Unwanted body hair and/or facial hair can be frustrating to deal with. Especially if the hair is in hard-to-shave areas like the back, or after removal it results in unsightly red bumps or ingrown hairs. Some methods of dealing with body hair such as waxing, are too painful and time-consuming while you wait for hair to grow before having another treatment. Tweezing or threading doesn’t work for large areas of unwanted hair, and electrolysis just takes too long.

For some people, unwanted hair can be attributed to the overproduction of hormones like testosterone or androgen. This can be an embarrassing condition if it leads to excessive hair or unexpected facial hair. Many people however, just want to eliminate or reduce the amount of body hair that they spend time shaving.

Facial & Body Hair Treatment

Laser removal of hair has been at the forefront of removing unwanted hair since the 90’s. And over the years the technology and procedure has improved dramatically. There are now many different lasers on the market, which are differentiated by factors such as the laser energy’s wavelength, the ‘pulse duration’ (which disables the hair follicle), the width of the laser beam  and the overall quality of hair removal (‘efficacy’).

It’s also important to understand that some lasers cannot treat all skin types and colours, while others cannot treat certain hair colours. If you go for a consultation for the laser removal of hair, the technician should address most of these issues. If not, be sure to ask about what their lasers can and cannot do.

At Lougheed Laser, we have two types to choose from, depending on your hair reduction needs. The one that we use the most, the LightSheer Duet, is considered to be the “gold standard” for laser removal of hair. This laser minimizes the discomfort that many associate with laser hair removal and is four times faster. The larger of its two treatment heads is incredibly effective for large areas of body hair such as the back and legs.

IPL vs. Laser Removal of Hair

We often are asked questions by clients who are confused between IPL and laser removal of hair. In a nutshell, they are two different techniques and technologies. IPL does involve a laser, although some spas use these terms interchangeably. Laser is “amplified light” and IPL is “intense pulsed light”. While both will remove facial hair or body hair, IPL is used primarily to treat skin conditions such as sun damage (see IPL Photorejuvenation)—the hair removal part is a nice by-product.

When hair removal by laser is professionally done by an experienced technician using a medical-grade laser, it’s by far the more effective means to get rid of unwanted hair. The wavelength of light used by a laser meant for hair removal is targeted more specifically to the pigment in the hair follicle. Unlike laser, IPL’s wavelength is targeted to the pigment in the skin, which is much lighter than that of hair.

If you’re tired of waxing, plucking or shaving your unwanted hair, contact us for a complimentary hair removal consultation. With years of laser hair removal experience behind us, we’ll evaluate your skin and hair type, and choose the right hair removal device for your needs.