24 frequently asked questions about laser hair therapy

1-What is Laser Hair Removal ? 

Laser hair removal is an aesthetic procedure to remove unwanted / Ugly body hair . Laser hair removal gives you hair free soft and glowing skin which enhances your beauty.

Read Full article : What is laser hair removal ? | Basics of hair laser therapy 

2- How do laser hair removal works?

Laser hair removal therapy uses laser technology light energy via a long pulse on the targeted hair follicle of  a specific body part during it,s hair growth time . The light energy destroys the hair follicle at growth stage hence preventing any future growth.This procedure is repeated every time when hair regrowth occurs at the area being treated . So it takes time to complete it e.g average 5-10 treatments at intervals of 8-12 weeks. Finally hair get shredded to an acceptably low level or may be permanently removed.

Read Full article :  How does skin laser hair removal work ?

3- Laser hair removal will work for my skin and hair or not ? 

This is a main question which is asked on different forums by people about laser hair removal .This question is asked in different ways like as :

Am i suitable candidate for laser hair removal ?
Will laser hair removal work for my skin type ?
Which skin is suitable for laser hair removal ? 
For which kind of skin and hair type laser hair removal procedure works better ?

 

Laser hair removal is recommended mainly for dark hair and light skin . But advance laser technology can also produce results for those with red or blonde hair pigments . 

Fitzpatrick skin chart divides skin  into six types . You can also use that chart to understand your skin type and it,s suitability for laser hair removal.

Laser hair removal technology works by targeting dark pigment . Therefore , it works best for pale / dark skin .The lighter the skin and the darker and more hairy , the better are the results .

Laser hair removal will not work on white , grey , light red or light blond hair follicles and also people suffering from PCOS ( Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome ) may experience poor results unless they receive proper medical treatment along with laser treatment.

The best way to determine whether you are a suitable candidate for Laser Hair Removal or not is to schedule a consultation with your local laser specialist.The best candidates are clients with darkly pigmented coarse dense hair growth.

Read Full article : Which skin type &hair color is suitable for laser hair removal ?

4- How many sessions of  laser hair removal are needed  ?

It depends on area being treated , thickness , hair density , hair color , hair texture, skin type and your punctuality also determines it. So it varies person to person . Generally legs and backs treatment takes two hours and a half ,while an upper lip and ears tops take 8-10 minutes . The under arms and front of neck treatment can take up to 20 minutes.Most patients need at least 6-8 effective treatment within 8-12 weeks.

However you need a consultation with your local specialist to determine number of treatments and any additional treatments depending on area being treated , thickness , hair density , hair color , hair texture, skin type and your punctuality. Usually you have to require a touch up treatment after two years of treatment completion.

Read Full article : How many sessions to complete laser hair removal ?

5- Is Laser Hair Removal treatment painful ?  

We know that some of the earlier aesthetic lasers delivered painful pulses.But that was in old times now this technology has improved so don,t fear a similar experience if you have been treated one of those painful devices in past.Pain is subjective hence can be influenced by personal feelings.

Laser hair removal is pain free if certain conditions are met e.g less sensitive skin , expert therapist , using numbing cream , controlling stress , pain tolerance , maintaining level of comfort etc . Even in some cases numbing cream is not necessary with laser treatment. But if some one,s skin is sensitive or pain tolerance is low or different then an appropriate numbing cream e.g EMLA can be used.

Laser hair removal pain is described  like rubber band snapping against the skin . Laser hair removal treatment  uses special cooling system that lowers the temperature of the skin at the treatment area before, during and after laser exposure . so the treatment is generally not painful and can be tolerated.

Read Full article : Is skin laser hair removal treatment painful or pain free ?

6- How much will laser hair removal treatment cost me  ?

Prices vary from clinic to clinic,specialist to specialist and place to place.The price or cost of laser hair removal treatment also depends on the size , complexity and some other factors of the area treated . Discounts or special offers also affect price of laser hair removal treatment. Number of treatment is another cost / price determinant for laser hair removal treatment . office settings like Spa , Salon , Surgeon etc also impact costs and prices of laser hair removal procedure. 

Hair removal cost also depends on some special considerations or risks involved  e.g who will perform the procedure doctor or assistant and complications like removing tattoos.  

Read Full article : Skin laser hair removal average cost / price and factors

7- What are the side effects of laser hair removal  treatment ?

Laser hair removal temporary side effects   :

- Redness for some days like sunburn
- Itching
- Follicular Edema ( temporary swelling of hair root )
- Skin Irritation
- Tingling or Feeling numbness
- Skin brightening for some hours






The following side effects are indicative of inappropriate laser type or settings :

- Minor Pigment changes
- Purpura ( purple coloring of skin )
- Crusting /Scab Formation
- Bruising

Read Full article : List of ten most common side effects of laser hair removal

8- Which areas are suitable for laser hair removal treatment ?

Laser hair  removal (LHR)  is mostly done on toes , fingers ,areolas ( nipple area ) , underarm, pubic area , inner bum , facial areas ,abdomen , upper lips ,chin , back , thighs , legs , buttocks , arms , neck , chest  , female and male brazilian , cleavage , ear lobes and beard area for men. In other words everywhere.

