Our laser can safely be used on all skin types from very light skin to very dark skin. It is best if the hair is black or brown. However, at your consultation our doctor or aesthetic nurse will determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure based on a variety of factors that will be carefully considered to create your perfect treatment plan.

Hair may be shaved, trimmed or cut. However, it may not be tweezed, waxed or removed with depilatories. This disrupts the hair growth pattern by causing trauma and resistance to the follicles. Although many share this concern, the hair in the laser treated area will not grow back darker or coarser due to shaving. With each treatment, fewer hair follicles remain.

In fact, the area actually needs to be freshly shaved before your treatment session. You may shave the area the day before the treatment or the day of the treatment before coming in for your session.

Lasers can only remove hair while it is attached to the root, in the anagen phase. Therefore, with one treatment, you will lose around 20-25% of the hair in that area. Treatments are usually done every 4-8 weeks, depending on the hair growth pattern in that body area. At each visit, another 20% will be removed. Most areas require 4 – 6 treatments in order to attain optimal results. Treatment times are a few minutes for small areas like the upper lip and chin, 10-15 minutes for areas like the full bikini, and 20 -25 minutes for large areas like the legs, back and chest.

Laser treatment is gentle and nearly pain-free. The laser beam feels like a pinch on the skin. In areas where the hair is dark, coarse, or thick, more sensation may be felt. The pinch lasts just for a fraction of a second and may feel like a rubber band being snapped on the skin. In some areas, there is no pinching feeling at all. After treatment, the area may be sensitive or itchy.

Numbing cream is not needed for this treatment. At the time of the treatment we will cool the skin using our Sapphire Cooling Tip. This will reduce any discomfort as well as decrease the risk of skin irritation or pigmentation. However, if you feel like you could experience discomfort, we can add numbing cream by request. The cream will be applied thirty minutes prior to the procedure.

You might want to consider some of the following benefits:

• Laser hair removal is permanent while waxing needs to be done every few weeks.
• Laser treatments are done on shaved skin. Waxing requires that the hair grows out between appointments, leaving that in-between phase for many days of the month.
• Laser treatment is far less expensive over time.
• Waxing is associated with painful ingrown hairs as the hair pushes back up through the skin. With laser hair removal, the hair from the treated follicle will never regrow.
• WAXING HURTS! The procedure rips the hair from the root while laser treatments feel like a mild pinch on the skin. Some treatments are not felt at all.

Although there are many benefits to electrolysis, there are some risks and drawbacks to consider:

• Time: Electrolysis is very slow and time consuming. If larger areas are being treated with electrolysis, such as the legs or back, it can take many more and longer sessions to achieve similar results.
• Discomfort: People undergoing electrolysis hair removal will experience more pain and discomfort, since the treatment involves tiny electric shocks to the hair follicle.
• Potential for adverse effects: There is a higher risk of permanent scarring and discoloration of the area and follicles treated with electrolysis.

Immediately following your treatment, the area may appear a bit red and/or slightly swollen – this usually resolves within a few hours. Three to seven days after treatment you may see what seems to be regrowth of hair. In actuality, these hairs are being shed as a result of your treatment and are not re-growing. Between treatments, you should not wax or pluck your hair, but it is permissible to shave 4 days after treatment.

Laser hair removal is an efficient, long-lasting method for reducing unwanted hair growth. From the very first treatment, hair growth will begin to slow and unwanted hairs will begin to thin. After completion of a recommended series of treatments, patients can expect to see a 70–90% permanent reduction in hair growth. It should be noted that this treatment is considered a permanent hair reduction. Over time as your body ages and changes there could be some hair regrowth but not at the same levels as before your treatment. Laser hair removal will provide lasting and very satisfying results for most patients once they have finished the allotted treatments during the suggested time intervals. It is important to understand that adhering to the time interval between treatments is very important to achieve the best results.