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What is laser therapy and how does it work? |
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Laser therapy is a safe, effective, and commonly used treatment, providing optimal results in areas such as the removal of unwanted hair, skin rejuvenation, wrinkle reduction, leg and facial spider veins.
Lasers work by delivering an intense beam of light that is absorbed by the skin. This light is converted to heat and is absorbed by the cells being targeted, while leaving the surrounding tissue unaffected. We use Candela lasers which feature a patented skin-cooling device for even greater patient comfort and safety – and better results.
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Is laser hair removal permanent? |
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According to the Food and Drug Administration, laser hair removal is considered a “permanent reduction.” It means that most people can expect an 80-90% reduction in hair growth to treated areas after a completed course six to eight treatments. Ultimately, you can't expect every single hair in the treated area to be gone, and you may need ongoing, once-yearly touch-up treatments for regrowth as your body ages and new hair growth appears. In addition, although it's not clear why, a small percentage of people simply do not respond to laser hair removal treatments.
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Will laser hair removal hurt? |
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While laser hair removal has been described as “virtually painless,” it can cause some mild discomfort, similar to the sensation of a rubber band being snapped on the skin, particularly for those with sensitive skin. If you're treating more sensitive areas such as the face, underarms or bikini line, you may experience slightly more discomfort. Your provider may prescribe a topical anesthetic to be applied one hour prior to the treatment session.
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Does laser hair removal work on all hair and skin types? |
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Laser hair removal does work to a certain extent on all hair and skin types, but it is more effective on some than on others. Since it targets melanin (pigment) in the hair follicles, it works best on those with fair skin and dark hair.
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How long is the treatment? |
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How long your treatment takes depends on how large the treatment area is. For an upper lip, a typical treatment will be just a couple of minutes; for a larger area such as the back or legs, a typical treatment may take up to an hour.
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How soon will I see results? |
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You should start to see some results a week or two after your first treatment, when the treated hair follicles begin to “shed.” After you shed the affected hair, you will remain hair-free until the follicles that were dormant during your last treatment begin growing hair. Since all hair follicles aren't active at the same time, it usually takes several treatment sessions over a period of months to completely treat a chosen area.
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What results can I expect? |
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Your individual results will depend on your hair and skin tone. After four to seven sessions, most people achieve their desired level of hair loss. However, you may require more treatments. Typically, laser hair removal results in an 80-90% reduction in hair on the treated area; what hair remains is almost always more fine than before. You may need occasional maintenance treatments as time goes on.
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How many treatments will I need? |
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There is no set number of treatments to achieve desired results. It depends on a variety of factors including your hair and skin tone. Typically you will undergo a series of monthly or bimonthly sessions over a period of time. Most people will achieve their desired level of hair loss after four to seven sessions. This is important to keep in mind when planning for laser hair removal: If you have a vacation coming up in a month, you can't expect to begin laser hair removal treatments and be as hair-free as you would like within that month.
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What will my skin look like after treatment? |
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You may experience a slight reddening of the skin immediately after treatment. This should go away after a short period of time; a cold compress will help alleviate it as well.
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Will laser hair removal cause scarring? |
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While it is highly unusual, in a very small percentage of cases laser hair removal can cause blistering and scarring to the treated area. You can further reduce your chances of scarring by making sure you choose a reputable, well-qualified laser hair removal clinic that uses the latest technology.
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Are there side effects of laser hair removal? |
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The majority of people who undergo laser hair removal will experience no side effects. When side effects do occur, the most common are redness or temporary tenderness of the treated area (much like a mild sunburn) which will go away shortly after treatment. On rare occasions, treated skin may undergo a temporary pigment change, becoming lighter or darker for a period of weeks to months before returning to normal. This is more common with darker or suntanned skin. While it is highly unlikely, especially with an experienced and skilled practitioner, scarring may occur in a very, very few cases.
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What are the disadvantages to laser hair removal? |
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Laser hair removal does have its drawbacks. It can be expensive if you are treating a large area. It does not yield complete immediate results, sometimes taking months to be completely effective. Some will require touch-up treatments indefinitely to maintain a hairless appearance. Some will experience discomfort during treatment. While it is considered safe, in rare cases it can result in blistering or scarring. Additionally, not everyone will respond to laser hair removal.
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What should I do before a treatment? |
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You should ask your practitioner for a detailed list of pre-treatment instructions, but there are some basic things you should do. Several weeks before beginning laser hair removal treatments, stop tweezing or bleaching hair on the area to be treated. Avoid sunbathing and sunless tanning as well. The day before or the day of treatment, shave the area so there is a light stubble or shadow.
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What should I do after a treatment? |
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Your practitioner should provide you with a detailed list of post-treatment instructions. However, here are a few things you should do after treatment. Immediately following treatment you may apply a cold compress to the treated area to help alleviate redness and use plenty of gentle moisturize for a few days. The use of makeup and deodorant is fine the very next day. If additional hair removal is needed between treatments, do not tweeze, wax or bleach; however, you can shave if necessary. Use a loofah or exfoliating sponge to help hair follicles “shed.” And make sure to protect yourself from sun exposure during the course of your treatment and for a few weeks following.
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What can I expect after treatment? |
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Immediately after treatment, you may experience a slight redness of the treated area, similar to a mild sunburn. This should go away after a brief amount of time and can be alleviated by using a cold compress for a few minutes before you leave the clinic. You should also use a soothing lotion for at least a few days after treatment. After two weeks or so, you'll see what looks like hair growing in over the treated area. This is actually the treated hair follicles “shedding.” The shedding process can last up to two weeks. You may also see small black dots under the skin, which is also part of the shedding process.
