Much about hair removal has changed since the days of Cleopatra.
In her time, women (and some men) smoothed their skin with elaborate copper razors. In all the years since, people have tried all sorts of ways to remove unwanted hair.
In ancient Asia, an uncomfortable technique that involved taut string and twisting was invented.
During the Renaissance, British women plucked and tweezed themselves daily in a tedious effort to be fashionably hairless.
In the late 19th century, rudimentary safety razors made their debut and several harsh depilatories made their way to market.
In the 1960s, inventors at Bell Laboratories and Hughes Research devised lasers that would eventually change everything about the elimination of unwanted hair.
Today, laser hair removal is quick, painless and permanent.
The science behind laser hair removal is a process known as selective photothermolysis. Lest I risk boring you with the details, here's an easy explanation:
A carefully controlled beam of concentrated light is focused on the hair follicle. The follicle is where the hair grows out of the scalp. The pigment in the hair absorbs the laser light and is damaged. Very dark hair absorbs the laser beam more effectively than light hair. Very light hair may require several treatments. For this reason, your medical cosmetician may recommend electrolysis in lieu of lasers.
There are several medical-grade lasers used by aestheticians today.
Of them, the Nd YAG Laser is most appropriate for removing hair on persons of all skin types. Laser hair removers are most effective on dark hair, so very light-colored hair may require more than treatment. Lasers can be used on most parts of the body, excluding the eyelid.
Side effects are few, the most reported being slight tenderness that lasts only an hour or two.
