Laser Hair Removal for Men

by Dr. Rodney Last updated Nov 07, 2019

Laser hair removal for men has become increasingly popular over the past decade. “Manscaping” is a modern term that describes when men remove or groom unwanted hair. Manscaping has been around forever. In Ancient Egypt, men removed every strand of hair from their bodies, including eyelashes and eyebrows. It was a sign of nobility and civility. And it was laborious and painful.

Today, manscaping is not so extreme. It’s a matter of being well-groomed—removing or thinning out face or body hair for a tidier look. You look better. You feel better. Fortunately, hair removal has come a long way from torturous, primitive tools. You have laser hair removal: effective, efficient, painless.

What is laser hair removal?

According to WebMD, laser hair removal uses beams of highly concentrated light to target hair follicles. “Pigment in the follicles absorbs the light that destroys the hair.” One treatment, however, does not kill the follicle, but weakens it so that the hairs grow back thinner and more slowly.

Men would usually opt for laser hair removal treatment on the back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and even the genital area. It also works best when treating dark hair on light skin. It may not be suitable for blond or white hair. For those with darker skin tones, the Nd: YAG type of laser may be used (more about this later).

Is it painful?

Like many other technologies, huge advances have taken place in laser technology. Today, state-of-the-art equipment provides a quick, comfortable experience. Furthermore, an extra benefit of the laser over other hair-removal methods is that the strength of the laser can be adjusted to ensure your comfort.

How long does it take?

As for time, you usually can be in and out in less than an hour. You can have it done on your lunch hour if you’d like. Naturally, the larger the area, the longer the treatment. For example, you can rid yourself of a woolly back in about 30 minutes. The chest takes about 20 minutes. A male “Brazilian,” 10 to 15 minutes. Just think—so little time for a procedure that could be life-changing.

What areas of the body can be lasered successfully?

Nearly everywhere, except for the eyelids can be done. Men often choose laser hair removal for their beard area/ neck, chest, shoulders, armpits, stomach, and back.

Why should you get laser hair removal?

Even if you consider yourself as an ordinary or average guy (not an athlete of some sort), laser hair removal can still be beneficial for you. Here are a few reasons why you may want to get your body hair treated:

Lessen excessive body hair

If you are already uncomfortable with your excess hair, probably on your back, chest, stomach, or all over your body, laser hair removal is a great solution.

Don’t worry, it does not necessarily mean that you will be completely hairless on the area that will be treated (although that is also possible if you want to). Rather, the treated area will just have thinner and finer hair.

Relieve irritation and itchiness

Although body hair is common among men, some still find them irritable and itchy, especially during summer. Men who have tried laser hair removal found relief from bushiness, irritation, and itchiness after the treatment.

Remove ingrown hairs

Some men also had laser hair removal treatment on their facial hairs since less hair make shaving a lot easier. In addition, the treatment can remove ingrown hairs that can cause pseudofolliculitis barbae (aka razor bumps) – those clusters of inflamed, red bumps that tend to appear around the hair follicles after shaving.

Avoid sporadic balding and remove bad hair plugs

Some men who’ve had laser hair removal on their head prefer a bald head to patchy uneven hair loss. Others, however, just want to get rid of their bad hair plugs that cause irritation or just don’t look right.

What type of laser should you get for your hair removal treatment?

Once you decide on having laser hair removal treatment, next is to determine what type of laser would work best on your skin and hair. The laser light from various machines differs in wavelength (measured in nanometers -nm) and actual energy output. In turn, this determines the depth and overall effectiveness of the laser device in different skin types, color and hair thickness.

Here are the three types of laser for hair removal treatments that are available nowadays:

Alexandrite: 755nm; most effective for those with light skin and thin hair; not recommended for those with darker skin color.
Diode: 810nm; suitable for those with pale to medium-type skin.
Nd: Yag: 1064 nm; most recommended and effective for people with darker skin color and thicker hair.

To obtain the best results, we recommend that you consult with your dermatologist to know which one is most appropriate for you.

What are the side effects?

Most laser hair removal clients deny any side effects. However, it does not mean that it’s totally zero-risk.

Should you decide to get laser hair removal treatment, it is normal to see some redness, and experience sensitivity or itching within 24 hours after the procedure. However, if your irritation lasts longer than that, contact your provider immediately.

It is also possible to experience severe reactions such as burns or blistering, (temporary or permanent) changes in skin color at treated sites, swelling, rashes or bruising. Permanent scarring may also occur but that is very rare.

As a man, you should not be ashamed if you wish to have your body hair removed or groomed. The culture has changed and this is now widely accepted. More so, hair removal treatments have developed over time. There are now various types of machines that may be used to perform safe and effective laser hair removal treatments. Now it’s even easier to get man-scaped.

Schedule an appointment for a consultation.

For a knowledgeable consultation and a pleasant, safe laser hair removal experience, contact us or book an appointment online now. We are conveniently located in Fulton and serve Columbia MD, Clarksville, Ellicott City, Laurel, Bowie, Silver Spring and surrounding areas in PG and Howard County, Maryland.