cosmetic lasers hair removal

Laser hair removal has become one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed in the United States, ranked second among cosmetic procedures behind BOTOX injections in frequency of procedures performed.

What causes the excess of body hair?
The development of localized or diffuse unwanted excess hair in men or women falls in one of three categories:

	Hypertrichosis The presence of excess hair at any body site in a normal distribution or abnormal site. The cause is genetic or ethnic (Certain Latin & Mediterranean people as well as certain families are prone to have more hair), and the use of certain medications (androgens, birth control pills, minoxidil, diazoxide, cyclosporine and steroids).
	Hirsutism T the presence of excess hair in women growing in a male pattern distribution such as beard, moustache or chest. When the male hormone "androgen" produced by women increases, the fine blond hair often found on the face, neck, chest & other parts of the body becomes coarser and darker. This condition requires medical evaluation to rule out ovarian or endocrine disorders.
	Aesthetic Normal distribution of hair but cosmetically and socially not acceptable such as axillary hair, bikini line, and facial hair in women.

What is LASER and why is it a safe treatment?
The word laser stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers have been used for many years for a variety of medical cosmetic procedures including treatment of facial and leg veins, age spots and smoothing fine lines on the face. At the Vein & Laser Center, two of the most advanced lasers are used. The GentleLASE LASER, a long-pulse high energy Alexandrite laser system and CoolTouch Varia, an Nd-Yag Laser system. Both are specially designed to eliminate unwanted hair from all parts of the body.

LASERS are specially designed to produce an intense but gentle burst of laser light that is optimized to remove and impair hair growth. Laser light passes through the skin to the hair follicle where it is absorbed but not by the surrounding tissue. Melanin (the pigment that gives the hair its color) at the hair bulb - root absorbs the light emitted by the laser at specific wavelengths. The laser energy is transformed into heat causing the selective destruction of the hair bulb but leaving the surrounding skin and tissues mostly unchanged. The skin is further protected during treatment by a Dynamic Cooling Device. A computer controlled cryogen is sprayed onto the skin cooling the upper layers providing patients increased comfort. This selectivity helps to protect the skin, while effectively treating the unwanted hair. This cooling device is only available with the Candela & CoolTouch Lasers.

What other methods used to remove hair & How is it different from Elertrolysis?

Traditional hair removal techniques include shaving, plucking, waxing, and chemical epilation. All these techniques provide only temporary relief and must be repeated on a regular basis. Electrolysis is an invasive method that involves the insertion of a needle into each hair follicle one hair at a time delivering an electrical current to destroy them individually. Electrolysis requires years of treatment at regular intervals. This can be painful, time-consuming and is limited to small cosmetic areas. Scarring, allergic reactions and ingrown hairs are common side effects of all these hair removal methods.
	Electrolysis	Laser treatment

The LASERS safely remove unwanted body hair without damaging the delicate pores and structures of the skin. Hundreds of hair follicles are treated simultaneously. So in few minutes, LASER can effectively treat large areas that would take hours with electrolysis. Facial and bikini areas are usually completed in less than ten minutes; legs and larger areas can take longer.

Why should I have the Laser treatment? What are the Advantages?
This is a procedure to remove unwanted hair. Lasers offer safe, fast, and effective treatment. If you are using other methods to remove unwanted hair on regular basis and tired of that, or having socially or cosmetically unacceptable hair then laser treatment is for you. The benefits of laser hair removal are:

	FDA approved this technology for permanent hair reduction.
	No downtime. Resume regular activities immediately
	Larger areas may be treated at one time.
	Combines the speed of shaving with the long term lasting results.
	Laser hair removal is effective on almost any area of the body where smoother, hair free skin is desired
	Less pain & less discomfort compared to other methods of hair removal.
	There is less chance of scarring or permanent damage.
	Results will be noticeable immediately after treatment.
	Performed in private office by a qualified physician (New Jersey law requires a physician to perform the treatment)

Am I a Candidate for laser Hair Removal?

Men, women and children have been successfully treated. Nearly all skin types and colors including dark-skinned individuals of all ethnic origins can be treated (different lasers are used for different skin colors).

The absolute requirement is that one's hair must be darker than the surrounding skin. Best results are achieved with dark thick hair although lighter and thinner hair can be treated.

Tanned people with light hair are not good candidates as they may develop complications. Tanned patients with dark hair may have to wait until their tan fades before they can be treated.
Those considering laser hair removal have to be physically healthy & emotionally stable, want to change their appearance, well informed about the procedure, and hold realistic expectations about the results.

Lastly, the treatment is costly, although much less expensive than electrolysis on the long run. It requires multiple treatments and should be within your financial reach.

Can all parts of the body be treated?
LASER can remove unwanted hair from almost all parts of the body including the chin, upper lip, glabella, side burns, upper eyebrows, neck, underarms, chest, back, abdomen, bikini line, legs, arms, ear, nose and anal area.

Can all hair colors be treated with Laser?
The best results have been achieved on darker thicker hair. Patients with dark hair and light skin have a higher concentration of melanin in the hair compared to their epidermis which allows for more absorption of light within the hair bulb and reduces damage to or interference by the melanin. Current lasers are still not capable of treating white, gray or light blonde hairs. These hairs do not have enough pigment to attract the laser light. Red hair is in the red spectrum of light which the ruby and alexandrite lasers utilize. Therefore, these lasers will not see the red hairs. Together we can decide if your expectations will be met and if this laser treatment is the best option.

Is laser effective for removing ingrown hair?

Unlike other forms of hair removal, laser is in fact particularly very effective in treating ingrown hair. (In most occasions, in grown hair is produced by shaving, waxing, or other methods of hair removal).


