Summer Preparation Considerations
Once upon a time, maybe sometime back towards the end of the
1970s, many societal groups decided less body hair was better than more body
hair. From that point forward many
methods of taming nature have been developed. Varying degrees of success and pain
have been experienced to pursue this unnatural, but now common, standard of
beauty.
Why do I bring this up? It is not because I love to wax poetic about the social and
psychological reasons for this less is more adoption. I am totally ok with the resulting poolside scenes and I
prefer not to contemplate the alternative. However, if you are contemplating a new workout plan, a new bikini,
and perhaps some permanent hair removal as an accessory you are probably going
to want to get moving on the latter.
I offer this candid personal account for your review and
consideration on laser hair removal:
“Last spring I decided
I was not spending another summer worrying about bikini zone maintenance. Enough is enough. I was losing precious years of my life
shaving. I thought about other
options. Waxing is awkward and has
a horrible growing out period.
That no-no-hair-grow hair-burning thing was a front-runner but I was
kind of leery of the accounts of a lingering burnt hair smell. Needles are
scary to me so electrolysis was moved to the bottom of my list. Lasers on the other hand seemed like a cool
option.
I mean really, who
doesn’t love lasers? Waves of
light adjusted to do just about anything?! I want to put my fingers together and repeat, “Lasers” with
an accent and an eyebrow cocked Austin Powers Dr. Evil style.
It [Laser hair
removal] was supposed to be not that painful, quick, and with good
results. Of course, any permanent
option was going to be expensive so I was slow to commit. Then I saw a Groupon that offered 6
sessions of laser hair removal for a little over $200. Seriously, What is $200 for a lifetime
of hairlessness?! I bought it and
made an appointment for my first session early in June, just in time for a
large pool party the following week.
Turns out I was not
just in time for summer. You can
shave while going through the process but that is it. No plucking, and no waxing. You aren’t supposed to tan, and are supposed to stay out of
the sun. Also, it was a six
session Groupon because you have to go six times for the same spot, and the
sessions have to be spaced every four to six weeks. I should have started at the beginning of the year!
They described a
rubber band snapping sensation for each zap. It was suggested I take a few ibuprofen, and the office had
a numbing cream for sale. I decided
to skip the $60 Lidocaine cream initially. I guess the rubber band description was as good as any but
it was not ok. The second session,
I tried the Lidocaine cream by itself.
Still not ok. By the 3rd
round of treatment I had the pain management regimen down. I took 3 or 4 ibuprofen, and made sure
I started my first numbing gel application an hour before, then the second
thirty minutes before, and the final application in the office. The cold packs before and after are
also helpful. Apparently the cold
packs both numb and help to prevent scarring and burning. Yes you heard that correctly, both are
not common but could happen if the wrong level of zap is used, or you do
something wrong, like go to a pool party right after and lay in the sun.
Don’t get me wrong, I
am happy with the results. I might
need a follow up to take care of a few spots that were not as successful but
overall my bikini maintenance is much easier. I just wish I had a better idea of what to expect. I felt so naïve! I had a positive experience but there
are serious things that could have gone wrong. “
–Anonymous.
There you have it folks. The month is March. The future is now, and hair removal is just a flash of light
away. Preparation is key to successful and timely results and because “Knowing
is half the battle.” (G.I. Joe) here are some resources for preparing to combat
rogue body hair:
Laser Hair Removal:
Benefits, Side Effects, and Cost- WebMD
Laser hair removal-
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As with any medical procedure, don’t forget to ask for
experience and credentials of your technician, to observe for cleanly
practices, and to consult your physician for specific advice on potential
personal health conflicts.
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