LASER HAIR REMOVAL

Laser Technology has been used safely and effectively for many years. LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification Stimulated Emission. The use of lasers has revolutionized the way many unwanted cosmetic issues can be addressed and treated. Hair Removal is one of the latest innovations in the exciting field of laser technology.

Other Hair Removal methods, such as waxing, plucking and shaving only offer temporary relief. Until now, electrolysis has been the only more permanent alternative. However, electrolysis treatments can take years, be painful and are limited to treating small areas.

The Laser safely removes unwanted hair in approximately 3-6 treatments that generally don’t take more than 15-20 minutes.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
The laser emits a beam of light that passes through the skin into the hair follicle. The energy of the laser is transformed into heat as it gets absorbed and the hair follicle gets disabled, but leaves the surrounding skin unchanged.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM A GOOD CANDIDATE?
Hair Removal Laser works best on people who have dark hair and light skin. The laser’s light is looking for a difference in color (melanin or pigment) between the skin and the hair. So, people with light hair and fair skin are not good candidates, neither are people with dark hair and dark skin. A qualified physician can easily evaluate if you are a good candidate and tell you what you can expect for results.

IS IT PERMANENT?
Hair Removal Laser is a permanent hair reduction method. After each treatment a vast percentage of the hair follicles are permanently disabled. The results vary from individual to individual but after a series of treatments has been completed there is minimum hair regrowth.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE TREATMENT?
Protective eyewear is always worn to protect the eyes from the laser’s intense light.
A light coolant spray is used to cool the outer layers of the skin before each pulse of light for increased comfort. Because of the cooling device, most people experience minimal discomfort.

However, pain tolerance varies from person to person and a topical anesthetic can be applied in advance of the procedure.

After the treatment, the area may be pink or red for a few hours, but it can sometimes last for several days.

ARE THERE ANY RISKS?
When the laser procedure is performed correctly, by a trained operator and the patient selection process is appropriate, there should not be any complications beyond the possibility of an allergic reaction, ingrown hair or temporary redness. However, under certain conditions scarring can occur.

WHO PERFORMS LASER HAIR REMOVAL AT NEDA?
Only our experienced, board certified dermatologists who are also members of the American Society of Laser Surgery and Medicine.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The cost depends on the size of the area being treated. The average price range
per treatment for areas such as the face, bikini area and underarms is between $250-$500.

Intense Pulsed Light

What is Intense Pulsed Light?
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a state-of-the-art system and the latest technique in photofacial and hair removal therapy. The IPL system delivers high intensity, smooth and powerful pulses of light (not lasers) that greatly enhances the results of your skin rejuvenation or hair removal therapy. For skin therapy, IPL stimulates new collagen growth resulting in smoother, more even, healthier skin.

Penn Plastic Surgery’s certified, state-licensed medical aestheticians or skin care professionals, will closely examine your skin or hair during your initial consultation to determine your eligibility for treatments. Our skin care professional will decide what is the right process for you and make a recommendation on the number of treatments necessary to achieve your desired goals.

You may need a spot or test patch to make sure there are no negative reactions. The treatments may also require application of a topical gel or anesthetic to “numb” the treatment area. Your aesthetician will use the hand-held IPL device to direct the intense light at the problem area.

Who is a Good Candidate?
IPL is an excellent choice for men and women of all ages considering treatment for various hair or skin problems including:

* Brown or age spots
* Facial spider veins
* Hair removal
* Rosacea
* Skin pigmentation
* Softening superficial wrinkles

Risks
IPL is a simple and fast technique. There is minimal discomfort. You may feel some warm sensations or a very mild stinging during treatment. After treatment, you can resume your normal activities. There is no down time.

Recovery and Maintenance
You may have some pinkness or redness in or around the treatment area. There may be some mild swelling which will go away after a few days. In addition, you will need to protect the treated area from sunlight, tanning beds or other UV light.

Results
You will start to see results after one or two treatments, depending on the nature of the problem. Some skin problems or hair removal will require several treatments before you see any difference.

Laser Hair Removal Treatment Protocol

Laser Hair Removal Treatment Protocol

PRE-TREATMENT ADVICE TO PATIENT:

* Avoid tanning for 4-6 weeks before ANY treatment.
* Use a sunscreen when you do go out in the sun.
* Do not wax or have an electrolysis treatment for 6 weeks before treatment. You want to have plenty of hair present in the treatment area so it will be cost effective for you.
* If your skin is dark, you may be asked to use a pre-treatment bleaching cream.
* You may shave or use a depilatory cream until treatment however, stubble should be visible on the day of treatment.
* Please be prepared to inform us of any light sensitive medication you might be using (such as antibiotics etc. - St. John Wart etc.)
* The best colors to wear when receiving body work (such as bikini line or underarms) are white, purple, or red.

POST-TREATMENT ADVICE TO PATIENT:

* Shortly after treatment areas may be tender, slightly red and/or swollen. This reaction usually disappears within a few hours. Blisters may occur in sensitive areas such as bikini line and neck areas. Oozing, crusting and scabbing may occur within 1-3 days. (This is a "worst-case" scenario!)
* Do not pick or remove scabs.
* Apply antibiotic ointment (Polysporin, Bactroban, Fucidin, Hydrocortisone) twice daily until healed. The area will heal in 5-7 days. If you experience itching, antihistamines such as Benadryl may be taken 1-3 days if required.
* For the first 2-3 days apply an ice pack for 15 minutes a few times a day if you have swelling. Many people do not experience this.
* Talk with me about your questions or concerns regarding make-up.
* After each treatment avoid sun for 2 months and use sun screen of SPF 30 or higher.
* Be gentle with your skin. Treat it as if you have just received a mild sunburn. Feel free to bath and shower as usual, but be kind to your skin - no abrasive scrubbing.

