Laser Hair Removal
What is it?For who?
The surgery
The risks
The costs
Millions of men and women with unwanted hair spend hours on hair removal methods, including shaving, waxing, applying chemical depilatories and tweezing. Laser hair removal is a new treatment. The laser sends energy into the pigment of the hair shaft, which is absorbed by the surrounging follicle. The heat generated by this process damages the follicle and stops hair production. Laser hair removal can be used on any area of the body, with the important exception of the eye area. Because the hair is targeted on the basis of color, the hair must be darker than the underlying skin for the laser to be effective. Results can vary. Each individual has a different metabolism, hormonal level, hair quality and number of hair follicles. These factors influence the outcome.
Normal hair goes through a growth cycle in three stages: the anagen, or growing phase; the telogen, or resting phase; and the catagen, or transitional phase. During the anagen phase, hair is susceptible to the lasers energy, but during the telogen and catagen phases, it is resistant. At any one time, various percentages of body hair will be in each of these phases, making complete removal unlikely without multiple sessions.
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In general, the best candidate for laser hair removal are people who are physically healthy are psychologically stable. The patient should be light skinned with dark hair, not have blonde or red hair, not have a recent tan and have coarse hair. Laser hair removal is more effective on people with light skin and dark hair because dark hair absorbs the lasers energy more efficiently. People with dark skin can be treated, as long as their hair is darker than their skin. Light hair is very difficult to treat on all skin types.
Furthermore the patient should want to change their appearance and must be willing to commit a substantial amount of time to the process. People considering this treatment should make sure they are well informed and hold realistic expectations about the outcome.
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At the initial consultation the doctor will advise the patient on what to expect from laser treatment. He will explain the different options available, the procedure itself and its risk and limitations. Test patches may be performed to determine whether the hair will respond favorably to the laser. If the patient has dark skin, the doctor may want the area to be treated with a bleaching cream to help focus the lasers energy on the hair follicle instead of on the skin.
Before the procedure takes place, the area to be treated will be shaved clean and an anesthetic cream will be applied. During the treatment the patient will feel intense emissions of light on the skin as the laser is absorbed by the hair follicles. Each pulse of the laser lasts a fraction of a second and treats an area of approximately an inch. Many lasers are equipped with cooling systems to decrease skin temperature, providing an additional mild anesthetic and preventing burns from the heat generated by the laser.
The treatment time varies, depending on the size of the area treated and the technique used. A small area such as the upper lip may take only five minutes, while a larger area like the back or legs may take up to one hour.
Since the laser affects only those hairs in the growing stage, and not all hairs will be in this stage at the same time, several treatments will most likely be needed to effectively remove all the hair from one area. Subsequent sessions will be scheduled at least a month apart, when the patient will probably begin to notice the regrowth of hairs that were previously in the resting stage.
Laser treatment is usually performed in a doctors office, and a hospital stay is not necessary.
Patients should expect some discomfort during the treatment. This is most often described as a burning or stinging sensation, and varies from one individual to the next. A numbing cream can be applied to the skin prior to treatment to minimize pain. After the procedure the area may be red or swollen, as if mildly sunburned. The doctor may prescribe a cream to soothe the skin. Occasionally, the skin becomes slightly crusty, but this reaction should fade within a few days.
After the treatment the patient should avoid exposing the treated area to the sun. The skin must only be washed with mild soap and water.
The patient will notice hair growing within ten days after the treatment. This is actually damaged hair falling out. These hairs may be shaved, but not waxed, tweezed or bleeched between sessions. Temporary lightening of the skin may be noticed, especially by people with a dark complexion.
Although most patients are satisfied with the results of laser hair removal, it is impossible to predict the success of the treatment for each individual. The resiliency of hair follicles in different parts of the body and in different individuals can vary widely. Multiple treatments are usually needed to remove hair permanently and in some cases complete hair removal is never achieved. However, even in these cases, the patient should have fewer hairs in the treated area than the person would have had if he hadn'
t had the procedure.
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Laser treatment is generally safe and effective but some side effects are possible. These include darkening or lightening of the skin and blistering, burning or crustiness of the treated area. These side effects are almost always temporary.
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Although costs vary from one geographic location to another, laser hair removal will cost around $400.
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