This is a quick but gentle way of removing excess body hair, and in the majority of cases women see a permanent reduction in overall hair growth to the treated area.
The procedure involves a concentrated beam of light which is aimed at hair and is absorbed by the pigment, damaging the follicle enough to affect future growth.
To prevent re-growth altogether, the hair needs to be in a certain growth phase, but not all hair will be at this point during the treatment. This is why multiple treatments are often recommended if you want to end up with long term hair removal.
Usually the treatment begins with a test patch if you've never undergone the procedure before, and then it usually takes anything from ten to 40 minutes, depending on the surface area.