Laser Hair Removal

Laser Hair Removal

(Video blog link to be posted soon)

This procedure does not remove your hair instantly but stops regrowth. How it works, is you shave about two days before you go in to the salon because long hair damages the laser machine and some hair (1-2mm) thick that grows back after about two days later after shaving, is preferred. A lady at the salon then “zaps” away. The actual part of the machine that made contact with my skin was about 6cm long and 3cm wide. This was placed on a section of the area being lasered and was repeated until the whole area had been done. On small areas, such as under arms and bikini line, it is super quick as very few “zaps” need to be done.

This procedure however is literally shockingly painful, so what I did was buy a numbing cream, which you do not need a script for, and apply this before I went. The numbing cream made a huge difference and all I felt was a quick shock of heat and a slight zap, but it wasn’t sore. I must admit that having laser under my arms without numbing cream was actually quite tolerable, so I would have to say that it is the most sore on the same areas that are most sore to wax, so the generally sensitive areas. To elaborate more on the cream, although it did help, it was awkward because you had to apply it about 45-60minutes before and then cling wrap the area (Yes, you read correctly, CLING WRAP) so that your cloths wouldn’t absorb it/rub it off and prevent the area form absorbing it…If you are imagining walking around with certain parts of your body cling wrapped, I am pretty sure you are laughing aloud right now and if you weren’t imagining it, I’m sure you are now!

What I didn’t like and still don’t like about laser hair removal, is that you can never go back to waxing because it counteracts the process and stimulates hair growth. So during the treatment you have to shave in between and after the treatments you still have to shave and to me, personally, shaving can look terrible, especially in some areas. I also don’t like that you can’t be tanned (doesn’t work as well), so you are advised to do it in winter but then in summer you must shave in between and that isn’t ideal appearance wise. The laser procedure takes a long time to complete the full stopping of hair growth and so you have to deal with shaving problems the whole time until you have stopped most hair growth.

The cost to doing this is very expensive! It costs you a couple of thousand rands even on specials. I paid around R6000 for a special that included 2 areas for the price of one, if I paid for it up front at once. The procedure promised very high results, which was stopping most hair growth and just having to come back for a maintenance package, which you had to pay more money for, but at a cheap price, to remove the last few hairs. I didn’t quite see these exact results

When I was finished my package (which took about 7 months), the first few 2-3 months after it looked as if 60% of the hair had stop growing and although it was not as much as was promised, I was still very pleased with the results. However after about 3 months, with shaving in between, it went down to about 40% less hair only. I am certainly convinced that laser hair removal works but am I sold on it…I don’t think so.

Although I am still happy with the results and I could continue with the maintenance program, I feel it is far to expensive to carry on with, it would also probably take another year and I really don’t like what shaving does. Do not be sad though because I have the solution!

Check out my next blog to see what!