How does Laser Hair Removal work? - Common Questions and FAQs
Common Questions
How does laser compare with other methods of hair removal?
Which laser do we use?
Is laser treatment safe?
How long does each treatment take?
Does laser treatment hurt?
How long do I need to wait between treatments?
How many treatments are required?
How permanent are the results?
More detail
The CoolGlide Laser
Understanding natural hair growth
How many treatments? Hair Growth Stages
How long does It last. What affects hair growth and hair regrowth?
What’s involved in having treatment?
What can I do to prepare for treatment?
What does treatment feel like?
Are there any side effects?
How long does it take for results to become apparent?
After treatment
Before your next treatment
Common Questions
How does laser compare with other methods of hair removal?
Shaving, waxing and depilatory creams provide temporary results, and must be repeated frequently. They are messy, time consuming and often the results are not that great. Electrolysis is time consuming, tedious and often painful. Laser treatment delivers noninvasive laser light energy which disables hundreds of hair follicles in seconds. Laser is faster than electrolysis and more permanent than shaving or waxing.
Which laser do we use?
We have chosen a new CoolGlide Excel, a class of laser known as the long pulse Nd:YAG. The CoolGlide laser allows treatment of the widest range of skin types, including tanned skin and dark skin, safely and effectively. It's not just for those with lighter skin.Find further information on Coolglide lasers here.
Is laser treatment safe?
Lasers have been in existence for more than 35 years and used by a wide range of medical specialists. Modern lasers are very safe in trained hands. Since only light is used to remove hair, it is totally non-invasive. Our therapists are fully trained Registered Nurses.
How long does each treatment take?
Each treatment session can take from 10 minutes to 2 hours depending on the area being treated.
Does laser treatment hurt?
The patented handpiece cools and soothes the skin as it glides along, delivering laser energy. Patients often feel a mild stinging or pinching sensation during laser treatment. Pain relief is rarely necessary but available if desired.
How long do I need to wait between treatments?
The laser treats actively growing hair. After each treatment we wait 4 to 6 weeks so that a fresh crop of hair follicles can enter the growth phase. The number of treatments necessary depends on how many hair follicles enter the growth phase each time.
How many treatments are required?
Each treatment usually reduces hair by about 25%. Usually 6 to 8 treatments are necessary to clear an area but some people and some areas need more. Exactly how many depends on individual response to treatment and the area being treated.
How permanent are the results?
Most people can expect almost complete hair removal after 6 to 8 treatments (there's always at least one stubborn hair that will need to be plucked) and very little new growth for years afterwards.Most people are very happy with their permanent reduction in hair growth but a course of laser hair removal treatment does not mean that no hair will ever grow in that area ever again for the rest of your life. Different individuals and areas respond differently to laser treatment. While we know the results most people can expect we cannot predict exactly how fast each individual will respond to treatment or how many treatments you may need (or how long results will last - read why).
More detail
The CoolGlide Laser
Lasers have been used in medicine for years. Each type of laser produces a different wavelength of intense light which is absorbed by different elements of the skin. Hair removal laser light is absorbed by melanin, the pigment in hair and skin. The absorbed laser light then selectively heats and disables hair follicles.
Care is needed, however, to not heat and damage the skin through the absorption of laser light by skin melanin. Even though skin has much less melanin than hair it still has some and care must be taken not to cause burns. We prevent damage in two ways. Firstly, the Coolglide laser has a cooling tip which cools a spot of skin to 2 degrees celsius (it actually feels quite nice) before the laser flashes. The deeper uncooled hair follicle then heats up more than the cooler skin. Secondly, we can adjust the intensity and flash duration of the laser light to protect each individual's skin depending on skin colour and response to treatment. Our Registered Nurses are trained to do this.
The Coolglide laser spotlight is 1 cm across and shines a flash of laser light once or twice a second. Each flash of laser light disables a whole group of hair follicles at once which means large areas can be treated relatively quickly.
There are many types of hair removal laser on the market with no definite proof that any one is better than the others. The Ruby laser was the first and has now been superceded. These days the Alexandrite, Diode and Nd:YAG lasers as well as Intense Pulse Light (IPL) units all remove hair effectively, as long as you have pale skin and dark hair.
If you have pale white skin and dark hair for removal then any laser will work well for you. If you have very fine blonde (vellus), ginger or gray hair then no laser will work very well for you. We tell you whether we expect you to respond before, not after your treatment at the time of your free, no obligation consultation.
There are two safety aspects to be considered when choosing which laser to use. The first is that IPL is more likely to cause burns of the skin if not used by a skilled operator. The second is that all lasers can cause skin pigment changes in darker skinned or suntanned individuals but these are very much less likely with the Nd:YAG. If you have darker hair and darker or tanned skin (especially if you are Asian, Indian, Maori or Polynesian) then you should only be treated using a long pulse Nd:YAG like the Coolglide Excel.
