Photo: Jaskhanna via Wikimedia Commons
With lasers getting better and cheaper many think that this option is best. But you, sistah, need to read what is really going on with your skin and hair. Laser hair removal has issues that you need to be aware of before you dive into that light stream, so to speak. The gals at Shape Magazine have some important tips we all need to be more aware of regarding laser hair removal.
1. Laser hair removal is still expensive. So it doesn’t cost $750 for an upper lip, like it did when laser hair removal first came out. It is still over $200 and there are no guarantees. If I need my upper lip free of hair tomorrow, you bet I am choosing to sugar.
2. Laser hair removal works best for certain hair and skin type combos – the laser is attracted to the pigment in your hair. So, if you are Snow White, then all your black little lip hairs can be zapped off with no problem, theoretically. You have the fair skin and those black hairs stick out like little pigment magnets to the laser.
However, the problem is that a lot of women use facial sugaring for the fine white hairs we all get with age. Also, the people that are likely to have those black hairs are also likely to have darker pigmented skin, which is a problem, too. Even if you use a self-tanner, the laser will have trouble differentiating the hair from the skin. This is sooo not a problem with sugaring. Sugaring is natural and works well on skin types that even have problems with regular wax.
3. You don’t get to go home from laser hair removal hair free. It isn’t that easy. It usually requires more than one sitting to remove your hair because of hair growth patterns. You may need MANY treatments and some peoples hair just keeps growing for reasons we don’t altogether understand. You get a sugaring done when you want hair removed. Then you don’t have to worry about it again until it has grown back. And bonus….each time it grows back a little bit finer.
4. Laser hair removal hurts A LOT!, takes a lot longer than sugaring, and leaves you red, splotchy and inflamed. Sugaring hurts much less than waxing and it is done lickity split and we can have you looking perfect for your date within the hour.
5. Watch out for cut-rate ‘laser hair removal parties’. Often, these technicians are not licensed. They may cause major burning and skin damage.
Just when you thought it might be safe to get back into the bikini, you have to be aware of all this. We women have to know a lot, don’t we? Don’t be fooled by laser hair removal mythology.
