Posted Monday, September 19, 2011 by Jamie Burwood - Beauty,

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Q&A on laser hair removal

By now, we’ve all heard about laser hair removal and it’s promise to keep us divinely smooth for the rest of eternity. Most of us are intrigued by the fad but aren’t quite convinced that it’s worth the cost/pain/future risk of having an “Oh my god what have I done – I want my hair back!” moment. Imagine if we all elected to go hair free, only to find out later in life that those with hair are the only ones who are going to survive the Apocolypse? The next Ice Age? The Flu??

Ok, maybe we’re getting a little paranoid…but there are definitely things you need to think about and research before trying laser hair removal. We sat down with a good friend and current laser patient (she’s in her 4th cycle of treatment) to get the skinny on this increasingly popular method of hair removal.

Q: How would you describe the pain level you experience during laser hair removal, in relation to other methods you’ve tried?

A: “Let me just put this out there first and foremost: laser treatment doesn’t hurt! Well, not any more than waxing, threading, or tweezing. I’ve actually found it hurts less than all of those methods. It definitely hurts a little more in the areas where your hair is the thickest, but it’s still not as painful as waxing. If you have a really low pain tolerance, most places offer a numbing cream for the areas to be treated. Just be sure to show up 30 minutes before your appointment.”

Q: How long is each session?

A: “It depends on the package you choose. I’m getting my arms, underarms, lower and upper legs and a full brazilian. All that only takes about an hour!”

Q: So…Is it working?? How long did it take you to see results?

A: “It’s working! After my first treatment, I noticed a difference after about 2 weeks, which is how long they say it takes for the majority of the hair to fall out. By the 3rd time I noticed a huge difference, and now I barely have to shave once a week.”

Q: Any tips on how you prepare for an appointment?

A: “You definitely want to make sure you shave right before (don’t wax! It pulls out the root, and the root is what the laser needs to target). Also, DO NOT go in the sun or near a tanning bed. The lasers work by targeting the pigment in the hair, and if your skin is darker than normal it may end up burning your skin instead of the hair follicle.”

Well now, that doesn’t seem so scary after all. Like our mother’s always used to say, beauty knowledge is power!

Click here to watch a Kardashian get laser-ed!