Both men and women are continuously looking for ways to remove unwanted body hair and maintain fresh, smooth skin. There are many options available for facial and body hair management, including shaving, waxing, plucking, electrolysis, and laser hair removal. Each method has benefits and drawbacks and sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start!
Laser hair removal and waxing are two of the most popular hair removal methods used by both men and women to manage unwanted hair and maintain smooth skin. Both methods come with pros and cons and are appropriate for different clients and different situations.
Waxing is a popular method of immediate hair removal, leaving a soft and smooth finish on the skin.
Alternatively, for long-term, sustainable, and cost-effective hair removal, laser treatment is recommended as it focuses on reducing overall hair growth, as opposed to just removing visible hair at the time of the treatment. Many patients achieve no hair growth in areas that have been treated by laser hair removal, and their requirement for top-ups to maintain their results decreases year after year.
The Xanadu Med Spa team are experts at helping our clients achieve hair-free skin and feel smooth and confident, whatever hair removal method they choose. If you are weighing up waxing and laser hair removal, our professional staff can help. To discuss which option might suit you best, schedule a free consultation today by calling Xanadu Med Spa at 970-591-7919 to schedule your free consultation.
Body Hair Waxing
Hair removal by waxing is the process of applying warm or hot wax to the skin and hair, which is allowed to harden by itself or followed by a fabric strip. The wax or fabric strip is then quickly removed from the skin, in the opposite direction to hair growth, to remove hair that the wax has stuck to.
Waxing provides immediate unwanted body hair removal and usually lasts for around 3 to 6 weeks before the hair will regrow and require another treatment. Waxing can be used on many body areas, including arms, legs, the bikini area, underarms, the stomach, face, hands, feet, and back. Typically, waxing is slightly more painful than laser treatments as it involves the physical removal of hair from the follicle.
For effective waxing, the hair needs to be around 3-5 mm in length. If the hair is shorter, the wax might not adhere to the hair properly, which could result in a less smooth finish. Waxing may not be suitable for people with a rash, those who suffer from hypersensitive skin, and individuals with diabetes.
Benefits Of Waxing
- Instant results (if you need immediate, short-term hair removal, waxing may be more beneficial for you than laser treatment)
- Usually safe for pregnant women
- Usually as effective for light and fine hair as on thick, dark hair
- Doesn’t require more treatments on dark skin or light skin tones
Laser Hair Removal Treatment
The focus of laser hair removal is slightly different from waxing. As opposed to just removing the visible hair above the skin, laser treatments target the hair follicle to reduce the growth of hair. Laser hair removal uses heat energy to directly target the hair follicle to damage or destroy it.
Not every hair will be targeted by the laser in one session. As such, numerous sessions are required for the best results. For most people, the number of sessions needed typically ranges between 4 and 6 for the initial treatment. In time, our bodies will produce new hair follicles that have not been treated by the laser, or some damaged follicles may grow hair again. Typically the regrowth is sparse, and hairs appear finer than before laser treatment. Usually, optimal results can be maintained by minimal touch-ups (usually every 6 to 12 months).
The best results from laser hair removal are usually seen approximately 4-weeks after completing the initial course of treatment. How many sessions you will require depends on your hair and skin type and the size of the area you are looking to treat.
Laser hair removal pros include little-to-no pain during the procedure, no downtime, and a long-term change to body hair growth.
Benefits Of Laser Hair Removal Treatments
- Long-term hair regrowth is stopped or significantly reduced
- Any hair growth is usually finer and more sparse than before treatment
- Very little pain
- No increased likelihood of ingrown hairs
- No requirement to grow hair to a certain length for an effective treatment
Is Laser Hair Removal Safe?
Understandably, some people have concerns about trying laser hair removal if they haven’t tried it before. However, you can rest assured that you have nothing to worry about. The treatment is regulated and safe, and at Xanadu Med Spa, it is only administered by fully licensed professionals.
Laser hair removal treatment is approved by the FDA and completely safe for use in most places on the body. The highly trained staff at Xanadu Med Spa have extensive experience in safe laser treatments that achieve the desired results for our patients.
Will Laser Hair Removal Work For Me?
For the best possible effects from laser hair removal, the laser needs to be able to ‘see’ the hair. As such, laser treatments typically work best on dark, coarse hair against light skin tones. However, as technology advances, different lasers and settings make laser hair removal more accessible to different hair types and skin tones. Speak to one of Xanadu’s estheticians to understand if laser hair removal is suitable for you and what your treatment plan might look like.
Side Effects Of Waxing
The process of pulling the hair out of the follicle that occurs in waxing can occasionally cause some side effects, such as ingrown hairs and inflamed skin. With the help and advice of a skilled waxing professional, these side effects can usually be minimized.
Ingrown hairs
During facial and body hair waxing, hair is removed by the wax strip in the opposite direction of the underlying hair follicles, which can damage the normal growth pattern of the hair. If this happens, it can increase the likelihood of hair failing to break through the surface of the skin as it starts to grow, which causes ingrown hairs.
Ingrown hairs are typically harmless but can be irritating, uncomfortable, or inflamed.
Stubble
Hair regrowth is normal after waxing, as the procedure does little to limit the actual rate of regrowth. However, often this regrowth can be stubble-like and cause itching and discomfort as it begins to break through the skin.
Regrowth is also possible between laser hair removal treatments or after the treatment is complete, but it is more likely to be finer, individual hairs, as opposed to all-over, coarse stubble.
Skin irritation
In some situations, sensitive skin can be irritated by waxing, which can result in redness or a rash. Usually, this inflammation reduces and goes away on its own after a few hours. High-quality wax products often contain ingredients to minimize skin irritation.
Skin damage
In some situations, waxing can cause damage to the skin. If the wax is too hot or not pulled off at the correct angle, this can result in both short and long-term skin damage. However, this risk is eliminated if you are treated by highly trained and experienced staff, such as those at Xanadu Med Spa.
Side Effects Of Laser Hair Removal
Typically, laser hair removal comes with fewer side effects than waxing. The main side effect reported by patients is a warming of the skin and redness for a few hours following the treatment.
Skin irritation
The most common side effect of laser hair removal treatments is a warm or hot feeling in the treated area after the procedure. This is due to the heat used by the laser. Typically, this inflammation resolves within a few hours.
However, the laser treatment technology used by staff at Xanadu Med Spa applies a cooling effect to the skin during the treatment, which reduces the likelihood of inflammation after the procedure.
Other considerations
The cost of waxing compared to laser hair removal can be an influencing factor in your decision on hair removal methods. At first glance, one waxing session may seem cheaper than a course of laser hair removal treatments.
However, waxing needs constant maintenance, every 3 to 6 weeks permanently, if you want to maintain your hair removal results. On the other hand, although the initial cost for laser hair removal is higher, once the course of treatment is complete, you will likely need very few top-up treatments to maintain your results long-term.
Laser hair removal is a long-term solution, and if you are looking for rapid results because you are going on holiday next week, waxing is likely to be the best option for you, at least in the short term. Xanadu’s staff can review your expectations with you and help you choose the best option. If you need immediate results, a wax, followed by a course of laser hair removal for your next holiday in the future may work best for you.
Xanadu Med Spa: For All Your Hair Removal Needs
There is a lot of information available when deciding which hair removal method is best for you. You may wish to weigh up the time each option takes to get results, cost, and personal preference. For more detail and to discuss how the various options could work for you, you can schedule a free consultation with a Xanadu esthetician.
Call our expert team today at 970-591-7919 to book your free consultation.