I have a daughter with a bit too much facial hair. It is hereditary on my husband's side of the family.
All I really remembered from mown experiences with this is that there was electoloysis around to help treat this problem. I remember too that it was expensive, painful and the hair could easily grow back if the procedure as not done right.
Then I discovered laser epilation. It is pain free and it gives my poor embarrassed daughter some relief from the embarrassing hair growth.
Laser epilation is performed by IPL epilators. IPL is short for 'Intense Pulsed Light.' This fast method of hair removal came into existence in the 1970s. However the actual technology for laser epilators has been around since the 1950s.
The odd thing about laser epilators is that they technically cannot even be properly defined as 'real laser.' Instead they are what are known as xenon flash lamps.
This type of laser hair removal is accomplished through photo thermolysis which selectively only heats up objects that are darker, specifically darker hairs against whiter skin. This is why dark hair on dark skin or blondish hair on darker skin does not always successfully get removed.
Coarse dark hair on light skin is easiest to fix using a laser. Finer hair and hair on darker skin is more difficult to remove and may require more sessions with the laser. The face sometimes needs several different treatments as the hair is more difficult to remove .It did take two tries before it was successful on my daughter.
Most adults need between three and eight treatments before the hair will be permanently removed which can make the treatment more expensive over time. Usually the first treatment gets rid of the majority of the hairs and subsequent treatments are 'touch ups' that perfect the job. The treatments are also usually spaced two to three weeks apart to avoid damaging the skin in any way.
Lasers with a large spotlight are used to remove as much hair as possible in one are and in just one treatment. The point is to have the radiation of the laser emit enough power to do damage to the hair follicles but not to the skin.
Compared to electrolysis, which is a slow process where individual hairs are plucked out one by one with an electrical tweezer laser hair removal is said to be sixty times faster and the results are also said to be more permanent. I highly recommend this no muss or fuss way to get rid of hair.