Note: Stubble representing dead hair being shed from the hair follicle will appear within a day or two of treatment. 10-20 days from the treatment date the treated hair should fall out.

Infrared Removal of Hair

Benefits of Infrared Treatment:
Inexpensive compare to laser
Large areas can be treated quickly
You can resume regular activities immediately with no down time
Infrared painless technology leaves no discomfort, burns, scarring or pigmentation changes to the skin and no side effects.

Accute Laser Hair Removal

The laser is the latest technology in hair removal and the least painful of all hair removal methods. The technician runs the tip of a hand-held device emitting a high frequency beam of light across the skin. The light passes through the skin to the hair follicle where it is absorbed by the hairs pigment. This absorption creates heat that damages the follicle, so hair has difficulty growing back. The darker the hair, the better the results because the hair pigment absorbs the laser light. White, blonde and red hair does not respond to the current lasers available, thus electrolysis is the only method to remove the hair permanently.
The LightSheer Diode Laser™ is one of the only FDA approved machines for laser hair removal. The LightSheer system was designed from the ground up for effective hair removal, providing unsurpassed safety and efficacy, reliability, and ease-of-use. Its advanced high-power diode technology delivers high fluence combined with a large spot size, user-selected pulse width, aggressive contact cooling and compression for high-performance unmatched by other high-tech hair removal systems.

Accurate Laser Hair Removal specializes in utilizing the latest technology in hair removal and offering the least painful of all hair removal methods.

Major Laser Type Therapies

* Ruby lasers (694 nm) that cause lesser epidermal damage.

* The more recent long-pulsed alexandrite lasers that too safeguard the epidermis better

* The strong 800-nm diode lasers are safer for dark skinned people, since the epidermis does not absorb the longer wavelength light that easily.

* Photodynamic therapy is another method that uses laser light and a chemical photosensitizer to damage the hair follicle permanently.

* There are combination packages as well, that are being developed every other day. The topical use of aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is one such additional therapy being considered and studied for use in combination with laser technology. Though in its developmental stage, ALA’s advantages have been identified in its capacity to target larger areas rapidly and its use on more skin types.

Effectiveness of Laser

The lasers target area of activity is the stem cell group, where the cells multiply very fast in the growing stage (anagen) of the hair production cycle. Hence, laser therapy is most effective in the anagen stage. Though hair production is gradually slowed down after each laser session, permanent hair removal is not possible. Lasers actually ensure a temporary complete hair removal. Generally, there is re-growth after 6 months (though it is sparser than the initial growth) and one must undergo additional therapy.

Research has also shown that despite the laser type employed, significant clinical result is possible after at least 1 month of the second laser session. More noticeable hair reduction is generally occurs 6 months after the third and last laser application.

Effectiveness of the laser depends on the kind of laser used and the patient’s skin biology. Generally, laser hair removal works best on fairer cases with dark-pigmented hair. Estimates suggest that around 80 percent of cases benefit from laser hair removal, though some require multiple sessions.

Laser Hair removal

Advancements in technology have provided both men and women the avenue to enhance their physical appearance. A lot of procedures have been established to improve people’s aesthetics and help them feel good about themselves. Laser hair removal is one of these procedures. Laser hair removal is a fast, relatively painless, safe, and effective way of permanently removing hair. Several hair removal centers as well as treatment and medical spas in Denver offer these procedures at different prices.

The American Laser Center in Denver considers their customers to be their top priority. Specializing in laser therapy and offering services that include laser hair removal, The American Laser Center in Denver provides high quality professional services, combined with very fast and effective procedures that are proven to be safe. The American Laser Center in Denver also provide post laser products that can aid in maximizing results as well as to smooth the skin after undergoing laser procedures.

With focus on laser therapy, the American Laser Center in Denver constantly invests in new and state of the art technologies to improve their laser hair removal procedures. The medical advisory board is constantly evaluating new techniques and methods to consistently provide high quality results to all their clients. And, because of its size and relationship with industry researchers and manufacturers, the American Laser Center has access to all the newest equipment in laser therapy.

Offering a two year guarantee, the American Laser Center in Denver is one of the best choices for laser hair removals. Its medical advisory board is composed of Kathleen Gilmore, M.D., Benn Gilmore, M.D., and Leonard LaCivita, M.D.

Another well established laser clinic in Denver is the Rocky Mountain Laser Clinic - one of the foremost hair removal centers providing services in the Rocky Mountain region. A patient’s experience in the Rocky Mountain Laser Clinic usually goes beyond expectations with the use of state of the art laser equipment and the application of the newest technologies by expert technicians. The owner and medical director of the Rocky Mountain Laser Clinic is Jeffrey Raval., M.D., a double board certified plastic surgeon.

The Rock Creek Laser Clinic is another known laser hair removal center in Denver. It is operated by board certified and licensed medical professionals and specialists in hair removal who have over ten years of experience in the field. These professionals’ level of understanding on hair growth and skin physiology assures their patients of the best possible results.

Aside from laser hair removal, the Rock Creek Laser Clinic also offers other procedures for hair removal such as electrolysis, waxing, and laser hair therapy. Other services are also offered such as those for anti-aging like impulse light therapy, microdermabrasion, and bio electric rejuvenation. Spa services are also offered like air brush tanning, European facials, Sanitas Triple Peel System, body massages, and permanent make-up.

These three laser clinics are only few examples of all the clinics and treatment spas that provide laser hair removal procedures. To find out more about these clinics and the others not mentioned here, simply look online or ask around.