Laser is quickly becoming one of the most popular methods of hair removal, but it isn’t only limited to women. There are several reasons as to why men choose laser as a long-lasting solution for unwanted hair. So get ready to ditch your razor, throw away those wax strips and keep reading to get the breakdown on everything you need to know about laser hair removal for men.
What Areas Can Be Treated?
Laser hair removal can be performed almost anywhere on your body but the most popular areas for laser hair removal for men include:
- Chest
- Back
- Shoulders
- Stomach
- Face
- Neck
- Eyebrows
6 Reasons Why Men Get Laser Hair Removal
There are plenty of reasons as to why you might want to remove your body hair. Some of these benefits include:
1. Simplify Your Facial Grooming Routine
The whole point of laser hair removal is to permanently remove your hair, so why not use it to permanently remove the facial hair you are constantly shaving? By using laser to destroy these hair follicles, you can streamline your morning routine and make facial grooming much easier. And say goodbye to that annoying shaving rash you often get after a close shave.
2. Prevent Ingrown Hairs
Related to the first point, you might notice small, itchy, inflamed red bumps may appear on your skin after shaving. These bumps are called ingrown hairs and develop when your hair grows back but curves into the skin, rather than straight out. You are most likely prone to getting ingrown hairs after shaving, waxing, tweezing or using depilatory creams if you have coarse, curly hair.
What makes it even worse is if left too long, it can lead to infection of the follicle, forming clusters of bumps called pseudofolliculitis barbae or razor bumps which may lead to scarring. Other than topical creams which often lead to unsatisfactory results, the only method to effectively treat pseudofolliculitis barbae is with laser.
3. Improves Your Hygiene
Having body hair is not unhygienic, it's natural. However, excessive body hair can increase your body temperature on a scorching summer day and worsen the smell when you sweat.
There are two main types of sweat glands, and these are either found deep within or around your hair follicles. When you sweat on a hot day, your body hair creates a larger surface area for the odour-causing bacteria in your sweat to build up, causing your sweat to smell unpleasant. Therefore, removing excess body hair can make you smell fresher and feel more hygienic.
4. Balding
85% of men start balding by the age of 50 and you do so because of the hereditary condition called androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness.
Though it might sound weird, many appointments for laser hair removal for men are performed on the head or scalp to completely remove that patchy hair you get with sporadic balding. This way, you won’t have to repeatedly go through the trouble of shaving or using depilatory creams over and over again to maintain that perfect bald look.
5. Boost Your Confidence/Aesthetics
Perhaps you grow more body hair than you would like to and would feel more comfortable and confident if you had less hair on your back, chest or stomach.
With laser hair removal, you don’t need to remove all of your hair. A lot of men get laser hair removal just to thin out their hair. This is done by treating the area with laser to damage the follicle and allowing the hairs to grow back finer and sparser.
OR you might want to remove all of it in that region to have a smooth hairless appearance.
6. Enhance Your Athlete Performance
Perhaps you are a bodybuilder who wants to show off your hard-earned muscle definition. Or maybe you are a cyclist, runner or swimmer who wants to increase your speed on the track or in the water by reducing the extra drag caused by leg and body hair. Laser hair removal is the perfect option for you and professional athletes who are serious about their sport.
What You Need To Know Before Your First Laser Hair Removal Treatment
Whatever your motive for laser hair removal is, there are a few tips you should follow and keep in mind before your first appointment to ensure the process (and your skin!) is as smooth as possible.
1. Shave The Treatment Area
Shaving the treatment area with a clean, sharp razor before your laser hair removal appointment is an absolute must. This is because the laser beam needs to reach the bottom of your hair follicle to damage it and prevent it from growing back.
When your hair shaft is grown out, the melanin in your hair absorbs most of the laser light before it can even penetrate the follicle. So essentially, by shaving your hair first, it shortens the trip that the laser beam needs to travel to effectively remove your hair.
2. Avoid Waxing or Tweezing
While having short hair is crucial for effective results with laser hair removal, completely removing your hair by waxing or tweezing will lead to no results at all. As the laser light works by identifying and targeting the melanin in your hair, waxing or tweezing will leave no melanin and therefore, nothing for the laser to target.
3. Stay Out Of The Sun
Ideally, it is best to avoid any sun exposure two to three weeks before your laser hair removal treatment. This also includes artificial sunlight such as tanning beds and even using self-tanning products.
The reason for this is laser works best on light skin and dark hair. By exposing your skin to the sun or using self-tanner to appear darker, you are increasing the melanin in your skin which increases the chances of scarring or burning during your laser treatment.
If you do need to go out in the sun two to three weeks before your appointment, we highly recommend that you protect your skin by wearing protective clothing and applying an SPF50+ sunscreen.
Does It Hurt?
Ok, let’s talk pain. If you’re worried that laser hair removal will hurt, don’t. To help you imagine what laser will feel like, many people compare the feeling to snapping a rubber band against your skin. In other words, you might feel slightly uncomfortable but not for long because laser hair removal sessions are fast. For example, your chest will only take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
And, if you were to compare the level of pain to other forms of hair removal... How painful is waxing?
Aftercare – How To Care For Your Skin After Laser Hair Removal
Although there is no downtime with laser hair removal, you might experience a mild sunburn sensation. Therefore, it is important that you take proper care of your skin during the first 48 hours after your treatment. But don’t stress, aftercare for laser hair removal is very simple.
The fundamental rule of post-laser treatment is to avoid anything that will heat your skin and cause inflammation or discomfort. This means no sunlight, no hot showers, hot tubs or saunas, and no working out. Once the 48 hours are over, feel free to continue going about your regular activities.
Finally, remember to schedule your next appointments six to eight weeks apart for optimal results. You will need at least eight sessions in total and getting your treatments done during the recommended timeframe will set you up for that long-lasting, silky smooth skin you are looking for.
Your Options For Permanent Hair Removal
If you’re ready to start your laser hair removal journey, make sure that you talk to a trained laser hair removal technician who uses our professional laser products as laser hair removal should only be performed by a trained professional.
In terms of price, each laser appointment at the salon will be about $200 depending on the area you’re treating. Multiply this price by the minimum of eight sessions you need to be permanently hair-free, and you will find that laser hair removal for men can be quite expensive.
However, there is an alternative. If you would prefer to achieve the same smooth silky skin look and feel in the privacy of your own home for the price of 1 to 2 laser sessions, check out Zipple’s safe and effective at-home IPL device – the E-Flash.
It still uses light like a laser, except its Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), which is much safer while achieving that smooth skin you are looking for. Plus it comes in five different colours for you to choose from: coral, apple green, mint, navy blue and lilac.
