Ans.: Lasers are optical devices which produce intense coherent, collimated and mono-chromatic beams of light. A laser consists of an active medium such as a crystal, gas or liquid that amplifies light when excited by an external energy source (a flash amp or electric discharge, for example). When the appropriate medium is employed, the laser can be fine-tuned to generate a very narrow band of light wavelengths (such as the individual colors of the visible spectrum). Be aware that hair removal systems that use traditional light for treatment (Intense Pulse Light machines or IPLs) are not true hair removal lasers. These devices use a highly concentrated beam of traditional incoherent light, often in conjunction with a cream or gel, to burn the hair shaft. A serious flaw with these systems is that they lack the laser's ability to produce a selective bandwidth of light that will only affect the hair shaft (selective photothermolysis). These devices produce a wide bandwidth of light that can heat up all of the surrounding tissue. IPLs are generally cheaper devices and are used for various skin procedures first and foremost, with hair removal as more of an afterthought.

Ans.: Electrolysis is a tedious, invasive and painful process that involves inserting a needle into each hair follicle and delivering an electrical charge to destroy them one at a time. Electrolysis often requires years of treatments at regular intervals.A Laser delivers non-invasive light energy to hundreds of hair follicles at one time. In just a few minutes, it can effectively treat an area that would take over an hour with electrolysis.This means the treatments with Laser are much shorter less frequent and more comfortable. One of the most exciting benefits is that in between treatments you will experience long periods of being virtually hair free!

Ans.: Both men and women seek laser hair removal services to have unwanted hair removed. Hair removal is commonly done on the hairline, eyebrow, top of the nose, lip, chin, ear lobe, shoulders, back, underarm, abdomen, buttocks, pubic area, bikini lines, thighs, face, neck, breast, arms, legs, hands, and toes. Laser works best on pale skin and dark coarse hair. The closer you are to this combination (i.e. the lighter the skin and the more coarse and dark the hair), the better the results will generally be. Since laser works by being attracted to and targeting the dark pigment, using an alexandrite or a diode laser on darker skin can result in skin burning or loss of skin pigment (hypo-pigmentation). Long pulse Nd:YAG lasers were created to cater to dark-skinned patients, so they are safer on the skin at settings that actually affect the hair than alexandrite and diode lasers. When choosing your hair removal options, select an environment whose main priorities are your safety, health, and results.

Ans.: The general opinion is that laser hair removal is permanent, and the US FDA approved it as "permanent reduction," but doesn't work on everyone. Generally, this means that you shouldn't expect laser to remove every single hair from an area. Most will need touch-up treatments 1-2 times a year after the initial set of treatments for any new growth your body develops with age.A set of at least 6-8 treatments at specified intervals are generally necessary to achieve substantial hair removal with laser. Factors that determine the length of treatment include the particular area to be treated, the texture of hair, frequency of treatments, history of temporary measures to remove hair (waxing, tweezing, shaving, and depilatories, etc.) etc.

Ans.: You should shave the area to be treated 1-3 days before treatment (some clinics will offer to do this for you, but beware of irritation caused by disposable razors etc). No waxing or removing hair with the root with any other way is allowed 4-6 weeks before and throughout the course of treatment as hair needs to be in place to be targeted by laser. The area should be shaved as closely as possible so that laser can target the most energy towards the hair follicle and not waste energy on the part of the hair above the skin's surface. If your hair is the type that you can't see where it was right after you shave, make it a bit easier on your tech not to miss the spots you want treated by shaving 1-3 days before so the outline of where hair is growing is just VERY slightly visible.

After treatment is completed (underarms take under 10 minutes, back treatment can take 1 hour or so), you should apply aloe vera to soothe the skin for a few days. Within 2-3.5 weeks, you should experience shedding of all treated hair. At first, hair will look like it's growing back in, but it is just coming through the skin to shed. Shedding starts at about 1.5 weeks and can last until 3.5 weeks post-treatment or so. Exfoliating and/or scrubbing gently in the shower can help speed up the process. After shedding finishes, you might experience little black dots still "stuck" in the skin. These are commonly referred to as "pepperspots" and will shed eventually, but might take a bit longer. Exfoliate to help those out as well.

After shedding occurs, you should experience a hair free period for a few weeks, until next set of hair that was dormant before starts to come in. Once you have enough to justify one, go in for another treatment. This usually happens within 6-10 weeks post-treatment. Patient continues this process until he/she has reached diminishing returns and the remaining hairs are too fine for laser to target, or until you have reached you desired reduction.

Ans.: Most people need at least 6-8 initial treatments spaced 6-10 weeks apart. This is because hair grows in 3 phases and is killed in the first "anagen" active growing phase. Several treatments are needed to target ALL hair in the active growth phase. Approximately 6-10 weeks after every treatment, additional treatment is required to eliminate the hairs that came out of the dormant phase and are now active. After 6-8 treatments or so, patients should experience a considerable percentage of hair reduction. Depending upon hair type and genetic factors, some clients may require additional treatments beyond these initial treatments. If it seems like the treatments are not working after 6-8 treatments, patients should look into possible underlying reasons. Usually, treatments are spaced 6-8 weeks apart to start, and gradually move to 8-10 weeks apart after the initial 2-3 treatments. Instead of following an arbitrary schedule, wait until you have experienced shedding of the treated hairs (should complete within 2-3.5 weeks) and you see enough hair come in after the hair free period to justify the next treatment.

