Laser Hair Removal

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Overview

Laser hair removal is one of the most popular aesthetic treatments for both men and women. Laser hair removal can achieve dramatic results to obtain permanent removal or substantial reduction in hair after a course of treatment. Whether you’re male or female, young or old, particularly hirsute or just fed up with never-ending grooming, excess body hair can be extremely challenging.

Whilst there are lots of options available to remove this unwanted body hair, many of these methods can be time consuming, painful and expensive. Even though physically removing excess hair by plucking, waxing or shaving can be effective, each has considerable drawbacks. Their lack of permanence is their main issue, and it’s this that’s led those suffering with unwanted body hair to turn to laser hair removal.

Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that utilises the intense heat energy of a laser beam to destroy hair follicles, preventing future growth. During the procedure, a handheld device is passed over problem areas in order to target these individual follicles.

Laser machines work by producing a beam of light specific to the area of skin being treated that is monochromatic (has a single wavelength). The laser beam selectively damages specific targets in the area being treated allowing the area to be replaced by new cells or removed altogether - depending on the desired treatment.

Laser hair removal works best on dark hair and skin type I-III because it contains more pigment to absorb the laser light. Fair hair and red hair can respond to the correct laser but white hairs will not, since this hair colour contains little or no pigment.

Facial hair
Bikini line
Underarm
Legs
Back
Chest

Regular treatments will get the best results. We recommend Laser treatments every 4 weeks to remove facial hair, and every 6-8 weeks to remove body hair.

On average between 6 – 12 treatments will be required to get satisfactory results but the exact number of treatments will vary between individuals. Additional sessions may be required to achieve a satisfactory result.

Laser treatments are not suitable for tanned skins so you will be expected to avoid tanning prior to any treatment or allow time for your tan to fade. Some lasers are not suitable for darker skin types so it important to seek a clinic with experience of treating darker skin types if you fall into this group.

If your hair is fair, it is likely laser will not be an effective option for you. Electrolysis works in a similar way to laser, heating the follicle, but the practitioner manually treats each individual follicle so it may not be suitable for large areas such as legs, chest or back.

For some women, their unwanted hair is caused by a medical condition, commonly; this is a problem for those suffering from polycystic ovaries. Any treatment programme is likely to take longer and with the goal being to achieve manageable hair regrowth rather than complete hair removal for a prolonged period.

You will be expected to shave rather than wax or use depilatory creams, which some people find inconvenient, but for effective treatment, the surface hair must be removed leaving the follicle intact.

You should expect to return to your normal activities immediately afterward, however the skin may appear quite red for a few hours to days. Following treatment, an ice-pack can be applied to the skin if it feels warm or red or the practitioner can recommend skin-care products for this purpose.

In the first few days following treatment, Aloe Vera Gel should be applied regularly to soothe the area.
A sun protector, at least SPF30 should be applied to the exposed treated areas every day for at least four weeks after the treatment, regardless of the weather. Ideally the area should not be exposed to direct sunlight until the course of treatment is complete. It is not possible to treat tanned skin for safety reasons.
You may continue to shave or use depilatory creams if you wish to keep the treated area ‘hair free’. However it is not advisable to pluck or wax the area between treatments as this disturbs the hair growth cycle which can make subsequent treatments less effective.

The use of laser dates back to the 1960’s with the last decade technological advances in the use of laser for skin conditions and hair removal have developed at a rapid pace. With as many as 30 different machines in the UK with variable treatment indications and limitations it is down to the consultation to offer specific advice and information about the procedure and type of machine to be used with expected treatment outcomes and associated risks.

With technological advances lasers are generally well tolerated and described as mildly uncomfortable with certain treatment areas being more sensitive than others. It is often described as the sensation of a rubber band being flicked against the skin. The use of cooling gels, sprays and cold air is used throughout the treatment to cool the skin and to help with any discomfort.