Permanent ways to say goodbye to hair – what are your options?

Hair removal is one of life’s lemons isn’t it? A constant in our lives that requires a lot of time and money for very little return if you are using non permanent methods to keep your fuzz at bay. And then there’s also the confusion – is it better to shave or wax, do IPL or Laser? Truthfully, it’s a minefield!

The good news is that whatever your hair type, or how much hair removal you need, there is a method that will suit everyone. Here we take a look at the different ways to keep hair regrowth at bay. Guided by the team in Thérapie Clinic who are the UK and Ireland’s No.1 Laser Hair Removal experts, with almost 20 years experience, they know a thing or two about permanent hair removal.

So, before you make a decision on what’s best for you, it’s always good to research the pros and cons of all treatments. Research is the name of the game when making the best decision for you. Let’s start with waxing.

Wax and go
You might remember Carrie and Samantha talking about the dread of the waxing salon in Sex and the City, and if you are a regular waxer, you’ll know exactly what they mean. Waxing is the process of hair removal from the root by using a covering of wax, pulling out the hair from the follicle. New hair will not grow back in the previously waxed area for four to six weeks, although depending on your hair growth cycle, you might start to see regrowth in only a week which is less than ideal.
There are many types of waxing suitable for removing unwanted hair, some are uncomfortable and some painful, so it’s not a winner on the pain threshold front, or a great long term option, as the hair will grow back within a few weeks, but despite this waxing continues to be a popular hair removal method, especially for small treatment areas, such as lip and chin.

So are there any positives with waxing? Yes, there are a few. The more you wax the less regrowth you will have between appointments – though consider that if you are getting an area like bikini or leg treated, it will take a LONG time for you to see any difference in hair growth. But, you will spare your skin from the nicks and cuts associated with shaving, as well as saving yourself from the annoying itching and prickliness that often comes from shaving regularly.

Shaving
Often called the most popular method of hair removal, shaving is quick, easy and relatively pain free though it does come with a number of setbacks. Firstly, depending on your skin and hair type, there is a strong possibility that you will need to shave every other day, if not every day. The method takes time and unless you want lots of nicks and cuts, can be costly but please readers, NEVER buy a cheap razor!

Tweeze me
Most of us use tweezing to pluck stray hairs here and there, and when done correctly, plucking removes the entire hair from the follicle, keeping it from growing back for up to six weeks. Tweezing is a very popular hair removal method for small areas like eyebrows for very good reason, as waxing a small area like your eyebrows can be very tricky, not to mention risky. With tweezing, you have more control and accuracy for achieving the right shape.

It’s cheap and cheerful too as once you invest in a good set of tweezers you are good to go from the comfort of your own home. However, given that tweezing your eyebrows can take a half hour or more it’s really not a practical hair removal treatment for a bigger area, so all in all it’s not a great option if you want long term results.

IPL and Laser Hair Removal
Over the past number of years, more and more of us have looked to Laser Hair Removal and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) for more effective, long term ways to keep hair growth at bay. So how do they work?

Both Laser and intense pulsed light, or IPL, use light to heat a hair follicle and prevent regrowth. Lasers produce a very specific type of light made up of one wavelength or colour of light all going in one direction, which creates a single beam like a laser pointer. IPL devices, on the other hand, produce a wide range of wavelengths of light to produce a single white flash. This light is closer to natural light and can appear with an orange/red glow when the device is flashed against the skin, like a camera flash.

The science bit is all good and well, but what is the REAL difference in treatment, and more importantly in results. We spoke to Phillip McGlade, CEO with Thérapie, Ireland and the UK’s favourite Laser Hair Removal providers, ‘An important place to start, when talking about the difference between the two treatments is safety. Laser machines create more heat directed at the hair follicle than IPL systems which produces better results. The heat from Laser is absorbed by the follicle and not the skin, therefore there is a decreased risk of burning when using Laser machines – this also makes laser a safer option for customers with darker skin tones.

As for effectiveness, ‘Lasers are far more precise and can selectively target any colour hair including very dark, coarse hair while leaving the surrounding areas undamaged. Each laser pulse takes a fraction of a second and can treat several hairs at a time.’

Results driven
And as for results, well the facts behind Laser Hair Removal speak for themselves, An IPL system will only have about 30% of its energy absorbed by melanin, whereas a medical grade laser system will have about 98% of its energy absorbed by melanin, making Laser Hair Removal the better scientifically proven option for permanently getting rid of unwanted hair.
There are some other key pointers too that indicate that Laser is the way to go, the higher melanin absorption numbers with Laser mean that you need fewer laser sessions in order to target all of the hairs, and give you better long-term results.

Lasers penetrate deeper into tissue, IPL’s penetrate approximately 2mm beneath the skin, and Laser will penetrate 4-5mm which is a more ideal depth to target the structures that will
disable a hair follicle. And importantly Lasers have more advanced cooling systems, making your treatment more comfortable and less painful than IPL.
So there you have it, IPL is not as effective as lasers in getting rid of unwanted hair, which is why Thérapie Clinic only uses the latest in medical grade lasers for their hair removal treatments.
Long Term gain
Now that we’ve looked at the options in detail it does seem that the short lived hair removal solutions don’t seem to live up to much when put to the test. Costly from both a time and money point of view, it seems that the only way to make hair removal any more bearable is to go for a long term solution, like Laser Hair Removal that is tried and tested, affordable and has great results, even after just 6-8 sessions.
Find out more at a Thérapie Clinic near you today
Thérapie Clinic has recently been voted the Best Aesthetic and Laser Hair Removal Clinic in the UK & Ireland – and with good reason. In business since 2002 this Doctor led team has treated over 5 million patients, using the World’s most advanced Laser equipment to ensure short, effective treatments for all its patients.
Thérapie has 40 Clinics across the UK and Ireland, including four World Class Clinics in London (Wigmore Street, Bromley, Westfield White City, and Westfield
Stratford). Open at times that suit you – including evenings and weekends, you can fit your treatments around your busy life at times that are convenient for you.

Call us today
You can learn more by booking a free consultation with the Thérapie team in any one of their Clinics by calling 0800 012 1565 (UK) 1890 650 750 (RoI) or online at therapieclinic.com