Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt? Here’s What Dermatologists Say

glamour.com:

for the first time and never looked back. At this point it’s hard to believe that I almost let the fear of pain stop me from ever trying the hair removal method.It’s understandable to think that laser hair removal might hurt.

Whether at-home or medical-grade, laser hair removal works by seeking out the pigment, or melanin, at the base of your hair follicle, says , a board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical in New York City.

Once the laser locates the hair follicle root, which houses your hair’s stem cells, the laser then converts its light energy to heat, damaging the hair root, causing unwanted hair to fall out at the treated area.While the heat from laser hair removal devices can cause some discomfort, it’s exceedingly minimal—especially if yours has a built-in cooling fan.

Dr. Marmur compares the level of discomfort from the laser beam to a zinging feeling, similar to a needle prick or a rubber band snapping.