Laser Hair Removal has been around since the mid 1990’s and has been proven to be an effective permanent reduction of hair growth on treated areas.
How does Laser work?
Laser light works by Selective Photo thermolysis, which means that it targets dark objects. Light is absorbed by dark objects so with laser energy the dark object that it targets when treating hair is the melanin in the hair.
Melanin is considered the primary chromophore (target) for all hair removal lasers currently on the market. Melanin occurs naturally in the skin (it gives skin and hair its colour). There are two types of melanin in hair: eumelanin (which gives hair brown or black colour) and pheomelanin (which gives hair blonde or red colour). Because of the selective absorption of laser light, only black or brown hair can be treated. If you have blond, grey or red hair laser will not be successful. Pale skin with black hair will see the best results, however there are lasers that can treat dark hair on dark skin successfully. The darker and coarser the hair the quicker the result, bikini line and underarm hair tends to respond the quickest for this reason. Treatments are suitable for both men and women. Areas that are commonly treated are upper lip, face, neck, chest, back, stomach, bikini, underarm, forearms and legs.
How Long Does it Take?
Treatment time varies depending on the area to be treated an upper lip can take 5- 10 minutes whereas a full leg can take an hour. The frequency of the visits depends on a number of different issues, your therapist will advise you as to how often you will need to attend. Frequency of visits can vary from 3-6weeks apart. The amount of treatments will also depend on a number of different issues such as the size of the area, the colour of the hair and the coarseness of the hair. With facial hair the cause of the excess growth is also a consideration. People on certain medication are susceptible to an increase in hair growth, which can have a bearing on the treatment.
How many treatments will I need?
On average most people will need an initial course of 4-12 treatments followed up by occasional maintenance treatments.
Are there any risks with Laser Hair Removal?
There are some risks involved with laser treatment namely hypo pigmentation or hyper pigmentation, this means you can loose pigment in the skin or gain pigment like a freckle mark. This is not a frequent occurrence but can happen on occasion. In rare instances blistering may occur. More likely there can be slight swelling and redness after the treatment, which will calm down within a number of hours. It is also important not to expose yourself to the sun for two weeks before or two weeks after the treatment. It is recommended that a sunscreen is used daily while having treatment.
What are the Advantages of Having Laser Hair Removal over Electrolysis?
One of the main benefits to having laser hair removal as opposed to Electrolysis is that you can clear large areas of growth such as the legs in a much quicker time frame. When the laser hits the skin most people will experience a pinching or stinging sensation, some would describe it like an elastic band hitting your skin. No local anesthesia or pain medication is required; however, some people may prefer the use of a topical anesthetic for more sensitive areas.
It is important to have a consultation before you begin treatment to assess the area to be treated, a patch test is also necessary and this can be done on the same day as the consultation.
