Laser Hair Removal
The excessive or unwanted body hair can be a real nuisance for men and women alike. Temporary solutions for hair growth, such as shaving, waxing, and tweezing can be painful, costly and time-consuming. Excess hair growth can be a source of embarrassment and frustration and can leave you feeling less than your best in your own skin.
Fortunately, advancements in laser technology have provided patients with an effective and long-lasting solution for reducing or eliminating the appearance of unsightly hair growth. With little to no discomfort or downtime, laser hair removal delivers lasting silky-smooth skin by preventing hair from regrowing. In a series of laser hair removal treatments, you can achieve the soft, flawless skin you desire and say goodbye to temporary hair removal methods for good.
At Central Wellness Medical Aesthetics, we hold ourselves to the highest standards in everything we do. We perform laser hair removal using best-in-class laser systems that consistently provide safe treatments and high-quality results for people of all skin types
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Our Laser emits targeted beams of light directly into the hair follicle. This light is attracted to the melanin present in your hair, which is what gives your hair and skin its pigment. When the laser light enters the hair follicle, it heats the follicle and damages the hair bulb to prevent future regrowth. The laser settings are calibrated to the specifics of each patient based on the color and coarseness of their hair, this ensuring both maximum light absorption by the follicles and no damage to the skin surrounding the area. Laser hair removal is virtually painless and provides a safe and effective way to achieve lasting smoothness.
Hair growth cycles impacts laser hair removal
Laser hair removal treatments are most effective on hairs that are in the anagen phase. Because it is highly unlikely that every hair treated on a given day will be in the anagen phase, multiple treatments are needed to ensure every hair in the selected area is reached during the optimal stage of its growth cycle.
Hair growth cycles vary for different people and on different parts of the body. The optimal number of laser hair removal treatments for you may not be the same as the optimal number of treatments for someone else. Your medical aesthetics specialist will devise a treatment protocol tailored just for you.
What Are the Phases of Hair Growth?
At the base of each hair follicle is a living bulb, which contains active cells that divide and grow to create hair. Blood vessels bring nourishment to the bulb and deliver hormones that impact hair growth. Between starting to grow and falling out, each strand progresses through four stages. Understanding the natural hair growth cycle helps explain how laser hair removal works.
Anagen Phase
This is the active phase of hair growth. During the anagen phase, your hair grows as the cells in the bulb at the root of the hair divide rapidly. Each strand is in the anagen phase for two to seven years, making this is the longest-lasting period of the growth cycle. At any time, about 90% of your hairs are in the anagen phase.
Catagen Phase
In this transitional phase, hair growth slows as follicles shrink. Hair strands disconnect from their blood supply and the cells that produce new hair, becoming dormant. The catagen phase lasts approximately 10 days. Only about 5% of your hairs are in this phase at any given time.
Telogen Phase
The telogen phase is a resting period. During this stage of the cycle, the hair follicle is entirely inactive and no longer growing. The follicle typically remains dormant for around three months before the cycle begins again. An estimated 10-15% of your hairs are in this phase at the same time.
Exogen Phase
Shedding occurs in the final step of the cycle. At the end of the resting period, also known as the exogen phase, the hair gradually detaches from the follicle and falls out. The average person loses 50-100 hair strands each day.
Preparing For Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal will require some preparations in the weeks leading up to your first appointment. Temporary hair removal methods such as waxing, plucking or depilatories must be avoided for at least six weeks prior to your laser hair removal session to ensure the laser can identify the melanin in the hair follicle.
You will also need to shave your desired treatment area or areas 24 hours before your appointment. Tanning prior to treatment — including the use of self-tanners — can increase the risk of pigment changes after the laser treatment and should also be avoided.
What Are the Key Benefits of Laser Hair Removal?
No more Shaving
Noninvasive treatment
Quick and convenient treatment sessions
Safe for many hair colors and skin types
Can treat most areas of the body and face
Long-lasting results
Who Is a Good Candidate For Laser Hair Removal?
Today, laser hair removal can be a safe and highly effective treatment for patients with other combinations of skin tones and hair colors, including those with dark skin and dark hair. During your initial consultation, our medical aesthetic specialists will carefully assess your concerns and goals to determine if laser hair removal is right for you.
Laser hair removal can be used to treat any area of the body where you have unwanted hair growth — even delicate areas such as the face or bikini region. Some of the most common treatment areas for men and women include:
Underarms, Arms, Legs, Chest, Stomach, Back, Bikini area, Face and neck
GentleMax Pro from Candela
Scheduling your laser hair removal treatments outside of the summer months can be the best option. Since it’s advantageous to have as much contrast as possible between your hair and skin, the months when you are least likely to have a tan can give you the safest and most effective treatment. Choosing these months also reduces the likelihood of excessive sun or heat exposure after the treatment, which can negatively affect your results. Late winter and early spring are ideal times for laser hair removal.
Treatment areas will first be cleaned and prepped. Both you and your laser specialist will wear protective eyewear to filter out any harmful light throughout your treatment.
During the procedure, your medical aesthetic specialist will hold the skin of your treatment area taut and use a handheld applicator to deliver concentrated light pulses directly into your hair follicles. Patients often liken the sensations to the feeling of a rubber band being snapped against their skin. However, thanks to the contact-cooling feature on our laser device, these sensations are generally well-tolerated. The melanin in the hair will absorb the thermal light energy which, in turn, destroys the hair so that it cannot grow back.
The duration of your treatment will vary depending on the size and number of treatment areas. Smaller areas such as the under arm or lip and chin only take a few minutes to treat, whereas larger areas like the legs can take up to an hour.
The number of treatment sessions you will require to achieve optimal results will be determined by several factors, including your skin type, hair density, hormones and natural hair growth cycle. We typically recommend our patients undergo six to twelve treatments spaced six to eight weeks apart for best results.
A series of treatments ensure that high number of hairs in your target area is reached during the anagen phase when the treatment is most effective, and you remain stubble-free. With each successive treatment, you will see fewer and fewer hairs return. Finishing the recommended course of treatment in full assures that you achieve the highest degree of (it’s not permanent due to hormones/body) hair reduction possible.
No downtime is needed after your laser hair removal appointment. While you may experience some redness and swelling in the treated area or areas, most patients will usually resume normal activities or return to work right away. These side effects are generally mild and should resolve within a few days. Be sure to follow your post-treatment care instructions, including avoiding sun exposure and tanning, specific hair removal methods and any skincare products that could cause irritation.
Over the next weeks following your hair removal appointment, your treated hair will gradually shed. Don’t be concerned if you see what looks like regrowth soon after treatment — this is actually the treated hair pushing itself out of the follicle and falling out. Shaving is permissible between appointments.
After completing your recommended course of treatment sessions, you can remain smooth and hair-free for months or even years. If hair regrowth occurs, the hair is often finer, lighter in color and less noticeable. Occasional touch-up treatments may be required to address new hair growth that appears over time.
