Remove Unwanted Hair

Posted Friday, September 7, 2007 to PROCEDURES > Skin

Posted by The Original Anti-Aging & Cosmetic Surgery Magazine

Holly O'Neill talked to several doctors experienced in laser hair removal treatment.

Lasers are marvelous things. They can be used in all kinds of surgical procedures - including vein removal, resurfacing and dentistry. Also, to the relief of many women and men, they may be used for quick, easy and long-lasting hair removal.

"Of all the things I do in my practice, I have had more favorable responses to the laser hair removal and fewer complaints about side effects. It has been very safe and very effective." said Dr Michael Clinton, a dermatologist from Birmingham, Alabama.

Lasers eradicate unwanted hair by targeting the melanin in the hair follicle. The energy of the laser beam causes the hair to be killed, and the follicle disabled from growing any more.

Treatment consists of placing a small hand piece near the skin and administering laser pulses over the area to be treated. A focused beam of light (emitted by the laser) is absorbed through the pigment in the hair follicle. The light is pulsed for a fraction of a second just long enough to disable the hair follicle, but not long enough to cause damage to surrounding skin.

Lasers are attracted to the pigment in the follicle. So the darker the hair, the easier it is for it to be disabled. Light is exposed onto the skin and must pass through the skin to be absorbed by the hair follicle.

"As hair removal lasers work on the melanin principle, the ideal patient is very fair with dark hair." explained Dr Clinton. "But we can use it on African American and Mediterranean skin types. You simply have to go down in power. Specifically the 'GentleLASE' (Candela Corp., Wayland, MA) has been very useful, because we can go lower on the power and still treat very dark-skinned patients with no complication and very good hair removal."

Practically any area of the body can be treated. New York dermatologist Dr Arielle Kauvar nominates the upper lip, underarms and bikini areas as most popular among women, and the back and shoulders for men. Director of Laser and Dermatologic Surgery at Boston University, Dr Thomas Rohrer, agrees and adds chin and sideburns for women, and also neck for men.

For men it is also possible to treat the face to retard the growth of a beard. "In the past we couldn't," said cosmetic surgeon from Beverly Hills, California, Dr Simon Ourian. "Now we can. The lasers weren't as safe then. But now it is very effective and safe."

Patients will require more than one treatment for longterm hair removal, though one treatment can last up to 3 months. "It rarely is enough to have one treatment. Typically people require 3-6 treatments," said Dr Rohrer.

"In time we will probably find something that allows us to accomplish in one go what we are currently achieving in 5 or 6 treatments. We are going to find something that probably kills all the hair in a single treatment, but that's in the future," concluded Dr Clinton.

• Throughout the USA there are centers that specialize in hair removal.
• Find out if the practice you are considering has more than one laser. A variety of different lasers is recommended, so your skin can be matched to the correct laser as one laser won't fit all types of skin.
• Referral is the best to go by. Ask patients where they got their treatments
• See "before" and" after" photos and have all your questions answered in the consultation.
• Find a laser with a mechanism that will keep the skin cold, so the laser can penetrate deep enough to kill the hair follicles.
• If you have dark skin, you should get a patch test to see if your skin can tolerate the laser.

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