more "lasers"

Ok, so there were a couple questions about the laser hair removal that I didn't answer because I didn't think anyone would really want to know about it, but apparently I was wrong. I decided to write another post in order to answer them.

The first question was about where I'm getting it done and the answer to that is my underarms and bikini (Brazilian). Being a Florida girl, it's tough not being able to wear a swimsuit or tank/tube top whenever you want because shaving is such pain (both physically and "emotionally"). These are the places that are most important to me but I've been told the procedure is addictive and I may end up wanting more areas done (I'd say it's actually the results that are most addictive and not so much the procedure itself). Maybe someday I won't be able to go on living without getting my legs done too, or something.

Anyway, the next question was about what laser hair removal actually is. For that I will be referencing Wikipedia and my own experience from tonight. Ok, from Wikipedia:

The primary principle behind laser hair removal is selective photothermolysis. Lasers can cause localized damage by selectively heating dark target matter in the area that causes hair growth while not heating the rest of the skin. Light is absorbed by dark objects, so laser energy can be absorbed by dark material in the skin (but with much more speed and intensity). This dark target matter, or chromophore, can be naturally-occurring or artificially introduced.

Hair removal lasers selectively target Melanin:

• Melanin is considered the primary chromophore for all hair removal lasers currently on the market. Melanin occurs naturally in the skin (it gives skin and hair its color). There are two types of melanin in hair: eumelanin (which gives hair brown or black color) and pheomelanin (which gives hair blonde or red color). Because of the selective absorption of photons of laser light, only black or brown hair can be removed.

And

Laser is attracted to dark pigment and therefore works best with dark coarse hair. Light skin and dark hair are an ideal combination, but new lasers are now able to target dark black hair even in patients with dark skin.

So that's the scientific gist of it. Here's my take:

When you go in for your first session of laser hair removal and two technicians both look at the areas you're there for and say, "Poor baby, no wonder you're here!" then you made the right decision. You know how it says laser is attracted to dark pigment and therefore works best with dark coarse hair? Yeah, that's me, dark coarse hair. The woman working with me told me I was the perfect candidate. They put an ultrasound gel on the area and then pulse systematically with the laser. The darker the hair, the hotter it has to be and the more likely it will be to sting like hell. It hurt. Momentarily. I was still cringing so badly that we switched lasers. This is because of that dark coarse hair we mentioned and the fact that my skin was a bit irritated because you have to shave before you go in. Let's just say, not everyone will have that problem.

It still wasn't hurting me in the sense that there will be permanent damage. On the contrary, it will get better and better until there's nothing but soft, smooth skin. The technician also gave me a bunch of tips on keeping the pain to a minimum so that the laser could be set a little higher (for maximum efficiency).

The sessions are spaced out quite a bit, eight weeks, but you can shave as much as you need to in between and that will keep getting easier (until it's completely unnecessary, of course). I do wish I could go in sooner because it's one of those things you want to just jump to the end of out of excitement to see the results and just not wanting to deal with the sessions anymore. I've made it sound like it was excruciating but the pain was temporary and it's something the technician can adjust to a certain degree working with what you need (as in what will actually get the job done). Oh, and one more time, a lot of people won't have as much "discomfort" as i did.

The technician told me at the end, "You're not a big baby, you just have really thick, dark hair and so that's going to be extra tough at first. Just remember, ice, ibuprofen, and a B vitamin complex before you come in next time. If you need to, take something more and have someone else drive you."

Hope that answers all the important questions, I'm sure I just told you way more than you wanted to know. The above questions were put out there by Nicole Antoinette of More is Better and DS of Strange Musings of a Distracted Spunk, respectively. You should be reading both of their blogs if you're not already because they are most excellent.

Any other questions I will gladly answer via comments.