Ans.: Under normal circumstances hair growth in each hair follicle occurs in a cycle. There are three main phases of the hair growth cycle: anagen, catagen and telogen.

Ans.: In one pulse, the laser can remove all the hair on a patch of skin the size of a nickel (depending on the specific laser spot size ranging from 9-18mm on average – i.e. the "head" of the laser from which the power is coming with every pulse). Everyone's pain threshold is different, but generally laser hair removal is not much more painful than waxing, but the sensation is different. It resembles a rubber band snapping against the skin for a quick second with each pulse. Most people do not require an anesthetic cream (like EMLA), but one may be used for very sensitive patients/areas (can be provided or prescribed at the clinic).

Ans.:

1. The clinic: Make sure that you go in for a consultation to see if you are happy with the way the clinic looks and feels (clean, up-to-date and informative).
2. The laser technician: Make sure that the person treating you has extensive experience of hair removal and has knowledge of how to best kill the hair. If you are an informed consumer, you will be able to better judge whether what they're saying is in your best interests or not.
3. The laser: Make sure that the laser being used is best for your skin and hair type. Do not fall for "marketing hype". Every laser can technically be used on any skin type, but you should be looking for one that will produce the most efficient results for YOU. Alexandrite long pulse and diode lasers are very effective when the skin type is light (I-III - see question #11 to determine your skin type) and the hair is dark enough to attract the laser within the follicle. Some of the most popular alexandrite lasers include GentleLASE by Candela Corporation and Apogee by Cynosure. Diode lasers work best on skin types I-IV. The most popular on the market is the LightSheer laser by Lumenus. Nd:YAG long pulse lasers are best for treating darker skin types (IV-VI) or patients of color such as: Afro-American, Asian, Hispanic, Mediterranean, European and Middle Eastern. Alexandrites and diodes are generally more effective on finer hair given higher settings than Yag lasers. So, if your skin type falls into types III-IV and the hair is finer, an alex or a diode is preferred. If your skin is darker than a type V and the hair is fine, the hair might not have enough pigment to be treated, so a test spot might be necessary before committing to a treatment.

Ans.: In 1975, Thomas B Fitzpatrick, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, developed a classification system for skin typing. This system was based on a person's response to sun exposure in terms of the degree of burning and tanning the individual experienced. For successful removal of hair, wrinkles, veins, sun spots, and scars using LASER technology, it is necessary to determine your correct skin type.

• TYPE I: Highly sensitive, always burns, never tans. Example: Red hair with freckles or Albino.
• TYPE II: Very sun sensitive, burns easily, tans minimally. Example: Fair-skinned, fair-haired Caucasians.
• TYPE III: Sun sensitive skin, sometimes burns, slowly tans to light brown. Example: Darker Caucasians, European mix.
• TYPE IV: Minimally sun sensitive, burns minimally, always tans to moderate brown. Example: Mediterranian, European, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian.
• TYPE V: Sun-insensitive skin, rarely burns, tans well. Example: Hispanics, Afro-American, Middle Eastern.
• TYPE VI: Sun-insensitive, never burns, deeply pigmented. Example: Afro-American, African, Middle Eastern.

• Alexandrite: GentleLASE, Apogee, EpiTouch Plus.
• Diode: LightSheer, SLP 1000, F1 Diode, MeDioStar, LaserLite, Epistar, Apex 800, Comet (w/RF technology), Palomar SLP 1000.
• Nd:Yag: CoolGlide, GentleYAG, Lyra-i, Sciton, Apogee Elite, Medlite IV, Varia, Athos.
• IPL: Aurora (w/RF technology), Harmony, EpiLight, PhotoDerm, Quantum, Aculight, Vasculight, Palomar Starlux and EsteLux.
• Ruby: RubyStar, E2000.

What are the possible causes of excessive hair growth and how can it affect my treatments?

Ans.:The causes of excessive hair growth pattern are many and varied, including:

• Heredity
• Pregnancy
• Glandular and/or hormonal imbalances (possible PCOD condition for women), including diseases causing these effects Insulin resistance issues Reactions to certain medications
• Normal aging processes
• Excessive temporary removal methods like waxing, tweezing, creams and depilatories, etc. Every laser candidate should explore a possible underlying reason of the extreme hair growth before starting laser because if there is something in the body consistently triggering hair growth, laser treatments might seem ineffective because the body will keep developing new hair. So, it will always seem like there is not reduction, when in fact it's NEW hair your body is producing that you are seeing, not that treated by laser growing back. Women with PCOD hair growth patterns (upper lip, chin, cheeks, etc) should see an endocrinologist and have hormonal tests taken. Men can get tested for insulin resistance etc. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you might have an underlying medical condition causing excessive hair growth before starting laser hair removal. Once the condition is control through treatment/medication, laser hair removal can then be performed. Laser can affect the hair that's currently present, but cannot prevent NEW hair from developing.