned along areas of skin the size of a quarter. As the hair follicles burn, they cause a hot sensation on the skin. 

Minimizing pain during laser hair removal is an art. Painless laser hair removal can be acheived by slowing the frequency of pulses, applying ice or numbing agents to the skin, and lowering the laser setting if the pain cannot be tolerated. In my office, I use the Gentle Yag laser for hair removal and this laser works to minimize pain by spraying a cooling spray with each laser pulse.

Pain is a very personal issue and what is very tolerable for one patient is excruciating for another. Generally speaking, any female that has given birth will fly right through laser hair removal and in fact, men usually have the most difficulty. The senation is normally described as a sharp rubber band snap to the skin and will vary by area of the body treated.

With that said, there are ways to minimize the pain of laser hair removal so that it is tolerable for all.  These include:

• Laser colling (chill tip).
• Air colling (blown air)
• Ice
• Numbing cream
• Pain medications

Helpful?

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