Laser Hair Removal
What is a LASER? A laser is a medical device that uses a focused beam of light to target specific structures in the skin. By definition a laser has a single wavelength of light. The wavelength we use is a 1064nm NdYag laser – called the Cutera Xeo Cool Glide. Why is this important? The higher the number (up to about 1300nm), the longer the wavelength and the deeper the laser light penetrates in the skin. Only a 1064nm laser effectively penetrates to the deeper layers of the skin where the root of the hair lies. In contrast, an intense pulsed light device (which we also have in the office but we do not use for hair removal) contains many wavelengths of light between 560nm and 1200nm. This type of device is generally less effective for permanent hair removal. Many things are marketed as a “laser”. It is important to understand the above information to evaluate laser hair removal options in an educated manner.
How does Laser Hair Removal Work? In laser hair removal, the laser light targets the pigment in the hair. In the skin, hairs are generated by and sit in hair follicles. The interaction between the laser and the pigment in the hair generates energy in the hair, best described as heat. This energy is transferred from the hair to the hair follicle. By damaging the hair follicle, we prevent that hair follicle from generating new hairs in the future. Over a few weeks after the laser treatment, the old hair is pushed out of the hair follicle (this can make it seem like the hair is actually growing). Once the old hair falls out, no new one grows back. Because the laser targets the actual hair, the hairs need to be present for the laser to work. You can shave prior to treatment, but we recommend no waxing or plucking for at least six weeks prior to treatment.
Sound great! What’s the catch? Because the laser works by targeting the pigment in the hair, it is most effective on thick, dark hair. It does not work on blond, gray or white hair. The laser simply has no target if there is no pigment. Fine blond hairs that normally occur on the skin also will not respond.
Why does it take multiple treatments? All hairs on the body progress through three major stages of growth – Anagen, catagen and telogen. Anagen phase is the active growing phase, catagen is a short transition phase and telogen is the resting phase. The length of hair is determined by the length of the anagen phase. Different regions of the body have different anagen lengths, causing scalp hair to be longer than eyelash hair, etc. Different regions also have a greater percentage of hairs in the anagen phase at any given point in time. Only the anagen, actively growing hairs, are anchored well enough to the hair follicle to allow effective transfer of the laser energy. Therefore, the laser is only effective on the anagen hairs. If in a given body area 50% of the hairs are actively growing, then the first treatment would target 50%, the second 50% of the 50% that remain and so on. This is why it takes multiple treatments. Treatments are scheduled 6-10 weeks apart, enough time to allow a new group of anagen hairs to grow. Many factors influence hair growth cycle, such as age, weight, ethnicity, hormones, diet, medications, metabolism and stress. Each area can require 4-6 treatments to effectively remove the hairs.
Is it really permanent? Yes., but treatment results may vary among patients. The FDA approves the CoolGlide Laser ® for Permanent Hair Reduction. The FDA defines permanent hair reduction as the long term, stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing after a treatment regimen. In clinical studies patients were followed for one year after completing two treatments. The reduction in hair growth proved to be stable for that period of time. However, this is new technology, and we have less than 15 years of long term data, so we can’t say 100% that the results will last forever. However, this does appear to be the case.
How does the CoolGlide® laser treatment compare with other hair removal methods? Shaving, waxing, plucking and depilatory creams provide temporary results. These treatments must be repeated frequently. Electrolysis is tedious, invasive, and often painful. It can result in scarring. It involves inserting a needle into each hair follicle and delivering an electrical charge to destroy them one a time. Electrolysis
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