Laser Hair Removal

Laser and IPL systems use energy in the form of light to destroy hair follicles. First, the correct settings are chosen according to the clients skin colour and the coarseness of the hair being treated. Next a cool sapphire crystal is placed over a cold gel that is applied on your skin, followed by a flash of high intensity, filtered light. The energy from the light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair and is then transferred to the surrounding cells, which in turn are converted into heat. The heating denatures the cells, rendering them incapable of producing further hair growth. The heat kills the hair roots but the hair remains in the skin and will fall out 1-3 weeks after the treatment. Some hairs can even fall out at the time of treatment. The hair being treated should not be tweezed or waxed for 1 month prior to treatments.

DON’T: Sun tan, wax, or tweeze the area for at least 4 weeks before your treatment.

DO: Shave the area immediately before coming in for treatment.

Only hairs that are in the active growth phase (anagen) are targeted each session. As a result hair will grow back in patches.

An average of eight treatments is recommended for maximum hair reduction. You can expect an average of 10- 20 percent hair reduction after the first treatment. It’s important to note that there are three phases of hair growth: Anagen, Telogen, and Catagen. Laser Hair Removal can only effectively target hairs in the active stage (Anagen).

Each body part has a different hair growth cycle and the time of the growth cycle can vary from 4-8 weeks depending on the body site. The number of sessions you will need depends on many factors including area of the body treated, skin colour, coarseness of the hair, and any underlying health conditions.

There will be a permanent reduction in the amount of hair. It is important to understand exactly what permanent hair reduction means. It does not mean 100 percent reduction, but rather 50 to 90 percent reduction. New hairs appear over time, but in most cases it is finer, and easier to manage. Maintenance treatments can still be done after your recommended sessions are finished to help with new hairs that have grown over time.

The ideal candidate is anyone who has unwanted hair that appears dark in colour. The darker and coarser the hair appears, the more effective the treatment will be. Finer, lighter coloured hairs often require more treatments and do not always respond well.

Ingrown hairs can be caused by almost every hair removal method, except Laser.

Waxing and shaving often result in breakage of the hair. The tugging on the hair causes the hair to break half way while the rest of the hair remains attached. The hair then tries to grow but it has been disrupted causing the hair to coil. This results in a large, red swollen ingrown hair.

Laser Hair Removal can effectively treat and prevent ingrown hairs from happening in the first place. The laser does not come in contact with the hair, rather the filtered light is absorbed by the pigment of the hair which is then converted to heat. There is no tugging or pulling on the hair. Laser Hair Removal can still target the hair inside the ingrown and the heat helps eliminate any bacteria inside of the follicle.