Both men and women struggle with unwanted hair. Fortunately for us there have been many technological advances to treat this persistent issue.
Laser hair removal is one of the most common cosmetic treatments. Most patients will see over 90% of their hair gone permanently after a full treatment course (typically 3-5+ treatments scheduled 4-6 weeks apart).
Laser hair removal is simple.
A highly concentrated light is beamed into hair follicle by a laser. The pigment in the hair follicle (hair root) will then absorb the beam of light and cause the pigment (hair root) to be destroyed. It is a targeted and precise technology that will target ONLY pigment; making it the best treatment option for permanent hair removal.
Most people can benefit from Laser hair removal; however there are some things we need to keep in mind. First DO NOT WAX we need the hair root to be present to adequately treat the desired areas. Waxing will make your treatment unsuccessful. Secondly, please shave. Not shaving can cause the superficial hair to burn causing smoke to arise with treatment. This smoke can then interfere with the laser and prevent efficient targeting of pigment. Third, avoid tanning. Tanning means you have darker pigment around the desired treatment area which can then trick the laser into targeting not only the hair root but also the surrounding tissue which can then lead to hypopigmentation (loss of pigment) in your skin. Loss of pigment in your skin is irreversible.
The best candidate for laser hair removal would be a patient with DARK HAIR and LIGHT SKIN. This is the most effective patient because it gives the laser a much more focused target without any risk of targeting skin tissue.
Unfortunately laser hair removal is NOT an option for patients who are trying to eliminate white or gray hair; even blondes will have a hard time because the lack of pigment in the hair means again that the laser will NOT have a target to focus on.
So remember:
- Shave don’t wax
- Don’t tan!
- Be patient
- ENJOY