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What should I ask before treatment? |
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Before beginning treatment, ask plenty of questions of your provider. Don't be embarrassed to bring along some paper to jot down notes, or a list of questions you don't want to forget to ask. Here are a few basic questions:
- Are you a board-certified physician or nurse practitioner?
- What is your specialty?
- How long have you been providing laser hair removal?
- Do you own your own lasers? How many different lasers do you own?
- How were you trained to use the equipment?
- How much will my laser hair removal cost?
- May I have some references?
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How should I choose a specialist? |
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Make sure the specialist you choose regularly performs laser hair removal treatments, uses the latest technology and that the staff are all properly trained in using the various types of lasers. Make sure there is a supervising physician or nurse practitioner. Word of mouth is important and ask for references, but don't be afraid to follow up on them. Ask plenty of questions and make sure you are comfortable with the answers. Take advantage of the free consultation to check out the office and talk with the staff.
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Who is the ideal candidate for laser hair removal? |
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The perfect candidate for laser hair removal is someone with fair skin and dark hair. Since the laser is drawn to darker pigments, it can be more effective when the hair is much darker than the skin -- more energy is concentrated on the hair follicles, which disables them more fully. However, with a skilled technician and current technology, just about anyone is a good candidate for laser hair removal. It will not be effective on grey or very light hair, or on hair that is very close in color to your skin tone.
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What are the effects of tanning on laser hair removal? |
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It's best to avoid tanning and sunbathing if you want to have laser hair removal treatments. Tanned skin increases your risk of unpleasant side effects such as blistering and even scarring.
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Will laser hair removal work for me? |
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With today's technology and the variety of different lasers available, laser hair removal is a viable option for more and more people. In the hands of a properly trained technician, laser hair removal will work for almost anyone.
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What is the difference between a Laser and an IPL? |
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Laser hair removal machines are lasers tuned to very specific wavelengths, to achieve the process of selective photothermolysis (the absorption of light into hair but not skin tissue) to permanently get rid of unwanted hair. Hair removal machines work best on growing hair follicles though, so a cycle of treatments is usually needed to eradicate all hairs in a given area. Because laser hair treatments are only effective on those hair follicles that are in the anagen or active phase of growth most people need anywhere from six to eight sessions to see long lasting success. Hairs that are in the catagen (regressive) phase or telogen (resting) phase don't respond to laser light. Because about 30% of our hair is in the active stage at any given time, that is why repeated treatments help to ensure that the clinician catches all hair in its active phase eventually.
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Read more... [What is the difference between a Laser and an IPL?]
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How "permanent" is "permanent" following the course of laser treatment? |
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Since people go through so many stages in their lives it is impossible to completely determine at this time. Hormonal status, medications, pregnancy and or illnesses could trigger hair growth changes in the future. However, studies have shown that 80% of people have had 80% hair reduction lasting 7 years, with minimal hair re-growth, following several treatments.
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What is Pseudo-Folliculitis? |
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Pseudo-folliculitis (PF), commonly known as shaving bumps, is an inflammatory condition, widespread among individuals with thick curly hair. As the hair grows out of the skin, it curls and re-enters the skin. The skin reacts to it as a foreign object and becomes inflamed and irritated, creating bumps and discoloration. Often hairs start curling even before growing out of the skin, creating in-grown hairs. These bumps become quite large, causing discomfort to the patient.
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- Ablative: Resurfacing treatments that remove the uppermost layers of the skin (epidermis and dermis) to varying degrees.
- Dynamic wrinkles: Expression lines that may appear as folds when the skin is not moving, and deepen with facial movements or expressions.
- General anesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.
- Hirsutism: A condition characterized by the excessive growth of hair or the presence of hair in unusual places, especially in women.
- Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.
Laser and energy therapies: Ranging from ablative to non-ablative, these treatments use laser energy, light energy, radio waves, ultrasonic energy, or plasma energy to treat the skin.
- Local anesthesia: A drug injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.
- Loss of skin tone: Weakening of the supportive skin structure that results in a loss of skin firmness, or the development of cellulite.
- Nasolabial fold: Deep creases between the nose and mouth.
Non-ablative therapy: Treatments that do not remove any skin but rather penetrate the skin or treat the skin superficially (only on the surface).
- Pigmentation: Freckles, sun spots, melasma, or other darkened patches of skin result mainly from sun exposure.
- Scars: As the result of acne or injury to the skin, scars may be rolling (a wavy appearance to the skin), pitted, discolored, or have raised borders.
- Static wrinkles: Wrinkles that are visible at all times.
- Tear trough: Deep creases below the lower eyelids.
- Vascular conditions: Blood vessels visible on the surface of the skin, vascular lesions that appear as tiny blood filled blisters or even a constant flush of facial redness.
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Sunblocks are different than sunscreens. An SPF(sun protection factor)of 15, screens your skin from the harmful ionizing radiation of the sun for 15 minutes times the number of minutes it takes your skin to turn pink in the sun while unprotected. So, if you turn pink after 10 minutes in the sun while unprotected, your sunscreen will last 150 minutes, or two and a half hours. Sunblocks, on the other hand, are physical blocks to the harmful effects of the sun and are an essential component of any laser treatment protocol. Look for a minimum sunblock of 40. There are many reasonably priced products available.
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