If you are tired of being so tied to the shaving regime, maybe consider laser treatments as a way to get and stay smooth. We have been offering Laser Hair Reduction treatments in the office since 2005. Read on to learn more and if it might be right for you.
What is a LASER? A laser is a medical device that uses a focused beam of light to target specific structures in the skin. By definition a laser has a single wavelength of light. The wavelength we use is a 1064nm NdYag laser – called the Cutera Xeo Cool Glide.
How does Laser Hair Removal Work? In laser hair removal, the laser light targets the pigment in the hair. In the skin, hairs are generated by and sit in hair follicles. The interaction between the laser and the pigment in the hair generates energy in the hair, best described as heat. This energy is transferred from the hair to the hair follicle. By damaging the hair follicle, we prevent that hair follicle from generating new hairs in the future. Over a few weeks after the laser treatment, the old hair is pushed out of the hair follicle. Once the old hair falls out, no new one grows back.
Because the laser targets the actual hair, the hairs need to be present for the laser to work. You can shave prior to treatment, but we recommend no waxing or plucking for at least six weeks prior to treatment. Sound great! What’s the catch? Because the laser works by targeting the pigment in the hair, it is most effective on thick, dark hair. It does not work on blond, gray, white, or fine hair. The laser simply has no target if there is no pigment. Fine blond hairs that normally occur on the skin also will not respond.
Why does it take multiple treatments? All hairs on the body progress through three major stages of growth – Anagen, catagen and telogen. Anagen phase is the active growing phase, catagen is a short transition phase and telogen is the resting phase. Only the anagen, actively growing hairs, are anchored well enough to the hair follicle to allow effective transfer of the laser energy. Therefore, the laser is only effective on the anagen hairs. This is why it takes multiple treatments. Treatments are scheduled 6-16 weeks apart, enough time to allow a new group of anagen hairs to grow. Each area can require 6 treatments to effectively remove the hair in a given area.
Is it really permanent? It can be, but treatment results may vary among patients. The FDA approves the Xeo Cutera 1064 NdYag CoolGlide Laser ® for Permanent Hair Reduction. The FDA defines permanent hair reduction as the long term, stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing after a treatment regimen.
What about hormones? As everyone knows, hormones play a huge role in hair growth. Many of the patients we see are women with excess hair due to hormonal abnormalities from conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. In these patients, ongoing, regular treatments may be required as much a quarterly to keep hair under control and at a minimum. We try to identify and make patients aware of these things at the time of consultation.
Is it painful? I’ll tell the truth, it wont be your favorite few minutes of your day. However, the results are worth the temporary discomfort.What are the risks? Risks include blistering, scarring, temporary or permanent discoloration and no worsening of hair growth. While these things can happen, they happen to <1% of our patients. We do our best to make sure any adverse event ends with a positive outcome.
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