Laser Hair Reduction
This procedure is an efficient and popular treatment used to eliminate unwanted facial and body hair for long periods of time. While some hairs cannot be eliminated entirely, patients can expect about 70% to 90% hair reduction after 5 to 8 treatments that should last for more than 2 years. Any remaining hair is finer and lighter in colour.
Tanning and all hair removal processes, such as shaving and waxing, should be avoided for six weeks prior to the treatment, and then shaved the day before. If desired, an anesthetic cream can be used before the treatment to reduce the sensation of the laser, which lasts only a fraction of a second. Sessions often last only a few minutes, depending on the size of the target area.
Because it takes about 6 weeks for hair to fully grow back, treatments are usually scheduled about 6 to 8 weeks apart. Most patients require 4-6 sessions to achieve optimal results. During treatment, a laser is used to target and eliminate actively growing hair follicles in a process called photothermolysis. This inhibits growth of active hairs and often the growth of new ones.
As results depend upon the patient’s skin, hair colour and coarseness, those with light-coloured skin and dark hair have the most effective results with the least number of treatments because the laser can easily target the pigmentation of the follicle.
It is to be expected that your skin may be red and slightly swollen for a few hours after the treatment. Waxing, plucking, electrolysis and tanning should be avoided during the healing process. Patients require at least 5 treatments every 6-8 weeks to target hairs that might have been in the sleeping phase during treatment.