Why choose laser hair removal?

Laser hair removal gives you a long-lasting, even permanent result. In roughly six to eight treatments, your skin will be cleared of unwanted hair, where traditional hair removal methods, such as waxing, shaving, depilatory creams, or plucking, provide only temporary results.

Within hours or possibly days, another treatment will be needed. There's also no need to let your hair grow out before getting it treated, as you would with waxing or other methods.

What’s the difference between laser hair removal and electrolysis?

Electrolysis is very effective, it works by inserting a tiny needle into each hair follicle, one at a time, and delivering a jolt of electricity and/or radio frequency energy. In contrast, the size of the treatment window on a laser head allows the laser to disable many hair follicles in a single pulse. This makes laser treatment faster and less painful.

How does it remove hair?

Hair removal lasers emit light at a specific wavelength that is known to be absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle, without damaging the surrounding skin. The light is converted to heat, which then disables the hair follicle so that it will not produce another hair.

What parts of the body can be treated with laser hair removal?

Virtually any body part can be treated, except for the small area inside the bony ridge of the eye socket.

Who are the best candidates for laser hair removal?

Laser hair removal works best on people with light skin and coarse, dark hair. Laser does not work as well on lighter or finer hair types.

How long does it take?

A number of factors determine the length of time for a treatment, most specifically the area that is to be treated and any considerations that may be necessary to prepare it. In general, legs and backs take an hour to an hour and a half, while an upper lip or the tops of ears may only require eight to ten minutes. The front of the neck or underarms can take as little as twenty minutes. Also, manufacturers and clinicians generally recommend waiting three to eight weeks between sessions, depending on the area being treated.

How many treatments do you need?

It can take six to eight treatments to achieve clearance of an area but this varies depending on the client. The number of sessions depends on various parameters, including the area of the body being treated, skin color, coarseness of hair, and gender. Certain areas may require more treatments to achieve the desired results.

Why can it take several treatments to get rid of unwanted hair?

Hair grows in cycles, and only when it’s actively growing does the hair contain enough pigment to absorb sufficient energy to disable the hair follicle. When hair is in the dormant phase, it has little or no pigment, and it cannot absorb the laser light. When you come for your treatment all the hair follicles with actively growing hair will be disabled. As this cycle repeats, the treatment continues to "deactivate" your hair follicles.

Will it hurt?

Most people would say that there is less discomfort than in other methods of hair removal such as waxing or plucking; however some level of pain should also be expected during treatment. Numbing creams are available at most clinics and can also be bought over-the-counter. Typically, the cream should be applied about 30 minutes before the procedure. Icing the area after the treatment helps relieve the side effects faster. A good spa technician like the folks at Aesthetica Med Spa will advise you on after-treatment care.

What are the side-effects to laser hair removal?

Normal side-effects that may occur include itching, pink skin, redness, and swelling around the treatment area or swelling of the follicles. These side effects rarely last more than two or three days. There are occasional side effects such as discoloration of the skin or loss of pigmentation, acne, swelling around the hair follicle, scabbing and infection or, in extreme cases, burning of the skin. Some patients may show side effects from an allergy to either the hair removal gel used with certain laser types or to a numbing cream or to simply shaving the area too soon after treatment.