New technique promises less pain

A new laser hair removal technique developed in the US promises less uncomfortable (OK then - less painful!) treatments. It’s common to use either a cooling gel, or in some cases an anaesthetic cream (only under qualified supervision!) co counter the discomfort caused as the hair follicles absorb the laser light and heat up.

The new machine takes a different approach by applying suction to the area being lasered - developer Eric Bernstein says, “Our skin is only allowed to feel one sensation at a time. So we can feel pressure or we can feel pain. Given the choice, we’d all choose pressure. So what this device does is it suctions the skin so we feel a pressure sensation and we can’t feel pain.”

This is the same reason why, when you hurt yourself as a child, your mother “rubbed it better”. The nerve endings in the skin can only respond to one stimulus at once, so you can overcome the pain stimulus by providing a stronger one, such as rubbing a larger area of the skin, or in this case, producing a sensation of pressure.

No news yet as to when or whether this new technique will become available in uk  laser hair removal clinics