Getting rid of unwanted hair
By Nike Sotade
PRAY, what business has a pretty woman got to do with masculine moustache and beard, or a fine man with hair jutting out from his ears and nostrils? Very strange, indeed, but some people do possess these excessive hair growths and spend an entire lifetime trying to get rid of them.
Unwanted hair growths can be very embarrassing, rendering a woman very hirsute as testosterone plays a fast one on her, and makes a man look ape-like, hair at the back, like a neandanthal still living in the caves.
Unwanted hair growth may appear on many areas of the body including the upper lip, sideburns, chin, ears, chest, back, armpits (axillae), legs, nostrils, fingers, feet, or toes and is annoying for both men and women. Lasers help eliminate unwanted hair.
There are many ways to remove unwanted hair these include shaving, plucking, electronic tweezers, radiofrequency tweezers, waxing, depilatories (creams), and electrolysis. Most of these methods are, however, temporary.
Introduced in the 90's, laser hair treatment has proved to be the best solution for permanent hair removal. It is designed to permanently remove unwanted body hair by using the light energy from a laser.
Priscilla Omoifo, an American-trained Esthetician who runs the popular Priscilla Pride Day Spa in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, sheds more light on laser hair removal. "Shaving, waxing and tweezing can only produce temporary results and can be carried out on relatively small areas. Laser hair removal treatment can be used to permanently treat and remove small and large areas of unwanted hair from the body," she explains.
At the spa where laser treatment is practiced, she analysed how it works. "At the Priscilla Pride Spa, we use the best laser hair removal system on the market. We have a laser specifically for the black skin. We use an ND yag 1064 wavelength, which is the only wavelength approved for black and tanned skin. Its unique design, longer wavelength and innovative cooling system allows extremely effective, safe and permanent results.
"The laser uses a sophisticated light energy source for permanent hair removal. The hair is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, which effectively disables the hair follicles. The laser can remove hair from the face or body, and even particularly sensitive areas like the upper lip."
The number of treatments needed for optimal long term benefits depends largely on hair thickness, the area treated, your hair's growth cycle and skin colour, but for significant clearance, Priscilla says "most patients require a course of four to eight treatments, which are spaced at least six to eight weeks apart."
The beauty of laser technology is that it effectively destroys the hair itself without harming the surrounding skin. While admitting the side effect that patients can be a little red afterwards, which typically goes in a matter of hours, another beauty of laser hair removal is that it improves self-confidence and self-esteem, making you feel great. It also saves time, saves money and helps to eliminate ingrown hair.