9- Is there any tanning chances of your skin during or after laser hair removal  treatment?

Mostly people think tanning is dangerous and can occur due to laser hair removal treatment,but this
is false for every type of skin cure.Actually the problem is that in tanning a lot of heat accumulates in your skin because laser is used to heat up the area under treatment.Therefore treatment sessions must apart from each other making sure that there is enough time between each session so that to avoid overheating of your skin ( Max 1-2 weeks ).

10- What to see when choosing your laser hair removal therapist ?

The following four things you should consider when choosing a laser hair removal treatment provider :-

The Clinic : Choose a clinic having good media comments and ratings. Assess the clinic with your needs and get the answer that it,s main priority will be your desired result.Schedule at least 3-5 clinics before making any commitments.Don,t fall for marketing hype , these can vary by as much as 100-200% . So only consider their expertise and knowledge during your schedule.Avoid clinics using any inappropriate pressure building risky methods .

The Laser : Choose a best laser for your skin . Best lasers are mostly expensive because they are precise in heat usage on the other hand cheap lasers are not precise and may cause pain or some serious side effects.Here also do not fall for marketing hype.Schedule with your therapist considering laser choice and it,s setting for your skin.

The Laser Operator : Laser operator skills of operating laser and his experience matters a lot . Practical experience must be considered than the education on paper.So laser treatments should be performed by fully trained and certified practitioners.

The price : Prices vary from clinic to clinic,specialist to specialist and place to place.The price or cost of laser hair removal treatment also depends on the size , complexity and some other factors of the area treated . Discounts or special offers also affect price of laser hair removal treatment. Number of treatment is another cost / price determinant for laser hair removal treatment . office settings like Spa , Salon , Surgeon etc also impact costs and prices of laser hair removal procedure.


Read Full article : Laser hair removal treatment provider selection crieteria

11- Who can actually perform a laser therapy ?

Laser hair removal treatments should be performed by fully trained and certified practitioners. They must have skills , experience and knowledge of this therapy.

12- Why does it take a number of treatments to clear an area unwanted hair ?

Number of treatments depend on area being treated , thickness , hair density , hair color , hair texture, skin type and your punctuality also determines it. So it varies person to person . Generally legs and backs treatment takes two hours and a half ,while an upper lip and ears tops take 8-10 minutes . The under arms and front of neck treatment can take up to 20 minutes.

Hair cycle also determines this. Different body parts have different hair growing cycle so when will hair grow you need a treatment . In dormant phase when no hair are growing there will be no much absorption of heat in target area because there will be no enough pigments to absorb that heat.

Read Full article : How many sessions to complete laser hair removal ?

13- What are the alternatives of laser hair removal treatment?

The most common alternatives to this are tweezing , plucking , home waxing , hair bleach and chemical  depilatory such as  Magic , Veet , Nair etc.

14- What type of sensations i can feel other than pain during treatment by laser hair removal ?

The nature of the laser is to use  heat for the treatment so it is possible that the heat generated by laser may cause some minor burning sensation during the treatment but it will cease after the treatment.

15- How exactly laser hair removal pain or sensation feels ?

Generally it,s free of pain.But if there is some discomfort or a pain during each pulse,the feeling
will resemble a rubber band snapping against your skin for just a quick second .

16- How to handle laser hair removal pain or sensation ?

Any kind of discomfort during the treatment can be handled by using cooling gel , numbing cream , setting laser machine properly for treatment and expert staff .

17- What is the difference between a laser and IPL - Intense Pulsed Light ?

Laser : It uses powerful laser radiations heat energy on a targeted hair follicle.The heat damages the targeted follicle and thereby preventing any future growth.This heat energy absorption into targeted follicle depends on correct wavelength of light and SPTL( selective photothermolysis ) . Selective photothermolysis ( SPTL ) means that the wavelength of light emitted by the laser will target precisely a particular tissue color , ensuring that the resulting heat damage is localized to that targeted color area only. In laser hair removal the target area is melanin which is a group of pigments found in the hair follicle which are responsible for giving hair it,s color.So these are destroyed by absorbing heat energy and hence destroyed.



IPL: Every one should know that Intense Pulse Light ( IPL ) treatment is not a laser hair removal treatment . Both methods work with same practices but the laser machines are better and precise in terms of wavelength and time duration for particular pigment area but IPLs are not precise . In IPL technology a big group of lasers is being used all at once. That is why  IPL is more risky than lasers in terms of side effects e.g burning due to intense heat.

18-What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of laser hair removal ?

 

Read Full article: Laser hair removal advantages and disadvantages

19-What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of IPL hair removal ?

 

Read Full article : Hair removal with IPL - Advanatages and Disadvantages
 

20- Why do i need a free consultation with my therapist before making any commitments for laser hair removal treatment ?

It is very important to schedule with your local doctor before starting laser treatment procedure to discuss and seek knowledge whether your skin type and hair are suitable for laser therapy or not and how many laser treatment procedures do you need ?

