Until now, the only options for removing unwanted hair were shaving, waxing, hair-removal creams, tweezing or electrolysis, and these are all temporary and/or painful.  In the 1980s, a Russian physicist while developing the Ruby laser for defense purposes, accidentally lasered himself on the arm.  He noticed that the hair in the lasered area was vaporized and new hair growth occurred only after a number of months.  As a result of this accident, laser hair removal was born.  This technique has been found effective for underarms, face, legs, back and most other skin surfaces.
 

The laser light targets hair in the active growth cycle and then damages the hair follicle with minimum trauma to surrounding tissue.  Since only 20-30% of the hair will be active at any one time, additional treatments will be necessary since only the hair in the anagen or growth phase are effected.  Results of this treatment vary with skin type, hair color, and the area of the body to be treated.   Because the filtered light and/or laser only detects color, people who are very fair skinned and have dark hair in the treatment area usually obtain the best results. Persons who have darker skin with lighter hair may experience little or no improvement because the light and/or laser energy is more dispersed in areas with darker pigmentation.  This treatment is usually not effective for natural blonde, gray, white or red hair.  Although the goal is hair removal, sometimes only modifications are made.  For example, coarse hair may be replaced with finer, lighter hair. Some conditions may exclude clients from treatment.  These conditions are pregnancy, the use of certain medications, herbs and vitamins that increase photo sensitivity, diabetes, a history of keloid scarring, or if the skin turns brown when it is scratched.  A recent suntan received within six weeks will preclude treatment until your tan fades.
 

During a consultative visit, Dr. English will examine the areas to be treated and make an assessment of skin type and hair color.  The patient's medical history and objectives will also be discussed.  For persons with darker skin tones, a "test spot" may be performed before procedures are begun to determine if you are a good candidate.  Since we have two hair removal devices in our office, the Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) which is a filtered white light or the more common laser device, the Alexandrite, options exist for our patients.  These procedures are performed as an in-office procedure at the English Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Center and Surgi-spa by trained physicians.  Since some clients may feel discomfort when the skin is exposed to the light pulse from the IPL device and/or the laser device from the alexandrite, topical anesthetic creams are applied to the skin for 30-45 minutes prior to treatment to lessen the discomfort on the skin's surface.  Otherwise, the sensation is often described as feeling like a snap from a rubber band. 
 

A burning sensation may result from the procedure that can last for up to one hour. Redness that lasts from 30 minutes to two days may also occur.  Swelling may appear immediately after treatment, especially if the face has been treated.  Cold compresses may be used to reduce these after effects.   With any laser treatment, there is always the slight possibility of developing a superficial crust or blister on the skin.  This crust or blister should not result in a scar and is treated like a sunburn or any other blister.  The treated areas commonly heal without any pigment changes, however, there is always the possibility that darker or lighter areas may occur.  These changes in pigment are usually temporary and fade within one to six months.  Some activities should be avoided following laser treatment.  Shaving in the treatment area should be delayed until the redness disappears and sunblock should be used to protect the treatment area from the sun until the series of treatments is concluded.
 

Results of laser treatment will not be immediate. For hair removal, the hair shaft will fall out in about two weeks. Since only the active hair that is present is removed and/or modified, the regrowth of dormant hair will necessitate additional treatments.  Patients return when there is evidence of new hair growth.  In facial areas, this growth usually appears after four weeks.  Hair growth in other parts of the body can be visible in six to eight weeks.

If you would like more information on our state of the art abilities to remove your unwanted hair by a trained physician, please call us for more information at your earliest convenience.