Laser Hair Removal for Men

Although you may not automatically consider men when you think of hair removal procedures, laser hair removal form men was the fifth most popular not surgical cosmetic procedure for males within recent years. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of men who want to have hair removed from various parts of their body on a permanent basis. If you have been considering laser treatments for hair removal, these helpful facts can help you in making your decision.

How does Laser Hair Removal for Men Work?

Laser hair removal for men or women must be done in a medical facility and by an individual who has been trained and licensed to do so. Having it done anywhere else and by anyone else would be not only unwise, but potentially painful and harmful to your general well being.

The length of the procedure is purely dependent upon the size of the area that you are having treated. While your shoulders or a small area of your chest may take only 30 minutes or so, your entire back area could take an hour or more to complete.  A cooling gel or topical lotion will likely be applied to the area which will be treated by the lasers to help offset some of the heat that will be applied. After that, the high intensity laser will send pulses of heat and light into your hair follicles. This burns and damages the follicles and will cause the hair to fall out in the days or weeks to come.

How Much Does Laser Hair Removal for Men Cost?

Prices vary based on a number of factors, but you can reasonably expect that each treatment will cost you in the range of $250-$500. Unfortunately, a single laser treatment is virtually never sufficient in order to stop hair growth for good. Up to six treatments are generally needed before permanent results will be gained. That is a total cost of $1500-$3000 in most cases.

Alternatives to Laser Hair Removal for Men

There are alternatives that can be considered if laser hair removal is too expensive or inconvenient.   However, many of these options may be more time consuming and results may not be as effective or permanent as the laser treatments. Common alternatives include:

• Tweezing - Tweezing of the hair involves using tweezers and pulling the hairs out one or a few at a time. This is a very painful method, and does not generally last much longer than a few weeks before the hair begins to grow back. It also is not efficient for any large areas where hair removal is needed.
• Waxing - Waxing is a better alternative for larger areas of hair than tweezing, but it is equally painful and also has a very short time frame in which the results last. Also like tweezing, waxing can be a hard method to use if you cannot easily reach the area of your body where the unwanted hair is located.
• Electrolysis - Electrolysis is another cosmetic procedure that can be used in order to rid your body of hair. It is generally only recommended for small areas, as it requires sticking a needle into each individual hair follicle of the treated area.  Unlike other alternatives to lasers, electrolysis can also be permanent when enough treatments have been done.

Laser hair removal for men requires a commitment of time and money so it is important to gather all of the facts and evaluate your personal situation. Learn as much as you can about how the procedure works, what it costs, and possible alternatives that are available so that you can make the decision that is best for you.