Women are no strangers to hair removal, often acquiring the habit once they enter junior high school. But men and body hair? The two go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly. The hipster beard may be in, but there are men who do not subscribe to that rugged school of thought and seek permanent hair removal.
Grooming or manscaping is nothing new for men, but the desire for permanence is. It all comes down to cultural acceptance and trend. Caution to those who strictly follow trends, though, as everything tends to circle back around (what was once out is now back in again). But for those who are confident they want to get rid of their hair for life, hair removal might be worth considering.
Are you brave enough? Are you ready? Here’s a look into the world of laser hair removal.
Understand That It’s Permanent
After undergoing any of the following treatments, understand that even if you choose not to continue after the first session, your hair will not be the same again. Make sure you’re 100% sure before actually going through with it. On a more positive note, it is better to go for permanent hair removal than continuously shaving the areas where you wish to not have hair. As any woman will tell you, shaving gives you unwanted razor bumps and ingrown hair, especially since men have thicker and coarser hair, leaving you worse for the wear than when you started.
Options For Permanence
Laser Hair Removal Treatment
What it does: Reduces and removes hair using laser light energy to penetrate the hair shaft, killing the root. Note: It doesn’t kill the follicle, the place where new hair grows, allowing for the chance of hair to grow back in its place. It’s difficult, though. The results last a very long time, and you may need a yearly touch up on the area where you had hair removed. Laser hair removal will work best on light skin with dark hair, and less so for blonde and darker skin with dark hair.
Cost: According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost for laser hair removal treatments is $235 per session. The cost of treatment varies and depends upon a few factors, including the size of the area being treated, the number of treatments required, and whether a doctor or someone else, usually a technician, is performing the procedure. Treatments can also run from $400 to $500 a session and can take up to 30 minutes per treatment and up to eight treatments per area.
Types of lasers to look for: Pain Free, Hair Free by Alma Lasers is very effective and virtually pain free.
Common areas: The back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and the genital area are the most common.
How/where to book an appointment: If not being performed by a doctor, make sure the place is reputable and that they have proper credentials. Groupon has special deals on laser hair removal treatment packages, just make sure to check with your place of choice and ask as many questions as necessary before booking an appointment.
Electrolysis
What it does: Time-wise, this is a huge commitment. But the results for electrolysis are permanent, no touch-ups needed. An ultra-slim needle is used on each individual hair shaft, which then delivers tiny shocks of electricity to the hair follicle, killing cells that produce hair and voila! No hair will grow there again. Although the treatment is relatively short, about 10 to 20 minutes, if you’re having a large area of hair removed (bear in mind that it tackles one follicle at a time) it could be up to a year of weekly treatments.
Cost: This will run you about $40 per treatment.
Common areas: Smaller areas, such as the uni-brow, ears, neck, and nose are the most common because the treatment is a little painful, however, a local anesthetic can be used.
How/where to book an appointment: For this one, you have to really do your research. Most states require electrologists to be licensed or certified within their state in order to perform the treatment. If your state does not require a license or certification, look for those that have a certification from an accredited electrolysis school.
