Laser Hair Removal |
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A New Solution: LightSheer Diode Laser System
Men and women alike can now make unwanted facial
or body hair a thing of the past and forget about painful waxing,
electrolysis and razors. The LightSheer hair removal system delivers
21st century technology, in our office, for the treatment of this
distressing problem. The LightSheer system presents a revolution in
hair removal. Using technology beyond that of other lasers, the
LightSheer can disable hundreds of hair follicles in less than one
second. The procedure is computer-guided and promises long-lasting
results. Understanding hair removal For long-term hair removal, electrolysis is popular and effective but can be painful and slow. Hair by hair, an electric current passes through a needle to destroy the hair root's ability to grow. It typically takes months or even years of regular visits-even for small areas, like the upper lip. Risks include electrical shock, infection, and pitting or scarring. Now there's a more effective solution, the new LightSheer™ Diode Laser, a state-of-the-art system specially designed to remove unwanted hair faster, less painfully, and more reliably than electrolysis.
How
does hair grow? Humans have more hair follicles per square inch of skin than most higher primates, including chimpanzees and gorillas. Because most of this hair is fine and pale (called vellus hair), it usually isn't visible to the naked eye. Consider this: the forehead has more hair follicles than any other part of the body. The thicker, fully pigmented hair most people consider "real hair" is called terminal hair. This hair is found on scalp, eyebrows, legs, backs, underarms, and genital areas. This is the hair the LightSheer™ diode laser treats. Everyone's hair grows differently, depending on age, weight, metabolism, hormones, ethnicity, medications, and other factors. But all hair goes through three distinct growth phases: 1) Active growth phase (called the anagen phase), which lasts up to several years. At any given time, the majority (85%) of our body hair is in this phase. During anagen, the hair has an abundance of melanin. 2) Regressive phase (catagen phase), which lasts about two weeks, during which the hair stops growing but is not yet shed. About 3 - 4% of our body hair is in this phase at any given time. 3) Resting phase (telogen phase), which lasts 5 - 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and a new hair begins to form. Approximately 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time. The LightSheer™ diode laser most effectively disables hair that is in the active growth (anagen) phase. Because all the hair in a treated area may not be in the anagen phase, more than one laser treatment may be necessary to remove the hair that subsequently enters the growth phase.
How
does the LightSheer™ diode laser work?
The light emitted by the LightSheer™ diode laser is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) located in hair follicles (melanin pigments give hair its color) and hair shaft. The laser pulses for a fraction of a second, just long enough to vaporize the pigment - disabling several hair follicles at a time to eliminate or significantly impede the hair's regrowth - but not long enough to damage the surrounding skin. The LightSheer™ diode laser's special contact-cooling handpiece further protects the epidermis (upper layer of skin). This patented method of epidermal preservation allows delivery of more laser energy deeper into the hair follicle. Additionally, the LightSheer™ diode laser is able to treat a broader range of skin types than most other hair-removal lasers. It is delicate enough for a woman's fine, sensitive skin and robust enough for a man's beard, back, or
What You
Can Expect Laser treatment itself may cause a slight tingling sensation. Most patients tolerate the procedure well. But because some areas of the body are more sensitive than others, topical anesthesia is always available. The appearance of the treated area immediately after a laser session will vary from patient to patient depending on the extent of treatment and skin type. Immediate after-effects, if any, are minor. They may include redness and swelling, which disappear in a short time. Most people return to normal activity right away. We will be happy to tell you more about your treatment and what you can expect during your consultation.
Hair
Removal for Women But when darker, coarser hair appears in places we don't like or expect - like on the face, neck, abdomen, breasts, or arms - or prevents us from wearing a high-cut bathing suit, shorts, or even a short skirt, it may be time to consider hair removal with the LightSheer™ Diode Laser.
Hair
Removal for Men Shaving or trimming your beard and mustache are regular grooming tasks you're used to. But what you may not like is that bothersome excess hair on your back or shoulders, around the ears, or between the eyebrows that seems to grow back faster than you can pluck or shave it. Or perhaps you're a competitive athlete for whom regular shaving of body hair is a tedious chore. Now may be the time to consider hair removal with the LightSheer™ Diode Laser.
Patients must have reasonable expectations when they come in for laser hair removal. To be considered successful, we expect approximately 89% of the unwanted hair in the treated area to be reduced or eliminated. We have the best laser currently available for laser hair removal, but even our laser cannot remove white or gray hair. Hair removal lasers need a target to be effective; the target for hair removal is the melanin (pigment) located within the hair follicle 1.5 mm below the surface of the skin. Because white, gray or very blond hair has very little if any pigment, people with this color hair cannot be successfully treated. The best candidates for laser hair removal are people with very light complexions and very dark hair. Even though many hair removal lasers cannot treat all types of patients, our LightSheer® laser by Coherent, Inc. can safely and effectively treat people of most skin types and most skin colors. This is a major benefit to our system. Sometimes after laser hair removal, patients will notice a gradual re-growth of fine velus hair. These are very light and usually not noticeable to the patient. We recommend that patients coming for Laser treatments stay out of the sun for a week to 10 days prior to their appointment. Although no guarantees are made to the patient that laser hair removal is permanent, we are hopeful that many patients will experience a long term management of unwanted hair with laser hair removal and we anticipate that many people will actually experience permanent removal after the series of treatments have been completed. Many patients are satisfied after one treatment. It is imperative, however, that patients understand that a series of treatments are considered necessary for laser hair removal to be effective in the long term. Hair can only be removed, by laser, when it is actively growing and only about 30% of hair in any one area of the body is actually growing at any one time. Repeated treatments must be done at various time intervals, usually one to two months, if laser hair removal is to be successful. Treated hairs may take up to 2 weeks to fall out. Patients will occasionally call and say that their hair is growing. What is actually happening is that the body is ejecting dead hair shafts. Patients are sometimes asked to come in for their next treatment at the suggested treatment intervals, or when they see actual new hair growth. Ideally, because hair is BEST treated in early anagen, re-treatment should be done as soon as significant hair re-growth is apparent.
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