There must be a patch test for your skin also to confirm that you don,t have any sensitivity towards lasers. Your discussion with your laser treatment doctor and observation will also help you in getting an idea whether he / she has relevant , knowledge , expertise or not and what will be the cost / price of laser treatment So after seeking this information you can make an informed decision for your skin hair laser treatment procedures.

21- Is laser hair removal therapy | treatment | procedure safe ?

As for i know laser hair removal treatment or therapy is approved by FDA - Federal Drug Administration of US and also it is practiced world wide . So it means it is safe if applied appropriately.But before any commitments with your therapist initial free consultation and patch test is recommended for your safety and informed decision making.

22-What is  laser hair removal treatment Growth Cycle? How this relate to hair removal treatment ?

Hair Growth / Production Cycle: Hair grow on each body part in a cycle and that hair growth cycle of each body part is different.Term cycle means a natural process of hair growth which starts from a point and ends at a point while passing through different stages of it,s growth or production .So understanding hair growth stages is very important if you are going for a hair removal treatment.This will help you in making an informed decision regarding number of sessions required with how many weeks apart.

There are three main stages of hair growth cycle or hair production cycle ,  which are given below:

1-Anagen
2-Catagen 
3-Telogen.

1-Anagen ( Very fast and active )

This is the first stage of hair production cycle and this is the most fast and active hair production stage.At this stage hair fiber grows at first time.When this stage completes, the hair growth cycle automatically transfers into next stage.

2-Catagen ( Slow and club hair )

This is the second stage of hair production cycle.It starts when first stage ends.
It means active growth of hair is ended now.This stage continues for some weeks and
then makes a club of hair.After this stage hair growth enters in the next stage of production.

3-Telogen ( Tiredness and Resting )

This is the final stage of the hair growth cycle or production cycle.
At this stage hair are tired and need some rest , which means a noticeable loss of hair.
On a daily basis at noticeable level hair shedding and loss occurs at this stage .
After this stage the whole cycle starts again from start to end.

How hair production cycle relates to laser therapy ? Laser hair removal therapy is done during these hair growth cycles and not in dormant time when there is no hair growth.So it is effective in anagen stage of growth , which is active and very fast hair growth stage.Hence, you need a number of treatments in order to destroy each follicle of hair as it enters the anagen phase of growth after a certain time period .

23-What type of laser hair removal machines are popular  ? 

There are five popular types of hair removal lasers in the market which are being used for laser hair removal treatment . These are given below :

1-Ruby  laser hair removal machines :Ruby star , Epipulse Ruby ,Palomar E2000

2-Alexandrite laser hair removal machines: Apogee ,EpiTough Plus ,GentleLase

3- Diode laser hair removal machines :Palomar SLP 1000 , Comet ,Apex 800 , Epistar , F1 diode , Laser light , Light sheer, MeDio Star ,SLP 100


4- Nd:YAG laser hair removal machines : athos , coolguide , GentleYAG , Lyra-i , Sciton , Image , Varia,Medlite IV

5. Alexandrite/ND:Yag Combination Devices: Gentle MAX, Apogee MPX , Apogee Elite, 

Note :Intense Pulse Light  (IPLs) are also used for hair removal but these are not laser devices .These devices include : Harmony ,Aculight , Epilight , PhotoDerm , Quantum , Vasculight , Palomar Starlux and Estelux , Aurora.

24-Which laser hair removal machine is best for my skin  ? 

Which laser device or machine is best for my skin , this can be determined by using "Thomas Fitzpatrick Skin Chart ". Fitzpatrick  chart is based on his observations of responses to sun exposure and the degree of burning and tanning of people skins.His skin classification chart is very familiar to dermatologists and is used in determining skin type for laser hair removal. Fitzpatrick chart divided skin into six types which are given below:

Type 1 : Characteristics of this type of skin are very sensitive , always burns and never tans .Skin color examples are white , very fair , red blonde hair , blue eyes , freckles , Albino .

Type 2 : Characteristics of this type of skin are minimum tanning , usually burns and sun sensitive.Skin color examples are white ,  fair skinned , red or blonde hair , green eyes , blue , hazel

Type 3 : Characteristics of this type of skin are gradual tanning , slow burning and sun sensitive.Skin color examples are cream white ,  fair skinned , any eye ,any hair color , very common , European mix and Darker Caucasians .

Type 4 : Characteristics of this type of skin are minimum sun sensitive , minimum burning and easy tanning . Skin color examples are brown, mediterranean , Asian , European , American , Indian , Hispanic.

Type 5 : Characteristics of this type of skin are easy tanning , rarely burns and sun insensitive.Skin color examples are dark brown  , Mid Eastern skin types , Hispanic

Type 6 : Characteristics of this type of skin are sun insensitive  , never burns and tans very easily.Skin color examples are Black , African , Mid Eastern , Afro - American.

Alexandrite lasers are best for skin types 1,3
Diode lasers are best for for skin types 1,4
Nd:YAG lasers are best for skin types 4 and 5, 6 (  for type 5 these are the only type of laser that should be used otherwise there will be burning and more sever side effects.