Laser Hair Removal Unwrapped
The laser has become a precision surgical instrument widely used
for a variety of procedures. Most recently, lasers have been
utilized for the quick, gentle removal of unwanted hairs. The
laser works by sending a pulsating beam of light, of a
particular wavelength to precise areas on the skin. The light
passes directly through the skin, but is absorbed by the pigment
in the hair follicle and shaft. Once absorbed by laser light,
the follicles are impaired from future growth, and eventually
die off. Laser hair removal has come a long way since the first
laser for hair removal received FDA clearance in mid 1998. Older
generation normal-mode ruby lasers were very slow, very painful
and worked only on individuals with very dark hair and very
light skin. Today, lasers can work on all skin colors and some
lasers are even safe for treating tanned skin.
Lasers are not for everyone, and their proper use requires great
skill, training and expertise. The laser technician at minimum
must be a Certified Laser Specialist who has graduated from an
accredited school for laser. Generally it is best to have a
laser-trained dermatologist, or plastic surgeon perform the
procedure, in case of complications. For the laser to be
effective, the hair pigment must be darker than the surrounding
skin pigment. If this is not the case, the treatment will not
work and may have harmful complications. Additionally very
darkly pigmented people absorb too much laser energy in their
skin and are not ideal candidates. Tanned patients with light
hair are not candidates either.
Light skin makes laser hair removal easier to perform. Fewer
treatments are required, and better, faster results are
obtained. People with darker skin can be treated, but results
are slower, more sessions are required, and greater expertise is
required on the part of the doctor. Coarse dark hair responds
the best to laser treatment, light hair is more difficult to
treat. Blonde or red hair is very difficult to treat, multiple
treatment sessions are required, and results are variable. Laser
hair removal must be individualized for each patient.
Although one laser session can produce impressive hair removal,
generally, multiple treatment sessions are necessary to see
optimal results. In large part this is due to the fact that
laser hair removal is most effective for hair, which is in the
growth phase. Since hair grows in cycles, not all of the hairs
are in the growth phase at any given time. Additional sessions
are necessary to catch all of the hairs when they are in this
phase.
Any area, except adjacent to the eye, where there is excess hair
can be treated. The most common areas requested are the face,
upper lip, neck, chest, breast region, underarms, back, abdomen,
bikini line, and legs.
The costs for a single laser hair removal treatment vary
depending on the part of the country, and range from $300.00 to
$500.00 per session. Consumers are advised, as with all forms of
medical care, to seek the center of highest quality, rather than
lowest cost. Laser hair removal requires a great deal of skill,
individual attention, experience, and a trained, caring,
professional staff.
After treatment, most patients have a mild sunburn-type
sensation that fades in 2-3 hours. Moisturizers and/or cool
compresses can help during this time. Small blister areas can be
treated with topical antibiotic until resolved. Sun block should
be used for up to 6 weeks after treatment if sun exposure is
anticipated. No waxing, shaving, or dying should be performed
for 2 weeks after treatment. Pretreatment restrictions are also
applicable to the post treatment period.
It must be remembered that it is impossible to predict the exact
result a patient will achieve with laser hair removal,
especially with regard to how many sessions a given individual
will require. The indication for laser hair removal is mostly
subjective. A desire for hair removal is the only criterion for
laser hair removal.