Laser Hair Removal 

 

Hair removal, whether permanent or temporary, has plagued men and women to varying degrees for at least 2,000 years. Only within the past decades have we achieved any methods that would qualify as permanent.

Electrolysis and laser procedures are the only time proven and safe means developed.  Electrolysis, while effective, is simply not practical for larger areas of hair growth.

There are several lasers used in permanent hair reduction and removal today.  The principal of hair removal is essentially the same in all of them, a process known as photothermolysis  or "destruction by light." 

 

In this process, the laser beam energy is absorbed by the hair follicle. The energy beam significantly damages the follicle to the point that it never produces a hair of any significance again.

 

The hair follicle is in a phase where growth can be thwarted only about  20 percent of the time. It often takes four treatments from a competent laserist to permanently destroy or reduce any given area of hair.

I find it typically takes three treatments before people really notice a considerable difference.

 

During the correct phase, the bulb of your hair has sufficient pigment to selectively attract the light of the laser.

Think of how a black sweater in the sun will attract more energy to it (in the form of heat) than a white one will. When you have fair skin and a brown dot (the follicle after you’ve shaved), the energy of the beam its attracted to that dot. If you are tan, however, you get that energy spread out over your skin, & your result won’t be as good, because the energy is unfocused and wasted.

 

The paler your skin in relation to that bulb, the better the result, and fewer complications such as burns.  That’s why tanning, even spray-on or lotions, must be suspended during treatments.

 

The standard at present (at least in Caucasians) remains the diode laser at the 820 nanometer frequency.

Brand names of lasers vary, so don’t get caught up in what the laser is called (“the Light Sheer, the Cool Lase, etc.)

That’s not what’s important.  The power and/or the type of beam that emerges is what is  important.  Don’t be fooled by ad copy and claims of “new” or “unique”  lasers that will make you hairless & smooth with no effort or time.

 

1 of 4 things can happen during a laser treatment of hair:

1. The follicle is damaged, but if left alone, could recover. That’s why multiple treatments are so important. We sort of “kick it while it’s down” and the hair is eliminated.
2. The follicle is damaged such that if it ever does produce a hair again.  It will be colorless.
3. It will never produce a hair again.
4. Nothing happens at all.  This is where experience is important.  A physician or nurse practitioner should know during treatment if they have reached the appropriate clinical endpoint, i.e. used the right energy to destroy the hair follicle.

 

 

Preparing for your treatment:

 

• Stop waxing, plucking, threading at least 3 weeks before your first appt.
• Shave approximately 36-48  hours before your appt.  Don’t worry if the hair is too long.  We can fix that.  If you shave to closely, and too closely to your appointment, sometimes the hair follicle is not as receptive.
• An anaesthetic cream is compounded for us and is available at half of the price of commercial preparations such as Emla and twice as effective.  It is termed BLT, as it is a combination of Benzocaine, Lidocaine, and Tetracaine.  You will be instructed to apply a layer of this to your skin one hour before your apppintment. You should still see the white of the cream. DO NOT RUB IT IN.  You also may be instructed to place a plastic wrap covering over this area as soon as you have applied the BLT cream. This enhances the numbing action.
• Do NOT use the BLT cream in more than the areas that we advise you to at one time, or leave the saran-wrap on for more than the hour or so before your appoinment. It can be unsafe if too much of the BLT is absorbed into your system, but it takes a lot of time and cream to do this. Just follow our instructions and apply the cream only to the areas we will be treating, and this will be perfectly safe.