Permanent hair removal with laser

Nowadays the demands are increasing for the removal of undesirable hair. Besides the previous temporary solutions now laser-light and chemical treatment methods offering permanent hair removal are available to obtain velvet smooth legs and underarms or aesthetical bikini line.

You can count on a 20% hair loss following a hair removal treatment with laser or chemical treatment depending on the body region. Therefore several consecutive treatments are required. A 5-6 week interval should be kept between the individual treatments depending on the body region to let the working and growing hairs appear and treat them.

It is not possible to reach a totally hairless condition with any of the methods since new follicles appear all the time from the remaining –independently from the method- stem cells but they produce thinner hair containing less pigment. Not all the hair follicles are active growing at the same time. Some of them will get active in 3 months, 2 years or 12 years later, i.e. they start growing only at that time. That is why you have to count on hair growing in later times and therefore further treatments may be required in the future.

It is important to know that several factors have to be taken into consideration in connection with hair growth. The physiological hormonal changes, like puberty, pregnancy and menopause or the hormonal changes of various diseases, the side effects of certain medications may all influence hair growth.

The course of treatment

The aim of the treatment is to warm up the follicles without damaging the surrounding tissues. The emitted laser light passes through the skin and is absorbed in the pigmented follicles and destroys the dividing hair matrix cells there and therefore suspending hair growth.

Since the diameter of the beam of light is 15×38 mm, several hairs can be treated with one beam of light. Laser hair removal treatments provide an excellent cosmetic result. The Nd:YAG laser hair removal treatments are preferred in case of pale skin.

The hair removal with laser is only slightly painful, a mild blush (erythema) may occur following the treatment that lasts from a couple of hours to 1 day. It is important to know that the treatment may be performed only in a certain phase of hair growth (anagen phase) so depending on the body region 30-60% of hair will regrow following the treatment. Therefore several consecutive treatments are required. A 6-8 week interval should be kept between the individual treatments depending on the body region to let the working and growing hairs appear and treat them.

Preparations for the treatment

The skin surface to be treated should be shaved 2 days before the treatment but waxing is prohibited since hair is required to conduct the laser light into the follicle to kill the dividing cells. And the hair may get burned as a consequence of the treatment.

Direct sunlight, solariums, tanning creams and lotions should be avoided 4 weeks prior to the treatment and during the whole treatment period to achieve better results and avoid unwanted side effects. If the skin area to be treated is exposed to direct sunlight we recommend the use of broad spectrum sun protection (minimum SPF is 30) without exception.

The skin should be cleaned thoroughly from any traces of make-up, creams and other moisturizers on the day of the treatment.

The above mentioned treatment is not suggested during pregnancy or on skin surfaces with active viral infection, psoriasis or allergic dermatitis. The treatment of moles is not suggested either, they have to be left out from the treated surface.

The treatment of people who have a tendency to form keloids or to wound healing disorders are not suggested either.