What is Laser Hair Removal and how does it work?

IPL is a non-invasive medical technology that utilises light at specific wavelengths. An intense pulse of light is released from a handpiece into the skin targeting unwanted or excess hair.  As the photons from the light hit the chromophores in the skin the light turns to heat, destroying the unwanted hair helping with hair reduction.

Expected Hair Reduction

Hair grows in 3 phases. IPL can only treat the hair within one of these phases called anagen. This is when the hair is growing and there are actively dividing cells in the hair follicle.

At any given time, there is only a certain percentage of hair in anagen. This is why IPL must be performed over a number of sessions with a certain time span between treatments to achieve the best result. However, we can only achieve approximately 70% to 90% hair reduction, no IPL system can achieve 100% hair removal though what is remaining is generally lighter and finer.

The number of sessions required depends on your hair and skin colour and how your body responds to the treatments.

After Laser Hair removal

• The hair will appear to grow (though very slowly) for 2 to 4 weeks and should then fall out; this is the treated hair being pushed out of the follicle, not new growth. Any hair that does not fall out was either too fine, too light, too deeply rooted or possibly wasn’t treated.
• After the hair falls out you should have a hair free period for approximately 3 to 6 weeks.
• New growth will appear, though there will be a certain percentage of hairs that don’t grow back. This percentage will increase with each session.
• Between treatments, growth can be shaved but not waxed or tweezed.

Contraindications (reasons why this treatment may not be suitable for you)

• Recent sunburn
• Unprotected sun exposure or solarium use 4 weeks prior to treatment
• Pregnancy
• History of seizures
• Severe dermatitis or eczema (within the treatment area)
• Active infections
• Roaccutane use in the last 6 months
• Herpes 1 or 2 (within the treatment area)
• Very dark skin
• Removing hair by the root e.g. waxing or tweezing 4 weeks prior to treatment (hair removal only)
• Photo sensitising medications are best avoided

Aftercare of the Treated Area.

Apply a cold pack if needed 1-2 hours after treatment to relieve swelling or sensation.

Apply soothing/healing products as prescribed.

Precautions-Do not scratch or pick the area.

Do not have a hot shower (tepid only) during the first 24 hours post treatment.

Wear protective clothing or use sun block to keep the area away from sun exposure.

Do not do a heavy, sweaty workout in the first 24 hours post treatment.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I have laser?
To have laser you need to have a skin colour between fair and a cup of warm cocoa. Any darker and laser isn’t the best for you. 

Does medication affect laser?
There are some medications that rule out laser: mostly the kind make you light sensitive.
The best way to find out is to call us and ask. 

Can I have laser if I have blonde hair?
Actually yes. You may not get the same results as people with darker hair, but you will know after a few treatments if it’s for you.

While laser alone won’t remove blonde hair, our Biotech equipment combines laser Diode 808 wavelength with AlexPro 760 making it one of the best semiconductor lasers on the market.

Will it hurt?
No. Older lasers hurt. IPLS definitely hurt. Our modern glide-action laser technology sends the laser out at a lower energy, multiple times in a second.

This makes it supremely comfortable, more so than a wax. The feedback we get is ‘oh my gosh, are you done already?!’ to ‘it feels like a rubber band flicking lightly’
If you are having treatments elsewhere and finding them painful, come for a free test patch to see what we mean. 

How many treatments will I need?
Between 6 and 10. The most common is 6 for body, 8 for face, and some people need a few more. 

How often should I have laser hair removal?
Every 4 weeks until you see some good clearance. Then you can space them out, usually at number 6 onwards you can go every 2-3 months. 

What will it look like afterwards? 

Your skin might be slightly pink, and it might have little bumps around the hair follicles. This will be minor & will go away within a day or so. Most of our clients find it goes after a few hours.

Can I go in the sun?
We can’t laser areas that have active tan, fake or real. Keep direct sun off the area for a whole week afterwards. Use SPF daily on the area you’re having treated. 

How do I look after my skin after laser hair removal?
Your skin surface is still intact after laser, but the invisible immune layer made up of skin oil & sweat, has been changed. Help it out by putting on our Medi-Soothe Gel after each shower, for at least 3 days. If you feel like it, you can apply it every few hours to soothe the skin. 

Can I have laser hair removal if I am pregnant?
Like wine, stinky cheeses and many of life’s pleasures, the answer is ‘sadly, no.
Because pregnancy hormones can stimulate skin colour hormones, there’s a chance that laser can leave behind dark marks in pregnant ladies.

Can laser cause cancer? 

Absolutely not. It also can’t go any deeper in your body than 1600 nanometers. That’s 1/1600th of a metre. Tiny. Lasers are chosen for their precision – to get to a specific, exact location and nowhere else. 

Are there side effects to laser hair removal?
Laser has benefits and it can have risks. Laser is light energy being converted to heat energy in the skin. So the risks associated with laser are the same ones associated with heat.

Naturally we make sure each person who has laser with us goes through a safety check. 

Is laser safe?
When performed by a trained expert, with modern equipment, absolutely. 
The risks in laser come when inexperienced operators match the wrong client with the wrong equipment, or aren’t conservative enough in their delivery.