Laser hair removal

There's a reason why girls are told to refrain from shaving their legs for as long as they can bear it. Once you shave, you shave for life. Unless you're a convention-breaking type who doesn't give a hoot about having smooth, hair-less legs, it's a chore you have to get used to.

The life-long drudgery of waxing and shaving is one reason more people are opting for laser hair removal. For others, the treatment is less about convenience and more about necessity – unwanted facial hair or ingrown hairs can cause major self-esteem issues.

If you're thinking of having the treatment done, you're likely to have questions about how it works and what to expect. We spoke to Sarah Kelly from sk:n, a national network of skin clinics that have been performing laser hair removal for over 20 years, about choosing the laser over the razor.

Why would someone want laser hair removal?
People have laser hair removal for different reasons. We treat ladies who are having problems with facial hair, and people who want a more convenient way of removing hair than having to shave or wax regularly. It's also very beneficial for people with ingrown hairs, and it helps prevent issues such as shaving rashes.

What area of the body do you most commonly treat?
It's for any part of the body, really. We do facial areas for ladies and gentlemen because men suffer with shaving rashes as well. They get ingrown hairs so it really helps with the beard line.

The legs, bikini line and under arm area are very common for ladies – the usual areas that everyone has to shave every couple of days in the shower. But it's for almost any area of the body where you get hair growth.

How does it work?
The laser is attracted to the melanin pigment in the hair so it only works on dark hair. The darker the hair, and the coarser the hair, the more effective the treatment is.

The laser light is taken up by the melanin pigment within the hair which converts the energy into heat, damaging not only the hair but the hair matrix and hair bulb at the base of the follicle. This process causes the hair growth to slow down, reduces the thickness and reduces the amount of hairs.

It only works on the hairs in the follicle so when you're having treatments, you can't wax epilate or pluck. However you can shave the hair or use hair removal cream between treatments– there doesn't have to be any hair on the surface of the skin.

Laser hair removal only works when the hair is in what we call the anagen stage (growing stage), and not all our hair is growing at the same time. That's why it's a course of treatments you will need and we always recommend a minimum of eight treatments. Top-ups are sometimes required on certain areas of the body, and if it's hormone-related then you would expect to have more treatments.

How long does it typically take to have a full course of hair removal?
You start with a course of eight treatments. If you have facial hair treated, you have to have one every four weeks because the hair grows quicker on the face and neck. On the body we recommend you have the treatments every six weeks. So you're looking at just under a year for the full course if the treatment is for body hair.

Once it's done, is your unwanted hair gone for life?
We call it permanent hair reduction rather than permanent hair removal. The hair will be a lot slower growing and a lot finer and a lot more manageable. Ladies find that on body areas they may have a top-up every so often. New hair follicles do grow but it really depends on you. Some people don't need a treatment for the rest of their lives but it is permanent hair reduction rather than permanent hair removal.

With facial hair it helps control it. You get finer hair, but if it's hormone related you may need to have top-ups throughout the year. It depends on the individual.

Who can't have laser hair removal?
We can treat people with any skin colour but it doesn't work on blonde hair, red hair or grey hair, unfortunately.

When you're having the treatment you need to protect the area from the sun. Either by using a SPF 30 + sunblock or covering the area.

So it's better to have it done at this time of year?
Yes, or just don't expose the area to the sun. It's a good time of year to start if you want to get ready for the summer.

Does it hurt at all?
It feels a bit uncomfortable but it's not unmanageable. It feels a little bit like an elastic band flicking on the skin. I don't like pain and I can have it.

Is it safe?
Yes, it's safe. The risks are minimal as long as you manage the area in the correct way. So you need to wear a sun protection factor in the area on a daily basis, and cool it after the treatment with aloe vera and a water spray – this will also be done after every treatment in the clinic.

What kind of response do you get from customers?
It changes people's lives. Facial hair causes quite a lot of psychological problems for ladies. They have to shave once or twice a day so their life is changed now they don't have to do that. They're more confident and they'll do things they've never done before such as go on holiday with friends – they wouldn't before because they don't want everyone to know that they're shaving all the time or plucking.

With laser hair removal for in-grown hair, it means people will expose their legs when they wouldn't before.

Why should people have it done at sk:n clinic rather than elsewhere?
It's all about our standards. Our treatments are done by fully-qualified nurses or therapists and headed up by expert doctors. We're registered with the Care Quality Commission – that's a registered government body that we ask to come in and inspect us to ensure we have high standards.

We follow protocol and policies. Each clinic has a medical director – this is a doctor who oversees the treatments. In Manchester our Medical Director is called Mr Blackburn. He works at Manchester Royal Infirmary as well as at sk:n.

Sk:n has been doing laser hair removal for over 20 years. We treat over 13,000 clients per month for laser hair removal across the company – so we've got such a lot of experience with hair removal.

How much does it cost?
Costing depends on the areas you wish to have treated. Contact sk:n Manchester for a free consultation and test patch.

sk:n Manchester is currently offering Confidential readers a free laser hair removal trial. Click here for more information and contact details.