We choose the Coolglide Excel laser for these safety reasons and also because treatment is usually quicker and a little less painful than with the diode laser. We feel it is the best hair removal laser and find that increasingly others are agreeing with us.
Understanding Natural Hair Growth
Hair wants to grow. Hair growth is complicated in humans and removing hair not as straightforward as it seems. Laser hair removal is the most advanced, effective and long lasting hair removal treatment available and is the culmination of centuries of effort to remove unwanted hair. To understand what it can do for you and what results you should expect it is necessary to know a little about natural hair growth as well as how various hair removal methods (including lasers) work . Read on to find out.
Hair grows differently on different people and in different parts of the body. It differs in the following ways:
- Hair Thickness and Length Our bodies are covered in hair, all except the palms of our hands and soles of our feet. Some is so soft and fine you can hardly see it at all (e.g. your forehead) while other hair (like on your scalp) is thick and long.
- Hair Density Some parts of the body have thick, dense hair and some don't have much . The number of areas with thicker hair varies from person to person and with stage of life.
- Hair Colour As well as the different colour of hair between individuals we each have hair of different colours in different body areas. Our hair changes colour throughout life. It usually becomes thicker and darker after puberty and continues to do so throughout life. Hormonal influences such as menopause affect hair colour and ultimately all hair turns gray if we live long enough. Hair colour is the major factor affecting whether laser hair removal will work well for you.
How Many Treatments? Hair Growth Stages
Hair follicles want to grow but also need to rest. In any one area of skin different hair follicles are at different phases of the growth and rest cycle:
- ANAGEN is the growing phase of a hair follicle with an active hair root. The hair is getting longer, darker and thicker. The permanent hair removal methods laser and electrolysis work best on hair at this stage.
- CATAGEN is the phase which begins when the hair is in its prime. It has reached its full length and thickness and is as dark as its going to get. It stops growing and then its root weakens and becomes inactive. The hair then disconnects from its root and can easily be pulled out by brushing or washing.
- TELOGEN is the hair follicle's rest phase The hair root is inactive and the hair either just sits there or falls out. These inactive hair follicles are very hard to disable and may wake up months or years later. When they do finally wake up they then begin the cycle all over again.
Lasers treat anagen hair best. Different parts of the body have different numbers of hairs in each of the three growth stages. In the male beard area about 80% of the hair is in the active anagen phase which makes laser beard removal very effective. In other parts of the body fewer hairs are in easily treated anagen. The more anagen hair in the treatment area the fewer the treatment sessions needed.
The power of the laser can be adjusted. If we turn the power up we can treat some catagen and telogen hair as well (but at that level it starts to sting so we can't turn it up too high). Some people are very sensitive to the sting the laser provides and for these people we turn the power down. If we turn the power down we may need an extra treatment session. The higher the laser power the fewer the treatment sessions needed.
People vary in the percentage of hair in an area that is in the easily treated anagen phase. Because there is no way of testing what percentage of your hair is in anagen we can't predict exactly how many treatments you may need. We know for sure that most people are happy with 5 to 7 but you may need more.
How Long Does It Last. What affects hair growth and hair regrowth?
The biggest factor affecting hair growth is genetics - some people are just hairier than others. In addition, people vary in where on their body their hair grows (and regrows after removal). As we already know our hair growth and regrowth changes as we age.
Hormone levels are the second most important factor. Puberty, pregnancy, menopause, natural aging, testosterone levels, polycystic ovaries, cortisol levels and other hormonal influences strongly affect hair growth (and also affect how long hair removal treatment lasts).
Puberty is an obvious booster of hair growth and a good example of how easy it is to turn hair follicle growth on but not so easy to turn it off. In the olden days boys were castrated to produce eunuchs to sing in operas and live in royal palaces. These boys never reached puberty so went through life never producing facial hair. Nowadays some men need to have their testicles removed for medical reasons. These men have reached puberty and have facial hair. After castration their facial hair may diminish a little but pretty much continues to grow happily - easy to turn on, hard to turn off.
Drugs such as dilantin, prednisone, minoxidil and finasteride are famous for promoting hair growth. All of these drugs as well as the hormonal and genetic factors mentioned above influence hair regrowth after a course of laser hair removal. Because we all vary in our hair regrowth rates, hormone levels and drug intakes noone can predict exactly how quickly an individual's hair will regrow. Most people will need one or two topup laser treatments every 9 to 12 months.
