Laser hair removal

‘Laser’ is an acronym: light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation.

Lasers are sources of high-intensity light with the following properties:

Monochromatic — the radiation is of a single wavelength
Coherent — the light beam waves are in phase
Collimated — the light beams travel in parallel

Laser light can be accurately focused into small spots with very high energy.

The light is produced within an optical cavity containing a medium, which may be a gas (eg, argon, krypton, carbon dioxide), liquid (eg, dye) or solid (eg, ruby, neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet, alexandrite). The process involves excitation of the molecules of the laser medium, which results in the release of a photon of light as it returns to a stable state. Each medium produces a specific wavelength of light, which may be within the visible spectrum (violet 400 through to red 700nm) or infrared spectrum (more than 700 nm).

Laser hair removal is a procedure that uses a laser, or a concentrated beam of light, to get rid of hair in different areas of the body. It beams highly concentrated light into hair follicles. Pigment in the follicles absorb the light. This destroys the hair.

When men or women grow excess hair anywhere on their bodies, lasers are useful for removing unwanted hair from the face, leg, chin, back, arm, underarm, bikini line, and other areas. However, you can’t get laser done on your eyelids or the surrounding areas or anywhere that has been tattooed.

You may need to avoid the procedure if you:

• Are pregnant.
• Are taking certain medications, such as acne treatments.
• Have genital herpes (HSV-2) or are prone to cold sores.
• Have keloid scars (raised scars).
• Have or have had skin cancer.
• Removing the unwanted hair can take 6 sessions or more. Afterward, laser hair removal is permanent on most areas of the body. Due to hormones, it’s not permanent on a woman’s face.
• Laser hair removal can be repeated when the hair regrows.

Benefits of laser hair removal include:

Precision: Lasers can selectively target dark, coarse hairs while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged.
Speed: Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time. The laser can treat an area approximately the size of a quarter every second. Small areas such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute, and large areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour.
Predictability: Most patients have permanent hair loss after an average of three to seven sessions.

Treatment:

Before the treatment, the area to be treated will be cleansed. Some patients receive a numbing gel. Numbing the area to be treated helps when a small area will be treated and the skin is very sensitive. It takes about 30 to 60 minutes for a numbing gel to work.

The laser treatment will take place in a room set up specifically for laser treatments. Everyone in the room must wear protective eyewear during the procedure. To perform the procedure, the skin is held taut and the skin is treated with the laser. Many patients say that the laser pulses feel like warm pinpricks or a rubber band being snapped against the skin. A laser removes hair by vaporizing it. This causes small plumes of smoke that have a sulfur-like smell.

How long your treatment lasts depends on the size of the area being treated. Treating the upper lip takes minutes. If you are having a large area like the back or legs treated, your treatment may last more than an hour.

The most common side effects are minor and last 1 to 3 days. These side effects include:

• Discomfort
• Swelling
• Redness

Other possible side effects are rare when laser hair removal is performed by a dermatologist or under the dermatologist’s direct supervision. Other possible side effects include:

• Blistering
• Herpes simplex (cold sores) outbreaks
• Infections
• Scarring
• Skin lightening or darkening

In time, skin color tends to return to normal. Some changes to skin color, however, are permanent. This is why seeing a medical doctor who is skilled in laser treatments and has in-depth knowledge of the skin is so important.

To avoid possible side effects, all patients need to protect their skin from the sun. After laser hair removal, you should:

• Avoid direct sunlight from hitting your treated skin.
• Not use a tanning bed, sun lamp, or any other indoor tanning equipment.
• Follow your dermatologist’s after-care instructions.

You will see some redness and swelling after treatment. This often looks like a mild sunburn. Applying a cool compress can help reduce your discomfort.

It is also important to follow the dermatologist’s instructions. Following both the before-treatment instructions and after-treatment instructions will greatly reduce your risk of side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves some laser hair removal devices for home use. Without supervision by an experienced healthcare provider, the risk of misuse or injury increases. Use extreme caution and protective eyewear if you do at-home laser hair removal.

With advance technology, more people can safely have laser hair removal. In the past, only people with dark hair and light skin could safely have laser hair removal. Today, laser hair removal is a treatment option for patients who have light-colored hair and light skin and patients who have dark skin. Laser hair removal must be performed very carefully in these patients. Dermatologists know what precautions to take to provide laser hair removal safely and effectively.