Hair removal from the unwanted body areas is one of the most common issues for most of the people especially women. There are some ways to remove body hair, and these methods are being used for centuries by women. Using threading, waxing, creams, lotions, razors, epilators and trimmers hair removal is possible, but the problem with these methods is they need to be used on regular intervals, causes itching, pain and take considerable time and efforts. An alternative to these methods is to use home laser hair removal devices, but people are not clear about their effectiveness as compared to laser treatments at salons and skin clinics.
Laser hair treatments are in the market for many years now, and people have used them to achieve excellent results, but the thing is that people are concerned about the higher cost of laser hair treatments at salon and clinics besides privacy concerns. The high cost of these in-office laser treatments makes them out of reach for many people. The only options left behind are the conventional ways of hair removal or using home laser hair removal devices.
Laser hair removal process
Laser hair removal technology uses an intense beam of a specific wavelength to the roots of the hair, i.e., follicles. These follicles are the base of hair growth and contain a pigment called melanin. This pigment is found in both skin and hair, but its concentration is high in hair. The laser light targets this dark pigment and destroys the hair follicles at their roots. Laser light actually produces heat which targets these hair follicles and prevents them from growing in future.
Laser hair lights are optimized to work on the dark pigmented objects and therefore traditionally well-suited for light skin complexions and darker hair.
Skin Types
There are six skin types according to Fitzpatrick Scale depending upon the percentage of skin pigment melanin.
- British & North Europe
- European & Scandinavian
- South Europe & central Europe
- Latin, Asian and Mediterranean
- East India, Africa & Red Indians
- Africa and Aboriginals
- Most of the laser home laser treatment devices work for the first four categories, and you should make sure that the tools are FDA approved. Some IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) devices can be used for all skin types so other skin types should check some professional in-office treatment but beware that those laser machines also have certain limitations about the skin types.
Why people consider home laser over professional treatment
Primary reasons for people considering home laser hair treatment are:
- Cost
- Convenience
- Privacy
- Appointment free schedule
- Permanent solution of hair growth
Constraints
Home laser devices have certain limitations due to which their results are limited as compared to the in-office laser hair treatments.
- Not suitable for all skin types
- Results are less pronounced than professional laser treatment
- More treatment sessions are required
- Availability of device spare parts may be an issue
- Maybe time-consuming due to incompetency and complicated device operation
- Safety concerns
Are these home laser hair removal devices safe for use?
The home laser devices were launched in 2005, and since their launch, there are very few devices which are approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), USA. These approved devices operation is ensured for user safety and is safeguarded against any false operation. FDA approval for a home laser device makes sure that the user is not harmed due to the high power laser beam during the operation and even a malfunction causes no physical harm.
First home laser device was approved by FDA in 2008 despite its successful launch in Japan earlier in 2005. FDA tested these devices to make sure their safety for domestic non-trained users. So if your device is FDA approved and complies its guidelines, its operational and safety features are ensured otherwise you shouldn’t use it as an unapproved device may cause irreparable damage to the user skin and other body parts.
- One of the safety features ensured in FDA compliant home laser devices is that if it senses that the skin type is to dart for the device safe operation, it locks itself to prevent any possible damage to the user skin.
- Another safety feature is that the device doesn’t start its laser operation until it is pressed adequately onto an opaque skin surface to avoid any damage to eyes and other non-intended body parts.
- One safety feature is that the device automatically beeps after a specific skin patch is exposed to it for a amount of time to avoid any overexposure to the laser energy
- The home laser devices are provided with 3-5 intensity levels to ensure proper energy exposure during a treatment cycle
Does a Home laser device cause Cancer?
Certain high energy radiations which are part of the electromagnetic spectrum have ionizing radiation which can cause the molecules to break or DNA structures deformation. Ultraviolet, X-rays and Gamma rays widely used in medical imaging instruments do have ionizing energies.
Laser lights used in laser hair removal devices use non-ionizing radiation energy, so they do not have enough power to alter the molecular structure of cells or molecules, so they are completely safe for skin hair removal operation. However, they should be used in compliance with FDA and manufacturer instructions which usually prohibit their exposure to eyes and specific highly sensitive areas of the body and children.
Conclusion
Keeping in view the varying opinions and study of merits and demerits the end about the safety of home laser removal devices is that
- Only FDA approved devices are safe to purchase and use.
- These home-based laser treatment devices may be useful to some extent but may not provide you with full benefits of a professional treatment.
- Not suitable for all skin types.
- Hair removal may not be permanent, and you may still require using some alternative methods to remove them, but their growth may be significantly reduced.
- They certainly save you money but treatment may take longer.
- The operation of the device may become uncomfortable in some cases such as at higher intensity or specific body parts. For some people, it may be unbearable.
- You may encounter minor side effects such as itching, redness or soreness of skin which may last few hours after the treatment.
- The device spares or replacement parts availability may become a problem.
- Users should carefully follow the instructions and beware of non-approved laser hair removal devices in the market.
Author Bio:
Meesha has been working with writing challenged clients for over three years. She provides ghostwriting and ghost editing service as well. She’s currently a Brand Manager of slimmingpillsinfo.co.uk