When you finally lose patience with shaving, waxing, and tweezing, it’s time to start thinking about the alternative: laser hair removal. Destroying hair straight at the root, laser hair removal is quick, easy, powerful, and can eliminate up to 90 per cent of unwanted fuzz. Is it any surprise that it’s become the go-to treatment for silky smooth skin?

Yet despite its (well-deserved) popularity, there’s still a lot of misinformation out there about our hair-zapping hero. That’s why we turned to selfologi.com – the booking site for cosmetic treatments. Home to hundreds of clinics offering laser hair removal across the UAE, who better to help us separate the fact from fiction?

Myth: It’s too painful

Fact: Painful? No. Uncomfortable? Maybe. Everybody’s pain tolerance is different, and the sensation tends to vary depending on the area being lasered. However, if you know you’re sensitive to pain – or you’re worried about how it might feel – you can always numb the area with anaesthetic cream ahead of time. As a bonus, most lasers today are equipped with a cold airstream that minimises any discomfort.

Myth: It will damage my skin

Fact: No – only if it’s done wrong. The whole idea of laser hair removal is that the melanin in hair pigment acts like a magnet to the laser’s energy. That means it doesn’t resurface the skin in the same way as other laser skin treatments, so your skin should look exactly the same post-treatment as it did before (albeit, temporarily, a little bit red).

Myth: After six sessions, I’ll be hair-free forever

Fact: Sadly, this is a myth. Even if your skin is silky smooth after your ‘final’ session, some hair follicles can – and will – grow back with time. The good news is that they probably won’t be as dark or thick as before, and are easily zapped with a top-up session once or twice a year.

Myth: I can only get laser hair removal if I have dark hair and a light skin tone

Fact: This used to be true, but it’s not anymore. Laser hair removal works by targeting the pigment in hair. Admittedly, that’s easier if there’s a significant contrast between your skin tone and hair colour. But thankfully lasers have come a long way. Today, there are devices that use different wavelengths specifically designed to dark hair on darker skin tones, and even blonde hairs. Basically, there’s a laser out there for everyone.

Myth: I can’t sunbathe before my session – but I can use fake tan

Fact: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but tanning of any kind is off the table in the weeks before and after your appointment. Lasers may be pretty clever, but they can’t tell the difference between the pigment in tanning products and the pigment in hair follicles. If you’re wearing fake tan, there’s a chance your skin will absorb more energy than your hair and your treatment will be less effective. So, unless you want to sabotage your own results, you may want to just embrace your natural skin tone for a while.

Myth: It’s the most expensive way to remove hair

Fact: It might seem that way at first, but let’s do the maths. It’s estimated that the average woman spends approximately AED 35,000 on shaving in their lifetime, while those who wax are thought to spend more than AED 80,000. Then there’s the amount of time it takes to maintain shaving, waxing, plucking, or epilating multiple times a week. So, you may be paying more upfront for laser hair removal, but you’ll likely save money in the long-run.

Luckily, starting October, you can enjoy exclusive deals on hair removal– only at selfologi.com. Browse hundreds of clinics across the UAE to find and directly book the right one for you. And to make your hair removal experience even more flexible, you also have the choice between paying online, in-clinic with cash or card, or use one of the Buy Now, Pay Later methods available on the website.