Laser Hair Removal Unwrapped
By Jay Stockman, Thu Dec 8th
The laser has become a precision surgical instrument widely usedfor a variety of procedures. Most recently, lasers have beenutilized for the quick, gentle removal of unwanted hairs. Thelaser works by sending a pulsating beam of light, of aparticular wavelength to precise areas on the skin. The lightpasses directly through the skin, but is absorbed by the pigmentin the hair follicle and shaft. Once absorbed by laser light,the follicles are impaired from future growth, and eventuallydie off. Laser hair removal has come a long way since the firstlaser for hair removal received FDA clearance in mid 1998. Oldergeneration normal-mode ruby lasers were very slow, very painfuland worked only on individuals with very dark hair and verylight skin. Today, lasers can work on all skin colors and somelasers are even safe for treating tanned skin.
Lasers are not for everyone, and their proper use requires greatskill, training and expertise. The laser technician at minimummust be a Certified Laser Specialist who has graduated from anaccredited school for laser. Generally it is best to have alaser-trained dermatologist, or plastic surgeon perform theprocedure, in case of complications. For the laser to beeffective, the hair pigment must be darker than the surroundingskin pigment. If this is not the case, the treatment will notwork and may have harmful complications. Additionally verydarkly pigmented people absorb too much laser energy in theirskin and are not ideal candidates. Tanned patients with lighthair are not candidates either.
Light skin makes laser hair removal easier to perform. Fewertreatments are required, and better, faster results areobtained. People with darker skin can be treated, but resultsare slower, more sessions are required, and greater expertise isrequired on the part of the doctor. Coarse dark hair respondsthe best to laser treatment, light hair is more difficult totreat. Blonde or red hair is very difficult to treat, multipletreatment sessions are required, and results are variable. Laserhair removal must be individualized for each patient.
Although one laser session can produce impressive hair removal,generally, multiple treatment sessions are necessary to seeoptimal results. In large part this is due to the fact thatlaser hair removal is most effective for hair, which is in thegrowth phase. Since hair grows in cycles, not all of the hairsare in the growth phase at any given time. Additional sessionsare necessary to catch all of the hairs when they are in thisphase.
Any area, except adjacent to the eye, where there is excess haircan 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 varydepending on the part of the country, and range from $300.00 to$500.00 per session. Consumers are advised, as with all forms ofmedical care, to seek the center of highest quality, rather thanlowest 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-typesensation that fades in 2-3 hours. Moisturizers and/or coolcompresses can help during this time. Small blister areas can betreated with topical antibiotic until resolved. Sun block shouldbe used for up to 6 weeks after treatment if sun exposure isanticipated. No waxing, shaving, or dying should be performedfor 2 weeks after treatment. Pretreatment restrictions are alsoapplicable to the post treatment period.
It must be remembered that it is impossible to predict the exactresult a patient will achieve with laser hair removal,especially with regard to how many sessions a given individualwill require. The indication for laser hair removal is mostlysubjective. A desire for hair removal is the only criterion forlaser hair removal.
About the author:Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Laser Hair RemovalNew York Resources. Visithttp://thelaser-hair-removal-new-york.com/ for more information.
