is laser hair removal safe and 100% effective?

Answer 1

Laser Hair Removal is safe. The two biggest concerns you should have are that the operator be experienced and that you do not get a tan before treatment. An experienced operator may turn the settings too high and a tan causes the laser to interact with your skin instead of the hair follicle, thereby risking a burn.

For 100% effective, I had 4 treatments 6 years ago and the hair is still gone and I am an OK candidate for the treatment. The laser won't treat blond, gray or super fine hair. Also, because of hair growth cycles you will need 4-6 treatments if you are a good candidate, the operator knows what they are doing, the system is of high quality and you space your treatments apart correctly to make sure all of the follicles are treated.

Good luck. The sites below list laser providers and give customer survey scores for various providers.

Answer 2

To Shirl above: you are actually not the ideal candidate for laser treatment. my dermatologist told me that the ideal candidate has light to fair skin and dark hair. it does not work on peach fuzz or other lightish hair. tan skin is not good either as it can cause discoloration.

with that said, the only safety issue I had was about 9 years ago when laser treatment was fairly new, I was severly burned and had scabs on my entire face. I had an allergic reaction to the numbing medication that I was instructed to use by the doctor to help reduce the pain.

I have since switch to a new doctor and do not use anything to numb the pain. It only feels like a rubber band snapping on my skin. I have seen a 90% reduction of hair disappear permanently. I have yet to go back for further treatments in the last 8 months due to lack of money. But have been quite pleased with the results and would do it again in a heart beat.

You should only have red skin for a short while after the treatment, hour or two at most. If it persists, go back to the doctor's office. something is not right. My doctor always tells me that if I have any sort of scabbing, irritation, inflammation the following day, to call them immediately. This is a sign that the level of laser is too high and they need to reduce it.

Answer 3

I'm not sure about the safety thing but it is not 100% effective. I went to 3 different salons (one place was in a hospital) for the same area over the course of the last 2 years (3-4 treatments at each place) and I still have some hair in that spot. The amount of hair was cut back but not completely gone. And, I was told I am the best candidate for laser hair removal because my hair is light and my skin is olive. Don't let anyone tell you it's 100%.

Answer 4

I have a friend who went through this a few months back. He had to go several times (he got his chest/back hair removed) and got drunk each time to lessen the pain. The sessions are extremely painful and will leave ugly red marks for a few days. The price is also pretty hefty. However, after a few months of treatments he is hair-free and VERY happy he went through with it.

So really, it's a question of how much you want it and how much pain you're willing to tolerate. He did mention that the first treatments aren't guaranteed to be 100% effective, but, if any hair grew back, the subsequent visits would be free.

Answer 5

Laser hair removal is “permanent” hair removal method but is expensive and you have to find a trained professional, otherwise your skin could be damaged.

Answer 6

There is a great interesting article at http://hair.my-fashion-house.com/ that gives a very good overview of laser hair removal and the effectiveness of it.

Answer 7

It is definitely not 100% effective since people often need lots of repeat treatments. There can be complications like infection, permanent skin pigmentation, and scarring, but they are relatively rare.

Answer 8

nothing is 100% safe

Answer 9

depends on thickness and length. . .safe? I don't know. . .it's waaay better than electrolysis!