Remember if you have a medical condition like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome then your body will keep wanting to switch on new hair follicles and reactivate old ones so you will need more. The area around the lips and chin also continues to sprout new hairs over time which means topups will be ongoing.
What’s Involved in Having Treatment?
After taking a medical history and answering your questions we position you comfortably for treatment in our dedicated laser room. Hair needs to be shaved before treatment and if this is not already done we do this. Makeup needs to be completely removed before treatment as it may absorb laser energy and overheat the skin.
We then apply a cooling gel to the treatment area so we can glide the laser handpiece over the skin and treat more comfortably and quickly. The laser flashes feel like a pinch or a sting. We have anaesthetic cream available but have hardly ever needed to use it.
After treatment we apply a soothing cream to settle any inflammation and you can then do any activity you like.
What Can I Do To Prepare For Treatment?
Hair needs to be shaved so that the laser energy can work on the follicles more efficiently. Ideally we like to see the hair before your first treatment to plan your course of treatment. Wait at least four weeks after waxing to allow some regrowth from the roots. It is the hair itself that responds to the treatment so we need a little hair to treat. For hair removal on the face we will need to wash off makeup prior to treatment.
Try to avoid sun exposure for at least 3 weeks prior to treatment. The CoolGlide will work on all skin types, including tanned skin, but the lighter you can allow your skin to get, the safer and more effective your treatment is likely to be.
What does treatment feel like?
There may be a stinging or pinching sensation as the skin absorbs the laser light. Our nurses can vary the strength of the laser and are trained to do this safely. A higher laser intensity makes a treatment more effective (and fewer treatments are therefore needed) but also makes it more uncomfortable. You will be in control of the intensity but be aware that the more we can turn up the power the more effective the treatment. Ideally your skin will redden slightly and the hairs may fall out of the follicle right away. The redness may last several hours or days.
Remember that pain relief is available.
Are There Any Side Effects?
There are usually none. Some people find that their skin develops little red swellings around treated hair follicles but this usually fades after a few hours . This is a sign of effective treatment and should be welcomed.
Some people's skin is so sensitive that they come up in a welt just by scratching their skin with a fingernail. These people get red welts from the laser and on rare occasions blisters occur during or after treatment. These almost always heal without scarring and if they occur should be treated with gentle cleansing and application of a topical antibiotic ointment until they have healed.
Very very rarely, slight pigmentary changes (possible lightening or darkening of the skin) may occur 2 - 4 months after treatment but these usually resolve after 3 - 6 months. Avoiding excessive sun exposure (which you should be doing anyway) will prevent this.
If you do have any concerns after your treatment do not hesitate to call our rooms and discuss them with our nurses. All followup care is free.
How Long Does It Take For Results to Become Apparent?
There is often no immediate change in the hair. Don't worry if you do not see an obvious change immediately after your first treatment, the positive effects take a little while to occur. The hair that has been destroyed will usually start to fall out in 10 to 14 day.
After Treatment
You may feel as if you have a slight sunburn. At the time of treatment we apply Ultraceuticals Daily Moisturiser SPF30+ because its hydrating moisturisers quench thirsty skin and its blend of powerful antioxidants settles redness and inflammation. We recommend that you continue with this treatment as aftercare because as well as its moisturising and antioxidant effects it contains an SPF30+ sunscreen which protects against both UVB and UVA.
- Redness can also be treated with Aloe Vera or Hydrocortisone cream.
- You should avoid hot baths and spas for at least 24 hours after treatment.
- Avoid direct sun exposure for 2 - 3 weeks after your treatment (which you should be doing anyway to prevent premature ageing). If you do go out in the sun, protect the treated area with a sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher.
Before Your Next Treatment
Do not wax, pluck or use depilatories or electrolysis for the hair that grows back prior to your next laser treatment and for the duration of treatments. Please shave only. An area that has been plucked or waxed cannot be treated for 6 to 8 weeks afterwards because it takes that long for hair that has been pulled out by the roots to grow back. If we treat any earlier then the hairs are too short to absorb enough laser energy to disable the hair follicle.
Laser hair removal is an exciting treatment for unwanted hair. It is the most advanced, effective and long lasting hair removal treatment available today and with the Coolglide Excel is effective on all skin types and on tanned skin. We look forward to seeing you and discussing what it can do for you.
Laser Hair Removal
Shop by brand
Services
How can we help?
Contact Us - Ponsonby Clinic
- Address: Level 1, 63 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
- Phone: 09 360 4078
- E-Mail: enquiries@pcmc.co.nz
Contact Us - Laser @ Green Bay
- Address: 70 Godley Rd, Green Bay
- Phone: 09 827 4079
- E-Mail: enquiries@pcmc.co.nz