SHR Hair Removal - Your Comprehensive Q&A from Wellaholic (2024)

What is SHR or Super Hair Removal?

SHR or Super Hair Removal is a relatively new technology for hair removal. SHR uses gentler pulses of energy but at a higher frequency as compared to IPL hair removal. This laser hair removal technology allows the skin to be heated gently, but with rapid pulses. The energy is then accumulated by the skin, and 50% of the energy targets the follicles responsible for hair growth, while the other 50% targets the stem cells responsible for hair production.

How is SHR different from IPL hair removal?

SHR uses a patented technology to destroy hair follicles by using low fluence repetitive laser pulses. This Advanced Fluorescence Technology (AFT) In-Motion technology is a breakthrough in customer comfort and effectiveness. Compared to IPL which fires about 2 to 4 shots into each hair follicle, SHR fires about 30 to 40 shots instead.

How many SHR treatments are necessary for effective hair removal?

If the hair is in the anagen phase of growth during the SHR hair removal treatment, it can be easily destroyed as in the case with IPL technology. The advantage of SHR hair removal in this case is that it can work with customers during their anagen phase or non-anagen phase, as SHR can target 50% of the stem cells responsible for hair growth. Nevertheless, a 28-day recovery of “down time” is highly recommended to align with the anagen hair growth cycle as well as to allow the skin to recover before the next treatment.

Is SHR hair removal ideal for everyone?

Because of the gradual accumulation of the energy into the skin, there is less trauma and irritation on the skin. This makes SHR hair removal ideal and suitable for everyone, regardless of skin tone and hair colour. SHR hair removal is also ideal for customers with sensitive skin as compared to IPL hair removal. In fact, SHR is extremely ideal for Brazilian, Boyzilian or Bikini hair removal as the energy is more gentle on the skin.

Are there any potential side effects of SHR hair removal?

SHR treatment is considered to be a generally safe treatment and is well-tolerated by customers with all skin types. Nevertheless, you should always watch out for risks of burns, redness and hyperpigmentation – although the probability of this is very low when done with an experienced hair removal specialist. At Wellaholic, we have over five years of experience with SHR hair removal, and our therapists have clocked at least 200 hours of SHR hair removal training (in fact most have over 1000 hours of experience). This is also why it is important to follow the 28-day recovery time to prevent any likelihood of hyperpigmentation.

Is it necessary to go through the entire SHR hair removal treatment plan?

Many customer make the mistake or error of not completing their treatment regime. SHR is designed for semi-permanent or even permanent hair removal, but it requires consistent treatments with a 28-day gap (plus or minus 5 days) over 8 to 12 sessions or more to see long-lasting hair removal results. As the treatment is highly reliant on the customer’s specific hair growth cycle, we will need to target the hairs that are in the anagen growth phase. Generally, after 6 to 8 treatments, you will start to see noticeable results, as each session is able to target about 17 to 33% of all hair follicles.

Can all skin and hair types of treated with SHR hair removal?

SHR hair removal is able to treat both dark skin or fair skin. SHR hair removal is also able to treat all skin types, from relatively light skin types to darker skin types. Generally, we will adjust the fluence and pulse width settings based on your skin colour, hair colour as well as hair type (fine vs coarse) in order to deliver the best results.

Which body areas or regions can be treated with SHR hair removal?

All body parts can be treated with SHR hair removal technology. The procedure is generally suitable for the hair removal treatment for legs, arms, chest, body, back, fingers, toes, facial hairs, as well as for the private regions. In order to protect the eyes, protective goggles must always be worn during the SHR treatment.

I saw great results with my SHR treatment for the first few sessions. Then the hairs came back. Why is this the case?

Very rarely after a SHR hair removal session, the hairs can grow back more quickly and densely. There are a few reasons to this. First reason is because of the hair growth cycle. From the 6th to 8th month of treatment, the hair growth cycle may cause a resurgence of hair growth. This is not necessarily a bad thing as SHR hair removal is only able to target follicles that are in the anagen hair cycle (when hairs are growing). Hence, this becomes a good opportunity to quickly targets these follicles which were not active in the first 6 months. The second reason is due to hormonal changes, which can trigger your hair follicles to start growing again. Fortunately, the team at Wellaholic is able to overcome this by adjusting the treatment settings. If you find yourself in this situation, just alert our friendly consultants and they will help adjust the settings accordingly.

Is there a limit to the number of SHR shots per treatment session?

At Wellaholic, we deliver as many shots as needed for a complete and effective treatment. Hence there is no limit to the number of SHR hair removal shots. In fact, we do not charge by per shot, as this creates a tension for the customer – instead we charge a fixed per-session cost and use as many shots as required. For our SHR Prestige and SHR Deluxe Unlimited plans, we also cover all body parts, so that our customers do not have to pay separate charges for hair removal on different body parts. This fuss-free all-that-you-require approach is very popular with our customers.

Do I need to shave before coming for my SHR hair removal appointment?

We highly recommend that you shave a day before or at least 2 hours before the SHR hair removal treatment. This is to allow the skin to recover from any shaving or razor burn. The skin will thus be less sensitive to the SHR hair removal treatment. Please note that if you require assistance from Wellaholic consultants for shaving, a shaving service fee of $10 per body part is charged additionally. You can also consider our WellaSmooth All-inclusive Hair Removal regime which includes unlimited shaving service for all body parts as well as post treatment whitening or hydration.

Is there a guarantee of 100% “Permanent Hair Removal” with SHR hair removal?

Human beings have millions of hair follicles. A high percentage are lying dormant in the skin. Therefore, even though the areas treated with SHR hair removal remain free of hair after the completion of treatment, it is possible that hormonal surges, pregnancy, menopause, or ageing will occasionally trigger the growth of new hair. Nobody can therefore guarantee a 100% permanent hair removal success. At the moment, SHR remains the safest, most gentle, fastest and most effective method of permanent hair removal if it is applied over a sufficiently long period of time.

What is the recommended aftercare after my SHR hair removal treatment?

Avoid exposing the skin to UV light (sunlight) for at least 2 weeks after treatment. This is to minimise the darkening of the skin (or hyperpigmentation). Avoid heat treatments such as spas, steam rooms and saunas for 7 days. Avoid excessive scrubbing of the skin for 4 to 5 days. This is to allow the treated skin to recover and to prevent any infection. Also avoid anything that involves chlorine (e.g. swimming) for 48 hours after treatment.

Serene Chiam, Aesthetic Director

Serene Chiam is the Aesthetic Director at Wellaholic, a well-known aesthetic chain in Singapore. She has more than ten years of experience in the aesthetics industry. With a Bachelor of Health Science (Aesthetics) and CIDESCO certifications, she expertly combines scientific knowledge with practical skills. Serene is known for her personalized approach to beauty, ensuring each Wellaholic client’s journey is unique and transformative. Her significant contributions have been pivotal in establishing Wellaholic’s reputation for excellence in aesthetic wellness.

Contact Serene at support@wellaholic.com

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