If you’re not happy with shaving, tweezing, or waxing to remove unwanted hair, laser hair removal may be an option worth considering.

Laser hair removal is one of the most commonly done cosmetic procedures in the U.S. It beams highly concentrated light into hair follicles. Pigment in the follicles absorb the light. That destroys the hair.

Benefits

Lasers are useful for removing unwanted hair from the face, leg, chin, back, arm, underarm, bikini line, and other areas.

–            Precision: Lasers can selectively target dark, coarse hairs while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged.

–            Speed: Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time. The laser can treat an area approximately the size of a quarter every second. Small areas such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute, and large areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour.

–           Predictability: Most patients have permanent hair loss after an average of three to seven sessions.

Laser hair removal, like any other surgical procedure, should be done only after understanding the numerous dos and don’ts so that the treatment turns out just right. While there are various hair removal options — from waxing to shaving and tweezing — laser hair removal is known to last much longer.

If you are planning to opt for laser hair removal, here are some basic dos and don’ts that cosmetic a dermatologist suggested one should keep in mind before and after going for such a treatment.

Before going for treatment

–             Do not thread, pluck or wax the area to be treated for at least two-three weeks.

–             Stop using all active acne, anti-ageing and pigmentation products two days before your laser session.

–             Avoid swimming and exposure to UV rays a week before the session.

After the session

–             Apply calamine lotion or aloe vera gel to soothe the skin.

–             Use sunscreen every three-four hours.

–             Active creams and serums can be started after 48 hours.

–            Apply a mild exfoliant like AHA/BHA lotion from the third day onwards.

–             Gym and exercise after 12 hours.

It is important to keep in mind that while most people report a permanent reduction in hair growth, fluctuating hormones can make one’s hair grow back quicker, which is why individual results may vary.

Learning to trust in a new relationship

It takes a while to get to know someone. When we first enter a new relationship, many of us want to present the best version of ourselves – deliberately hiding certain aspects of who we are until we feel we’ve got to know the person a bit better.

And then later on, it may take a while before we’re truly willing to let them in – to know our insecurities, our hopes, our chequered family histories.

We often worry that our new partner won’t accept us warts and all – that they won’t like and accept us once they’re familiar with our quirks and faults.

But trust is an essential part of any relationship. It’s the foundation block upon which all the other good stuff – affection, intimacy, connection – is based.

How do we learn to trust someone?

It can be a scary thing to do. After all, when you begin to trust someone, you’re not just learning to rely on them – you’re giving up some of what you’ve learned in terms of relying on yourself. Trust can sometimes make you feel vulnerable.

Furthermore, lots of people find this difficult because of what they’ve been through in previous relationships. If you’ve been cheated on or let down – or if you grew up in an environment where you had to learn to look after yourself – it can take even longer to let down those defences. It’s common to worry that in doing so you risk being hurt all over again.

Talking it through

The first thing to say is that you can’t rush trust. Sometimes, it just takes time. If you’re finding it difficult, it might just be that you need to take things at a slower pace and see how you get on.

At the same time, it can be useful to think about any reasons you might have for finding it hard to trust a new partner. As mentioned, it could be memories from previous relationships or your family upbringing that are causing you to be cautious. There’s nothing wrong with this in itself – but it may be useful to talk this over with your partner so they know some of the challenges you’re facing (for tips on tackling difficult conversations with your partner, check out this article).

Ultimately, trust is about getting to a point where you feel you can openly communicate with your partner without having to worry – where you can be yourself and be confident you can say exactly how you’re feeling without thinking you’re going to be judged or dismissed. Bearing this in mind as a sort of ‘target’ can be useful.