Cosmetical Blog at LiteTouch MedSpa in NYC, NY

An Introduction to Laser Hair Removal at LiteTouch MedSpa in New York City, NY, http://www.litetouchlaser.com

1. What is laser hair removal?
Laser hair removal is a procedure by which hair is removed from the body by utilizing a long pulse laser. Lasers are developed and designed from years of research. The laser parameters are carefully defined by studying the anatomy of the hair follicle and precisely matching the laser light and pulse duration to the follicle size, depth and location to inhibit the re-growth of the hair. The laser works by disabling hairs that are in their active growth cycle at the time of treatment. Since other hairs will enter their growth cycle at different times, several treatments are necessary to disable all of the follicles in a given area.

2. Who is a candidate for laser hair removal?
Both men and women seek laser hair removal services to have unwanted hair removed. Hair removal is commonly done on the hairline, above and between eyebrows, top of the nose, lip, chin, ear lobe, shoulders, back, underarm, abdomen, buttocks, pubic area, bikini lines, thighs, face, neck, breast, arms, legs, hands, and toes.

3. Is laser hair removal permanent?
The general opinion is that laser hair removal is permanent, and the Food and Drug Administration approved it as “permanent reduction,” A set of 6 treatments at specified intervals are generally necessary to achieve substantial hair removal with laser. Factors that determine the length of treatment include the particular area to be treated, the texture of hair, frequency of treatments, history of temporary measures to remove hair (waxing, tweezing, shaving, and depilatories, etc.) etc.

4. How does the laser hair removal treatment work?
Lasers are optical devices, which produce intense coherent, collimated and mono-chromatic beams of light. A laser consists of an active medium such as a crystal, gas or liquid that amplifies light when excited by an external energy source (a flash amp or electric discharge, for example). When the appropriate medium is employed, the laser can be fine-tuned to generate a very narrow band of light wavelengths (such as the individual colors of the visible spectrum).

5. How should I prepare for treatment and what should I expect after treatment?
You should shave the area to be treated 1 day before treatment. No waxing, no tweezing, no threading or removing hair with the root or any other way is allowed throughout the entire course of treatment, as hair needs to be in place to be targeted by the laser. The area should be shaved as closely as possible so that laser can target the most energy towards the hair follicle and not waste energy on the part of the hair above the skin’s surface.
After treatment is completed (underarms take under 10 minutes, back treatment can take 1 hour or so), you should apply aloe vera to soothe the skin for a few days. Within 2-3 weeks, you should experience shedding of all treated hair. At first, hair will look like its growing back in, but it is just coming through the skin to shed. Shedding starts at about 1.5 weeks and can last until 3.5 weeks post-treatment or so. Exfoliating and/or scrubbing gently in the shower with a loofa can help speed up the process. After shedding finishes, you might experience little black dots still “stuck” in the skin. These are commonly referred to as “pepper spots” and will shed eventually. Exfoliate to help those out as well.

After shedding occurs, you should experience a hair free period for a few weeks, until next set of hair that was dormant before, starts to come in. Once you have enough hair to justify a treatment, you may then go in for one. This usually happens within 6-12 weeks post-treatment. The patient continues this process until he/she has reached diminishing returns and the remaining hairs are too fine for laser to target, or until you have reached your desired reduction.

6. How many laser hair removal treatments are required and spaced how far apart?
Most people need at least 6 treatments spaced 4-12 weeks apart. This is because hair grows in 3 phases and is killed in the first “anagen” active growing phase. Several treatments are needed to target ALL hair in the active growth phase. Approximately 4-12 weeks after every treatment, additional treatment is required to eliminate the hairs that came out of the dormant phase and are now active.

7. Is laser hair removal treatment painful?
Everyone’s pain threshold is different, but generally laser hair removal is not much more painful than waxing, but the sensation is different. It resembles a rubber band snapping against the skin for a quick second with each pulse. Most people do not require an anesthetic cream but one may be used for very sensitive patients /areas (anesthetic cream can be obtained at the Spa or prescribed).

8. What are the possible risks, side effects, and complications of laser hair removal?
Side effects occur infrequently, and as a rule, generally are temporary. Side effects may include swelling, bruising and erythema.

Every laser candidate should explore a possible underlying reason of the extreme hair growth before starting laser because if there is something in the body consistently triggering hair growth; laser treatments might seem ineffective because the body will keep developing new hair. So, it will always seem like there is not a reduction, when in fact it’s NEW hair your body is producing that you are seeing, not that treated by laser growing back. Women with PCOS hair growth patterns (upper lip, chin, cheeks, etc.) should see an endocrinologist and have hormonal tests taken. Men can get tested for insulin resistance etc. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you might have an underlying medical condition causing excessive hair growth before starting laser hair removal. Once the condition is controlled through treatment/medication, laser hair removal can then be performed. Laser can affect the hair that’s currently present, but cannot prevent NEW hair from developing.

9. What is the hair growth cycle and how does hair growth work?
Under normal circumstances hair growth in each hair follicle occurs in a cycle. There are three main phases of the hair growth cycle: anagen, catagen and telogen.

Anagen (active) is the growing phase or when the hair fiber is produced. During anagen, the hair contains an abundance of melanin, the pigment that gives your hair its color. This is the phase during which laser hair removal treatment is most effective.

Catagen (club hair) is the period of controlled regression of the hair follicle. This phase is when the lower part of the hair stops growing, but does not shed, and the follicle is reabsorbed. It will be difficult for permanence to be achieved when the hair is in the catagen growth cycle.

Telogen (tired) is the last of the hair growth cycle. In this resting phase, the old hair falls out in preparation for the development of a new anagen hair. Permanence cannot be achieved when the hair is in the telogen growth cycle.

Read more at http://www.litetouchlaser.com