Laser Hair Removal

Causes of Excessive Hair Growth

Excessive hair growth can be classified as either hypertrichosis or hirsutism. Hypertrichosis occurs when there is excess hair in a normal or abnormal pattern. This condition can be hereditary, due to medications, or other factors such as hormones, malnutrition, tumours, or metabolic problems. Hirsutism is the presence of excess hair in women, in a male pattern such as the beard, moustache, or lower abdomen. Your Clinetic dermatologist will perform an assessment and create the optimal laser hair treatment for you.

Hair Removal Methods

There are many ways of hair removal such as:

Shaving
Plucking
Electronic tweezers
Radiofrequency tweezers
Waxing
Threading
Depilatories (creams)
Electrolysis

Types of Lasers and How They Work

A large area of skin can be treated at once using laser hair removal. This method uses lasers to send an energy beam through the skin, and this energy is absorbed by the melanin in the shaft of the hair follicles. Since hair growth occurs in cycles, it is necessary to repeatedly have treatments until about 80% of the hairs are destroyed. For darker skin types, different types of lasers may be used with Diode & Nd:YAG lasers. These allow hair to be removed from darker skin types in a safe and effective way.

Preoperative Consultation

Prior to treatment, patients should consult a dermatologist and their laser technician for an assessment of:

Skin type (i.e., ability to tan or to burn)
Hair colour
Thickness and location of hair
Presence of tan
Previous hair removal methods
Medical history including ovarian or thyroid disease, medications, history of abnormal scarring, history of cold sore (herpes simplex) outbreaks in the treatment area, or past isotretinoin use
Presence of tattoos or moles in the treatment area

Pretreatment Instructions

The following actions should be avoided prior to laser hair removal treatment:

Tanning and sunless tanners
No plucking, waxing, or electrolysis
Depilatory creams should not be used 4 weeks prior to the treatment
Shaving the area is fine and may be shaved one to two days before the procedure. A prophylactic (protective) oral antiviral medication may be started the day prior to treatment to reduce the risk of developing a herpes simplex infection in the treatment area. It’s recommended to use broad-spectrum sunscreens with an SPF of at least 30.

Laser Treatment

The area should be clean and free of any cosmetic or skin care products on the day of the treatment. A topical anaesthetic cream may be applied prior to treatment, and our laser has a cooling device that lessens the patient’s discomfort. Everyone in the room must wear protective eyewear during the laser hair removal procedure.

The laser pulses give the sensation of snapping a rubber band or warm pinpricks against the skin. After a few minutes, there may be slight swelling and redness around the hair follicles. Ice packs may be applied to the skin following treatment, and over-the-counter pain relief medicine (e.g. acetaminophen) may be taken as needed before and after treatment.

If some blistering is seen, a topical antibiotic ointment can be applied 1-2 times daily until healed, and a mild topical steroid cream may be applied to reduce swelling and redness. Cosmetics may be applied after the procedure but it is recommended to avoid sun exposure and to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30.

Side Effects

Side effects of laser hair removal may include pain, swelling around the hair follicle, and redness lasting one to three days. In rarer cases, blistering, herpes simplex (“cold sore”) outbreaks, and bacterial infections can occur. In darker skin types or with a recent tan, temporary lightening or darkening of the skin may occur. Loss of freckles or lightening of moles or tattoos in the area of removal are also infrequent side effects.

Laser Hair Efficacy

The percentage of hair removed per session varies depending on the target location. Approximately a 10-20% reduction in hair can be expected after each treatment. Treatments are to be repeated every 4-8 weeks as each re-grow tends to get lighter and finer in texture.

Technology – Soprano ICE

What is it?

Soprano ICE from Alma is the newest generation of award-winning Soprano hair removal systems. Equipped with multiple laser wavelengths and innovative technology, Soprano ICE can be used to treat diverse populations and various hair types in a quick and virtually painless manner. This system provides one of the most complete and effective hair removal treatments currently available.

How does it work?

Alma’s Soprano ICE works to permanently remove unwanted hair by combining unique gradual heating technology and advanced ICE™ technology to keep the skin cooler for longer periods of time to reduce risk of burns while effectively maintaining the appropriate level of thermal energy required to damage the hair follicles of the target area. Since this technology targets the individual hair follicles as opposed to delivering a single high energy pulse to the target area, Soprano ICE is able to remove unwanted hair while avoiding excessive skin contact.

Is Soprano ICE safe?

Yes! This treatment is very safe and clinically proven to be effective for all skin types, including dark skin tones and tanned skin.

How many sessions are needed?

The typical range needed to achieve desired results is about 6-8 treatment sessions. However, patients with darker skin and/or thicker hair may require additional sessions.

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