LASER HAIR REMOVAL – DO YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL?

Although laser treatments are essentially safe and increasingly common, they are not without risk. Salon laser hair removal systems are more powerful than do-it-yourself systems like the Rio Scanning Laser hair remover and therefore require a trained technician to carry out procedures.

Dr Welch said “The type of laser that’s appropriate really depends on what kind of skin you have” and “Olive complexions are at higher risk for burning and brown spots.”

Anyone can wield a laser wand at a salon hair removal centre. “It could be the receptionist”, says Dr Welch. Training is provided by laser system distributors, but no licence is required and there are no regulatory controls relating to the training given.

Dr Welch also said “A lot of people assume that more oversight is in place than there is”. People considering laser hair removal should thoroughly check out the clinic they are considering using. Questions should include:

1. How long the clinic has been operation?
2. How much experience do the technicians have?
3. What type of guarantee is offered? In some instances, people have witnessed hair regrowth after a period of 12-18 months.

The bottom line is that you don’t need to wasted thousands of pounds on salon laser hair removal treatments. While the do-it-yourself systems like the Rio Scanning Laser are not as powerful they are essentially the same, they just require more sessions and persistence.

It’s also important to note that hair grows in phases. When in a resting (not growing) phase, no laser will have any effect, whether it be a powerful salon laser or a more moderate home laser system. The laser need to hit the hair follicle during its growth (active) phase. This is the only time it will destroy the hair. However, hair can be stubborn and in rare instances does manage to start growing again.