Is Laser Hair Removal Better Than Topical Hair Retardant Creams?
Laser hair removal is a permanent option in hair treatment to finally rid yourself of unsightly and unwanted hair! One question to consider when researching laser hair removal treatment is whether or not it is a better choice than topical treatments often used to remove unwanted hair.
If you are a woman with excessive or unnatural hair growth, then your doctor may have recommended a topical prescription cream called Vaniqa. This is a treatment that blocks an enzyme within the body that causes hair growth. Without this enzyme in body, the hair growth will be slowed and potentially stopped completely. This is something used for very extreme cases of hair growth, such as women with coarse facial hair in unwanted areas.
However, one thing for a patient to consider instead of using a semi permanent option in a hair treatment is permanent hair removal with a laser. Laser hair removal requires a series of 5 to 7 treatments before you see your unwanted hair gone completely. Laser hair removal can also be used on areas of the face with unwanted and coarse hair as a woman, even if it is caused by a medical condition. The only thing to take into consideration is if you are suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome, which can cause excessive hair growth that cannot be permanently treated by a laser because it is hormonal. Often times, patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome still opt for laser hair removal because it provides them with months free from hair after a treatment before they have to worry about hair regrowth again. Even better, the use of a topical hair removal cream can be coupled with laser hair removal to extend the results that you get if you suffer from hormonal hair growth as a woman.
Vaniqa is a topical cream that can be used for any hair that is not conducive to a laser treatment, like grey, blonde, or red hair. A laser works to target pigmented hair and kill it within the follicle through heat energy, but it will not respond to light or red hair because it is unpigmented. If you are suffering from excessive hair growth in a lighter color, then a topical hair removal cream may be the best choice for you because it will stop hair growth in the growth cycle. However, this type of topical hair growth retardant is not ideal for larger areas of the body, such as the torso, arms, or legs. Mainly, this is something that can be used by women to treat excessive and unwanted hair growth on the face, regardless of the color.
However, if you are a woman experiencing coarse and dark hair growth on the face that is not light in color, then the best choice for you by far would be standard laser hair removal. This will allow you to have weeks free from hair growth, and as your treatments progress, you will experience months of a hair free period. Laser hair removal is ideal for all skin types and ethnicities, and it provides an ideal option for extremely coarse hair, especially on the facial area for women.
One thing to expect with the use of laser hair removal to treat coarse hair on the face is that the hair will be killed underneath the surface of the skin. After your treatment, you need to exfoliate the face well, preferably with a glycolic acid cleanser, to remove dead skin and push the hair out from underneath the surface. If you do have a hormonal condition causing very coarse hair growth, it can look like pepper trapped underneath the surface of the skin. The more that you exfoliate and moisturize, the more easily the hair will be pushed out so that you can have a complete hair free period.
As your treatments progress, you will experience a longer and longer hair free period, with the ultimate goal of complete hair removal. Again, these types of topical treatments need to be applied continuously, and do not offer permanent results, but if you complete your series of laser hair removal treatments, then you can count on ridding yourself of unwanted hair for good!
Even if you have any reproductive issues causing hair growth, including polycystic ovarian syndrome, laser hair removal will offer the much-needed relief that you have been looking for with up to 3 to 4 months free from hair as your treatments progress. This is a viable option for unwanted coarse and dark hair on the face in women.
This article was written by Bethany North. Bethany is a licensed esthetician with experience in hands-on experience in chemical peels, microdermabrasion, facials, laser hair removal, makeup applications, skin analysis, waxing, spray tanning, and product ingredient assessment. She has also worked as a salon sales and training consultant, as well as a consultant for beauty and hair care product lines in branding and marketing.