In Grown Hair, Before Treatment	5 Years After 2 Laser Treatment

Can all skin colors be treated with laser hair removal?
Light skin makes laser hair removal easier to perform. Fewer treatments are required, and better and faster results are obtained. Nearly all skin types and colors including dark-skinned individuals of all ethnic origins can be treated (different lasers are used for different skin colors). People with darker skin may require more sessions. Laser hair removal can be successful for African-Americans with coarse dark hair. CoolTouch Varia, an Nd-Yag laser with a long wavelength and variable pulse duration is capable of removing hair in dark skin people without significant side effects.

What does the treatment include and is it painful?
The GentIeLase & CoolTouch Varia Lasers do not use messy gels. The technique requires no special preparation. Generally, the treatment includes:

	The area to be treated is cleansed and tapped dry. Long hair is shaved or trimmed.
	Safety eyewear to protect the patient's eyes during the procedure from the intense laser light.
	A small hand piece will be used with a probe that touches the skin to deliver the laser light. A light spray of coolant onto the skin will be felt just before each laser pulse.
	Most patients experience little discomfort at the treatment site because of the dynamic cooling device. It is often described as a rubber band snapping against the skin.
	The degree of discomfort varies with each person, depending on his/her pain threshold. Topical anesthesia, a cream applied to the skin, may also be used if requested. If anesthetic cream is required, it needs to be applied 45 to 90 minutes prior to treatment to be effective. No needles, injections, or messy gels are used.
	Virtually all treated patients agree that laser treatment is far less painful than waxing or electrolysis.

How long does the treatment take?
Depending on the area treated, the procedure can take as little as 10 minutes (e.g. treating the upper lip) or up to a full hour or more (treating full back or whole legs). There is no recovery or down time. All patients can go home and resume normal activities immediately following the treatment. You can have a session during your lunch hour. Laser treatment will leave your skin looking and feeling smoother and silkier.

How will I look like after treatment?
The treated area may become pink or red within 30 minutes of treatment; this may last from a few minutes to several hours and occasionally days. The area may be slightly swollen, sensitive and feel warm like sunburn for few hours. Discomfort similar to sunburn may be experienced over the first 24 hours. One may notice dark hair follicles for the first few days after therapy, however, these will fall out leaving smooth, hair-free skin.

What precautions should be taken before and after treatment?
If hair removal is planned on exposed sites, avoid sun exposure 4-6 weeks before and after treatment.

	You MUST avoid bleaching, plucking, or waxing of hair for 2 to 6 weeks prior to treatment. Shaving and depilatory creams may be used.
	If you have had a history of perioral herpes, prophylactic antiviral therapy may be prescribed.
	If you are tan or have a darker skin type, a bleaching cream may be started 4-6 weeks before treatment.
	Shave the area to be treated a day or two before your treatment.

Following the treatment, care should be taken to treat the area delicately. Do not rub, scratch or pick the treated area. A cream may be prescribed to apply as needed. Make-up may be applied a day after unless blistering occurs.

How many treatments will I need?
Hair grows in cycles and many factors influence its growth. Ethnicity, weight, hormones, diet, medications and metabolism all play part in your hair's location, thickness, and resilience. The active growth phase of hair is called anagen (the growing hair that we see on the skin). This phase is followed by a period of quiescence (no growth) called telogen. The length and the amount of hair that enters growth phase vary from one site of the body to another, e.g. 80-90% of scalp hair is in growth phase while only 20% of arms and legs hair are actively growing. This information is very important to know because early growth phase is very sensitive to laser treatment. It is believed now that laser treatment affects only hair in the growing stage.
Although one laser session can produce long term hair removal, multiple treatments are required to obtain optimal results.
The number of treatments required depends upon your skin and hair color and location on your body. Everyone will require at least 3-6 treatments, as the process is only effective on hair during the growth phase. Repeated sessions will be necessary to treat these follicles when they re-enter the growth phase. Treatments are spaced at 4-12 weeks or at the earliest sign of hair regrowth. To achieve optimal long-term benefits, once or twice treatment a year is recommended.

Are there any side effects to LASER permanent hair reduction treatment?
Laser hair removal has proven to be a safe procedure. Immediately following treatment, the area will appear pink or red and swollen. This may last a few minutes to hours. In rare instances, blistering and some degree of crusting may develop especially on dark skin people (skin type IV, V, VI). Dark discoloration or light discoloration (hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation) may develop and lasts up to several months and very rarely permanently, especially in more darkly pigmented patients. They are very rare in patients with fair skin who are not tanned. No permanent tissue changes or damage have been reported. There is little or no chance of scarring associated with this process.

Is laser hair removal for children?
Laser hair removal is very successful for children, but it does require their cooperation.

Does laser remove hair permanently and what can I expect?
The FDA has approved certain lasers for permanent hair reduction. The results tend to be additive, i.e. more treatments lead to greater degrees of permanent hair reduction. Laser treatment for hair removal currently represents one of the most exciting areas within laser medicine and surgery. Patient variation and the nature of hair follicle growth make it difficult to predict the exact outcome in every case. Results can be variable, even with the best lasers. As these lasers have been in use for a short period of time, long term results are not available at this time.

Are there any guarantees in laser hair removal?
It is impossible to predict the exact result a patient will achieve with laser hair removal, especial with regard to how many sessions a given individual will require. The most established laser hair removal practices do not guarantee results. We at Vein Laser Center are committed to excellence and will attempt to prove a pleasing cosmetic result for all our patients; however, no specific guarantees can be made with regard to final outcomes.

Is this procedure covered by insurance & how much does it cost?
Insurance companies do not offer reimbursement for cosmetic procedures; however, consult your insurance carrier for more information. Your cost depends on the size of the area to be treated. It can be as low as $100 a treatment.

For more information, call the Vein & Laser Center at 201-795-9007