Say "Bye, Bye" To Hair, For Good!

What do shaving, waxing, depilatories and tweezing all have in common? ...Duh, they are hair removal techniques. But what do none of these techniques provide? Permanent hair removal. Enter: Laser Hair Removal.

Laser hair removal is a new technology that promises to removal hair permanently. It works like this, the laser emits high-energy light that picks up on the contrast between the skin and the melanin pigment within the hair shaft. This produces heat in the hair, which travels down to the follicle and produces inflammation. The inflammation then triggers the follicle to go into the telogen or resting phase. Once the follicle is in the telogen phase, the hair in place falls out and no new hair is produced.

I don't know about you, but having unsightly hair anywhere except on my head is one of my worst nightmares. Although I am not hairy, over the years I have developed an obsession with hair removal, so much that my college roommates snuck onto my Facebook account and made my sole interest, just that. You can imagine my embarrassment when I noticed it... 3 months later.

After shaving as a pre-teen, I tried waxing, but I could only withstand the pain for so long, not to mention it became costly and time consuming, so I had no choice but to default to shaving. I don't know if it was my rusty skills or a rusty razor but shaving resulted in cuts, which turned to scars, so I opted for the only other option, depilatories. No matter what the bottle promises, depilatories have a terrible stench and to my surprise, are not intended for those with sensitive skin (aka ME). After just a few uses, my skin was in hives and I was off to the dermatologist for some serious meds.

It was back to waxing for me, but I was on my last leg when I went into Bliss for, what they call a "the most painless brazilian wax on the planet," before my vacation to Bermuda this past Memorial Day weekend. Contrary to popular belief, this brazilian wax was not so blissful at all. In fact, Bliss's brazilian made me swear off waxing all together! Even though I walked out of Bliss scarred, I was also inspired. Inspired to investigate the land of laser, which is how I discovered my new favorite activity and met my new best friend, Alyssa, at Barely There Laser. After a free consultation, where Alyssa explained the procedure and lasered a patch of skin while I laid bare on a massage-like table wearing funky sunglasses, I knew this was for me.

I know you're thinking, this sort of miracle can't be cheap, and you're right. Laser hair removal is not a quick fix, it's an investment. But let me put it to you this way, the typical brazilian will run you $70, plus $11-15 for a tip, which comes to $85 every 4 t0 6 weeks, if you're lucky. That's $900 a year. To get bare down below and keep it that way for good, it will cost you $200 for 6 sessions. For an extra $300 you can be hair-free and pain-free (yes pain-free!), forever! For those of you who are veterans to waxing, you will be pleasantly surprised by the tickling sensation the laser emits as it strikes the surface of your skin. Others may find it to feel like a rubber-band snapping against your skin. For the wimps who can't handle it, a numbing cream is available that will take the edge off. This is about the coolest thing since sliced bread!

After my brazilian and underarms are complete, I'm moving onto legs and arms... who knows where this is going to take me once those are done, all I know is I never want it to end! I'm laser obsessed. Unless you are blessed to have no body hair or enjoy the dreadful aforementioned hair removal techniques, do yourself a favor and visit my BFF Alyssa at Barely There (or a laser clinic near you), I promise you'll be as obsessed as me!