Whether for hygienic or cosmetic reasons, the patient who is tired of temporary, often painful methods of removing unwanted hair may welcome laser and intense pulsed light hair removal with relief.

Lasers produce highly focused, intense beams of light that are absorbed by dark pigments in the hair follicles beneath the skin’s surface and converted to heat, destroying the follicles and preventing hair growth for up to two years. Multiple treatments are required for complete hair removal -- the follicle must be "active" at the time of treatment, and not all follicles are active at the same time. Treatments are needle-free and do not require anesthesia. Most patients feel nothing more than a slight sting like the snap of a rubber band.

It is possible that some hair will grow back, though it is usually finer and lighter than what was originally removed. There may also be some redness and swelling following the procedure.