Finally the Good, the Bad and the Ugly about Laser Hair Removal. This blog has been on my mind for so long! It is very frustrating for professionals in the business to bear witness to the continuous onslaught of advertising, marketing, false promises and unbelievable cheap pricing without seeing results. This is our opinion in order to help consumers make the best decision when considering laser hair removal.

The Good

Let us start with the “Good.” Laser hair removal is a wonderful treatment for permanent hair reduction. The best candidate has a light to medium skin tone with dark hair. Skin that is considered darker can sometimes be treated after a test patch has been performed. Even a technician with experience must use caution and much lower settings if treating darker skin (i.e. No darker than Halle Berry). Using the right equipment is paramount for safety and results. Multiple treatments are required to achieve the desired goal.

The good news is that 95% of clients will get between 70 to 95% hair reduction and with the odd maintenance treatment you should have lasting results unless you experience hormonal changes, illnesses or begin taking certain medications. It is very important to disclose any medications that you take to your technician before starting treatment and sun exposure and tanning beds must be avoided during the course of your treatments. By working with your technician and following the guidelines, you will enjoy silky smooth skin and it is indeed awesome not having to shave, tweeze, pull, yank or depilate.

The Lasers!

There are many good lasers on the market. One of the top lasers is the Soprano XL and it’s considered the gold standard in laser hair removal. The Soprano uses 810 diode laser technology. It penetrates deep into the dermis (where the hair follicle is located) and with the proper settings of power, wavelength and pulse duration you can destroy the hair follicle without damaging skin. Discomfort levels have improved in the last 5 years with the new technology and many people find it comfortable to treat even sensitive areas. A “true” laser looks for dark pigment in order to destroy the hair follicle and stop the growth of the hair. Unfortunately, most establishments cannot afford a good laser since it can run upwards of 80K for a CSA and FDA approved laser.

The Bad

The “Bad” is bad! When you have a powerful piece of equipment in your hands and you are not properly trained to use it….it can be very bad! Burns can result if your technician is not trained properly and certified to use the equipment. The companies that sell this equipment will gladly give you a few hours of training when you buy their equipment. This is not enough! Thorough theory based training as well as lots of practice must be completed before you even start thinking about selling your laser hair removal services.

Health histories must be taken and clients that are not good candidates cannot be treated. End of story. Safety is always first and foremost with any treatment. No exceptions. Make sure to choose an establishment that has a good laser, good technicians and a good track record for making clients happy both with service quality, sanitation and good results.

The Ugly

And now we have the “Ugly”. Which unfortunately, is what the industry has created. “Oh, yes, come on in…step this way! We can treat red hair, blonde hair, grey hair and white hair!” Actually….NO! We can’t. Up until now there is no scientific evidence of permanent hair reduction for clients with those particular hair colours. Laser again, is drawn toward dark pigment in order to penetrate the hair follicle. If you do not have dark hair then the laser cannot find the pigment to destroy blood flow to the follicle. No dark pigment, no results; it’s that simple.

Not only do consumers have to deal with false claims but they also tend to be convinced into paying minimal amounts of money yielded with no results. There is no possible way a reputable business can sell effective treatments with proven equipment and professional technicians at prices that are below market pricing. It’s so unfortunate when clients purchase group coupon type packages and get poor results, terrible service and most often the business disappears before they have completed their packages. Why not pay a little more for a safe and effective service?

Before committing, do some research and make an informed decision. Let’s also remember the good old saying, “You get what you pay for”. Look for quality and you will get the results.