The Summer Olympics are here, and that means if you're a professional swimmer, you should consider removing your body hair. In fact, professional swimmers choose to remove their entire body hair for several important reasons, including:
  1. Removing body hair reduces resistance. Professional swimmers need to be as fast as possible and eliminating any resistance, such as body hair, gives them a competitive edge. In fact, most professional swimmers remove all their body hair prior to a competition. This isn't all hearsay - research proves that removing body hair does actually reduce drag in the water.
  2. Removing body hair invigorates you. Many professional swimmers state they get a big psychological boost from removing body hair prior to a competition. This is because they often feel invigorated in the water after removing excess hair. It also increases body sensation because the skin becomes more sensitive to temperature and textures.
  3. Removing body hair increases performance and stamina. Research studies demonstrate that professional swimmers who remove all their body hair experience a reduction in blood lactate, a creased V02, and an increase in stroke length compared to swimmers who don't remove excess body hair.

The Benefits of Laser Hair Removal for Swimmers

Many professional swimmers opt to shave before a big competition, which has significant drawbacks. Some of the drawbacks include that hair regrowth happens quickly, nits and cuts can happen, hair regrows blunter, which can make it seem thicker, ingrown hairs are common, and razor burn is a potential side effect. Laser hair removal, however, is great for long-term hair removal in all areas, making it an ideal hair removal option for professional swimmers in particular. What's more, laser hair removal causes virtually no damage to the dermis, so even the most sensitive skin can be treated. Other benefits of laser hair removal compared to other hair removal methods include:
  • It is non-invasive and non-surgical
  • It is fast - each laser pulse takes only a fraction of a second
  • It results in softer, smoother skin
  • It targets large areas of hair
  • It eliminates the need to shave and wax
  • It results in permanent hair reduction by up to 90% after a series of treatments
Want to learn more about laser hair removal? Then read on.

The Science of Smooth Skin

The science behind laser hair removal is simple. It uses laser light pulses that selectively destroy hair follicles by targeting the melanin in them. The follicle's pigment absorbs the laser's light pulse, damaging the follicle enough to significantly slow down hair regrowth. Since the lasers target melanin, coarse, dark hair and light skin combinations tend to respond best to treatment. Fear not, though, if you have darker skin and hair. You can still achieve desirable results with the Nd:YAG laser. The Nd:YAG laser has a longer wavelength and better pigment selectivity than other lasers used for hair removal, meaning that it can penetrate hair follicles more precisely, leaving the surrounding skin tissue undamaged.

Your First Laser Hair Removal Session

The length of a laser hair removal procedure depends on the size of the treatment area, meaning a session can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Before the actual laser hair removal session, you'll be given protective eye gear and an elective topical anesthetic. Once the session begins, you'll feel a stinging sensation, indicating that the laser has been activated. The actual session involves a series of laser pulses that results in a prickling and burning sensation. But don't worry; the pain isn't too bad. In fact, it's similar to that of a rubber band snapping against your skin. After the laser hair removal session is over, you may experience temporary swelling and redness. Most clients can resume their normal activities. It's important, however, that you avoid direct sun exposure. You should also wear sunblock with a high SPF for several weeks afterward.

Expect Professional, Long-lasting Results

It's the preferred way for professional swimmers to remove hair because it's safer and more permanent than other methods such as waxing, plucking, shaving, and electrolysis. Laser hair removal is so effective that most clients experience permanent hair loss by up to 90% after an average of three to five sessions. But you'll have to undergo multiple laser hair removal sessions to obtain maximum results, because only hair in the anagen--or active--stage of hair growth can be successfully treated. What's more, laser hair removal is the only proven method available for easily and painlessly removing hair from large areas of the body, including the back, chest, legs and face - exactly what professional swimmers need to win competitions.