 |
Laser Procedures
Laser Hair Removal works by targeting the pigment
inside the hair follicle without damaging delicate
pores and structures of the skin. Because hair cycles
through "growth" and "dormant" phases, and because
during the "dormant" phase the follicle has no pigment,
at least 4-6 treatments will be needed.
The area to be treated is first shaved, followed by the application of a cool gel. A
small handpiece or "wand" is placed against the skin as the
laser is activated. The
handpiece is repositioned and the laser is activated again.
The size or the area
treated will determine the number of laser "pulses"
required.
Traditional hair removal techniques like shaving, plucking
and waxing, provide only
temporary relief and may actually stimulate hair growth.
Electrolysis often requires
years of ongoing treatments.
Laser hair removal is much faster than electrolysis, as the
laser is pulsed about
once per second across the surface of the skin. Each "pulse"
of laser light disables
a large numbers of hair follicles. Electrolysis operators
can only treat those hairs
that they can see and which they can reach the follicle
through the hair shaft. A
laser treats any "active" follicle, even if the hair has not
yet reached the surface of
the skin, or if the hair shaft is curled and ingrown.
The number of sessions will vary for each individual. During
the initial visit, the laser
light disables those follicles in the "active" phase of the
growth cycle. Follicles in the
"dormant" phase will not be affected. Since follicles cycle
through "active" and
"dormant" phases, additional sessions may be desired once
the "dormant" follicles
become "active". For this reason, we recommend a series of
4-6 treatments at least.
While some areas of the body are more sensitive than others,
most patients report
little or no discomfort. For more sensitive patients,
anesthetic creams can be
applied prior to the treatment.
Immediately after the treatment the skin will look pink and
slightly swollen. This will
subside within an hour or two and the skin will return to
normal. Occasionally, a
patient will have temporary pigment changes, blistering, or
scabbing. Some cases of
scarring have been reported with laser hair removal, but
these are extremely rare.
At Dr. Weksberg’s office we use various different laser
systems to achieve
maximum benefit and efficiency. In addition we use the
Aurora system with ELOSTM
technology. This allows for the treatment of light colored
hair (blond, red) and
patients of color, problems associated with previous
technologies.
|
|
