Have you ever thought about permanently removing unwanted hair? I did. Most of my life actually. I think we can all agree that it’s not a pleasant feeling to have unwanted hair in your body. For a long time, our options were limited to shaving, waxing, plucking, creams, and sugaring. There are pros and cons to each method. Let’s take a look at them:
Shaving
Pros: The cheaper option
Cons: I have allergies to the razor, so my legs always looked like I had a permanent rash, each time I shaved. Another con is that the hair always grows very fast, usually within a couple of days for me, for some people even within hours. Another big con with shaving is that your skin becomes prone to ingrown hair.
Waxing
Pros: You don’t have to worry about your hair for almost 8 weeks, and your legs feel very smooth! No side effects for me like with the razor.
Cons: Not the cheapest option and it’s painful! You also need to stop shaving for a while before you can get it waxed.
Those are the most popular methods. However, there other less popular ones that people also use:
Plucking
Pros: Cheap. All you need is a pair of tweezers.
Cons: Time-consuming, as you need to pull each hair one by one. There’s also the risk of ingrown hairs with this method.
Creams
Pros: No rashes, relatively cheap
Cons: Most creams have a foul smell. And just like shaving, hair grows very fast since the creams don’t get to the root of the hair follicle.
Sugaring
Sugaring is an ancient hair removal technique that involves making a paste made of sugar, lemon, and water to pull off body hair. It’s very much similar to waxing.
Pros: It’s a natural method. And, unlike shaving creams and waxing, it doesn’t have any additives. It doesn’t require any cloth strips like waxing either.
Cons: Painful (although not as painful as waxing), and hair grows back within a couple of weeks.
What all of them have in common is that they are temporary solutions. They may vary in the time that it takes for the hair to grow back (some may take longer than others) but the hair always does.
I was getting tired of it all. Not just of the money spent on shaving supplies and wax appointments, but also of the amount of time it took to do all of those things plus all the planning involved. That’s when I decided it was time for a permanent change.
Laser hair removal isn’t exactly a new method in the market. But it wasn’t until recently that it has become affordable enough — for the majority of us anyway — to be worth a try.
Laser Treatment
Pros: I’m still at the beginning of my treatment. But after only a few sessions (four to be exact), I’m happy to report I already noticed a visible reduction in hair growth. I still get hair, but the ones that come in now are not as thick as before and they don’t cause the rash I used to get with the razor. A lot more manageable!
Cons: Even though laser treatment is a lot more affordable nowadays than it used to be in the past, it might still be a lot of money for some. The average cost is $150/session, but you might be able to find great deals on Groupon to help with the cost.
As you progress with the treatment, you’ll notice less and less hair growth. The whole treatment takes a total of 9 sessions but that depends on your hair and skin type. An initial consultation is necessary to determine how many sessions are appropriate to your skin type (darker skin needs more treatments). At the end of the treatment, you may need a maintenance session (once a year) to keep your legs hairless and smooth.
Final word
Is it worth it?
In my opinion, it was definitely worth the investment. It’s a far superior method to any of the ones mentioned above.
If you are interested, the best time of the year to do this is during the wintertime. Because of the intensity of the laser treatment, sun exposure is not recommended at least a week after treatment. I also recommend you do your due diligence and choose a reputable place to do your treatment. I would choose a Med Spa over a laser center. They have the best-qualified technicians and are supervised by dermatologists, so you know you will be in good hands.
Ready to try it? Let me know your thoughts!
Happy summer loves!
