If you’re worried about body hair showing up on the beach as summer approaches, there is now a new, less painful way to zap away hair.

In laser hair removal, doctors shoot a beam of light down to the base of the skin. While these lasers have been around for awhile, the procedure is now less painful.

Laser hair removal specialist Dr. Brian Treon said, “The root of the hair absorbs the light, heats up, and it’s burned from the inside.”

Before the procedure, the patient puts on protective goggles. The specialist applies temporary darkening agent which draws the light from the laser into the skin.

Cold water sprays the surface of the skin every time the laser fires. That freezes the top layer of the skin so that the laser can go down to the base layer and do its job, while the skin remains protected.

The results can be pretty dramatic. They are not considered permanent, but hair production will stay reduced for life.

The most common complication is redness of the skin.

Treatment costs range from about $100 to $600 per session. Most patients require several sessions to get desired results.

Source: 13 Wham