Dr. Daron Seukeran, Group Medical Director at the sk:n clinic explains that laser hair removal works by sending the light of a laser through the pigment in the hair. “This (light) converts to heat, which damages the hair follicle and hair bulb.” I found it to be a quick, sharp pain which I found more painful on thinner skin near my nose, chin and temples. Thankfully, the lasers used on me had a cooling mechanism (basically a constantly running cold blast of air right where the laser was pointing) which really helped. I also found it more painful if my body temp was raised due to running across town to make it on time for my appointment.

The laser can react with hair on the skin’s surface which will cause some irritation and maybe dreaded burnt hair smell which I learned first hand, yay. Thankfully for me, I knew that whole ‘shaving = thicker darker hair’ was a really common beauty myth.
You do have to make sure you have prepped properly before each visit though for the optimum results.Lucy says these are the key things to remember:The area must be cleanly shaved within 24 hours prior to the treatment. Electric razors are not recommended as the hair is typically left too long.Do not tweeze, wax or pluck the area being treated between or prior to sessions. Only shave the area.The treatment area needs to be free from makeup, lotion, deodorant and sun cream- inform the practitioner before treatment starts if you require wipes.The area cannot be treated if it has been exposed to sun within 4 weeks prior to treatment.Fake tanning products cannot be used 3-4 weeks prior to treatment; the area should be thoroughly exfoliated to remove all residues.

Your dermatologist will advise what is best for you, but you might need to avoid sunbathing and sun exposure as much as possible before and after treatment. Also if you have a tan you’ll need to wait till it fades before you can start your treatment. Again, your dermatologist will check in with you about upcoming holidays to make sure you don’t have a holiday coming up which might affect the timing of your next appointment.

It’s true, particular types of hair can be stimulated into growing longer and thicker. But don’t worry, if hair isn’t suitable, your dermatologist will let you know.“Yes, in a rare number of cases laser hair removal can stimulate growth,” says Lucy. “We have found the most common reason for stimulated hair growth is when certain type of finer hair, known as vellus hairs are stimulated into growth by the light from the laser."

I was surprised to learn that laser can actually help with irritating AF ingrown hairs. “Aside from clearer, smoother skin and permanent hair reduction, laser hair removal also boasts benefits including helping to reduce ingrowing hairs and less irritation of the skin. This is because the treatment encourages hair to grow straight,” said sk:n’s Head of Medical Standards, Lisa Mason.

The hair just needs to be dark enough to drawn the laser. sk:n use long pulsed ND:YAG lasers – which are safer for treating pigmented or darker skin tones.“Older laser hair removal technology was previously not recommended for people of darker skin tones, in particular those with Black or Asian skin,” says Lucy. “The energy from the laser targets the pigment in the hair, with the pigment of the skin being shallower, this could lead the laser to be attracted to the skin rather than the pigment in the hair. Putting darker skin tones at risk of burning.”