Laser Hair Removal is the removal of unwanted hair by means of exposure to pulses of laser light that destroy the hair follicle.
Laser Hair Removal involves a laser emitting a light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair. The light energy is converted to heat which damages the hair follicles that produce hairs. This damage inhibits or delays future hair growth.
Safe Laser Hair Removal requires a well-trained laser operator who can vary the different laser parameters as explained below;
Laser Pulse Width (Shutter speed)
Different levels target hairs of different diameters. Fine hairs heat up quickly but are unable to hold the heat and require short pulse widths while thicker hairs heat more slowly and hence require much longer pulse widths.
Wavelength (Colour of Light)
- Skin Type: The darker the skin, the higher the wavelength needed.
- Depth of Hair Follicles: The variations also enable effective treatment of multiple depths of hair follicles. For example upper lip hair isn’t as deep as bikini hair.
- Colour of Hair: Effective treatment of light coloured fine hair requires a laser with a high attraction to melanin compared to darker thicker hairs.
Laser Power (Fluence)
The more powerful the laser, the better the outcome. Any cheap low powered laser system can induce a temporary hair loss lasting between 1-3 months. Permanent hair reduction requires high quality lasers that can produce the large amounts of power needed to heat the follicle to 65-70 degrees centigrade ensuring irreversible damage to the hair.
Laser Spot Size
Small spot sizes are most effective for the treatment of smaller superficial hair follicles, while larger spot sizes are ideal for deeper targets. Also, the larger the spot size, the deeper the laser penetration. Bigger spot sizes enable the therapist to rapidly treat larger body areas with comfort and ease.
Benefits
- Eliminates ingrown hairs.
- Saves time – It is quick.
- Precision – It is accurate.
- Speed – Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time.
- Predictability – Most patients have permanent hair loss after an average number of sessions.
We offer a range of permanent hair reduction solutions which allow us to customize our treatments to individual needs. Once the desired ‘hair free’ effects are achieved, maintenance sessions once or twice per year are advisable to sustain the results.
Factors that may affect your Laser Hair Removal results
1. Skin Tone
Your skin tone is a big factor when it comes to the effectiveness of Laser Hair Removal. The lighter your skin tone, the better the results will usually be. However, the procedure is safe on all skin tones and can be effective on darker skin tones, but it may take more treatments to achieve the desired results.
2. Hormones
Since hormone levels impact hair growth, your Laser Hair Removal treatment can be impacted as a result. The higher your hormone levels are, the faster your hair will grow and the more laser hair removal treatments you’ll likely need.
3. Hair Colour
Your hair colour also plays a role in how effective your laser hair removal treatment is. The darker your hair colour is, the more effective the treatment will be since it is easier for the laser to target each hair follicle.
4. Growth cycles of your hair
Even laser hair removal can’t remove every follicle at one time. The reason is simply because hair grows in different cycles. Laser hair removal treatments are most effective when the hair is actively growing, but the hairs on your body don’t actively grow at the same time. That is why it is recommended to wait four-to-six weeks between treatments.
5. Use of hair removal products
Other hair removal products like topical creams may temporarily reduce hair, but they aren’t permanent hair removal solutions. However, past use of the products may have thinned out your hair enough to make the laser hair removal treatments more effective. This is even more common if you’ve done waxing appointments for a while. Waxing damages hair follicles but won’t get close to permanently reducing your hair.
Laser Hair Removal Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser Hair Removal is a procedure to remove unwanted body hair any part of the body for example: underarms, back, face, bikini area.
2. Why do patients opt for Laser Hair Removal?
The presence of unwanted hair, whether on the upper lip, hands, feet, bikini area, or back, legs, and arms, is a top cosmetic anguish. Many are tired of having to repeatedly remove unwanted hair through tedious and painful methods such as shaving, waxing, and tweezing. In response, the demand for laser hair removal has skyrocketed.
3. Who can get Laser Hair Removal?
Women and men alike. Most women seek to remove hair from their underarms, bikini lines, and legs, while men are usually more interested in treating hair on their backs and necks.
4. What’s the standard procedure like?
During laser hair removal, a light-based system emits bright flashes of light into the skin where the unwanted hair resides. The hair follicles absorb the light energy, heat up, and become damaged. Each pulse of light energy takes a matter of seconds and treats multiple hairs at once, making this procedure very quick and easy to perform. Laser hair removal treatments can last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the area being treated.
Because hair grows in different stages, multiple treatments are needed to target the hair follicles during their growth phase. Most patients need at least 4 to 6 laser hair removal treatments to see permanent, long-lasting results. Touch-ups may be required over time. Patients should see results after the first treatment – their hairs will grow back finer and weaker and the skin will become smoother. Laser hair removal results will become more noticeable and impressive with each additional treatment until all follicles are destroyed, successfully stopping continuous hair growth.
5. How does it work? What’s the science behind it?
Laser hair removal works by destroying the root of the hair follicle. During treatment, flashes of light are distributed over the skin and absorbed by the melanin in the hair follicle. The energy from the laser heats up and damages the hair follicle, successfully stunting the cells that stimulate regrowth. It is important to note that hair grows in a cycle, and that hair removal is only effective during the active growth stage.
6. What kind of results can patients expect?
Most patients require 5 to 8 treatments spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart to achieve desired results. Patients with lighter hair may require more treatments than others, but will still see effective results by the end of their laser hair removal treatments.
Most patients need 6 to 12 treatments to achieve permanent hair reduction results. Laser hair removal treatments are spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart to target follicles during the growth stage. Regardless of the technology being used, patients will experience results at different rates, depending on their skin type and hair colour.
7. Does Laser Hair Removal save me money?
Laser hair removal saves patients time, pain, and money. Compare the cost of 3 sessions of laser hair removal to 35 years of continuous waxing. The results show that laser hair removal is less than a third of the cost of waxing.
