Laser Treatments
For most people laser hair removal treatment is generally safe and effective but contraindications also need to be considered when deciding upon
laser hair removal treatment; some conditions may be made significantly worse and action may need to be taken prior to the start of treatment
course. Your treatment practitioner should be made aware of your medical history and any medications you are currently taking before any
treatment takes place. They should take this into account and use their own experience and judgment to make the process as safe as possible for
you. Also to be on the safe side you should contact your GP to discuss if any of your medications or medical conditions will be worsened by or
complicate laser hair removal treatment.
You must tell your practitioner of any recent hair removal such as waxing. This is important because in order to achieve good hair removal results
it is essential to have hair follicles. Any recent waxing and plucking of hair can remove the hair follicles and this will prevent you from getting good
results from any laser hair removal treatments.
Hirsutism
Hirsutism (the medical term for excessive body hair) can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Such conditions are generally hormone
related, e.g. polycystic ovarian syndrome. The first port of call if you have excessive body hair should be to your GP, to discuss the problem and rule
out any underlying health problems, which could be causing the problem.
Medical Conditions which are Contraindicative: Some medical conditions must be considered with caution.
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Laser hair removal treatment can cause problems for those with active or chronic herpes simplex viral infections. Your practitioner must
know before treatment if you suffer from such an infection. You can be given antiviral medication several days before starting treatment
and this will normally continue for up to 1 week. Antiviral medication is particularly important if you suffer from viral lesions on the area
you want to have treated.
Care should also be taken if you suffer from hypertrophic scarring or keloid formation. You practitioner should use their own judgment and
advise you as you may have problems with skin healing if the skin is damaged during laser treatment.
Other conditions which should be approached with caution include psoriasis, bleeding disorders, vitiligo and severe histamine reactions.
Laser hair removal treatment should not be carried out on skin which is sunburnt, or had surgeries such as laser resurfacing and chemical
peels. Laser hair removal treatments will not be conducted on any tattoo area.
You cannot be treated if you are pregnant, undergoing chemotherapy or have a history of skin cancer.
You cannot be treated if you have auto immune conditions - Lupus etc
Medication which is Contraindicative
Certain types of medication can affect laser hair removal treatment and any healing periods afterwards.
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If you are currently taking isotretinoin (or Accutane as it is commercially known), you should stop taking this 6 months before undergoing
laser hair removal treatment. This drug can cause skin sensitivity and this is not beneficial in laser hair removal treatment.
Photosensitising drugs that are activated by ultraviolet A light wavelengths may also contraindicate some laser hair removal treatments. If
you are taking such medication it is safer to use laser treatments, which work within the visible and infrared parts of the light spectrum.
There are a multitude of common drugs, and herbal remedies like St
Johns Wort which can also interfere with treatment. Steroids,
antibiotics such as tetracyclines and analgesics like ibuprofen are just
some such drugs. You mustn't take Ibuprofen (ie Neurofen as an
example brand) for 7 days prior to your appointments.
How It Works
1. Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent?
Yes, it is. The hair that is killed during a laser hair removal session is dead and will never
grow back. And nowadays new technology is capable of giving over 80-90% or better
permanent reduction for ALL skin types, male and female, for ALL parts of the body, except around the eyes.
However don't forget that you have a lot more hair on your body than you probably imagine (hair grows in cycles so
you actually never get to see all your hair at any given time) and it takes multiple sessions to kill 80-90% of this total
hair. Another thing to keep in mind is that your body, as long as you are well and alive, will produce new hair. None
of us had hair as babies or children but our bodies grew and shed hair over our lifetimes. This process will
continue despite laser hair removal and the growth of new hair is actually why you need clean up sessions once
or twice a year.
2. How many sessions do I need to achieve a smooth skin?
Most people will need 6 to 10 treatments. In some areas, such as the legs, faster results will be achieved. Within
three treatments, at least 50 percent of your hair will be gone forever. Within six treatments 90 percent, or higher,
results will be achieved. You can expect similar results for the bikini area, under the arms, on the arms, and the
facial and chest areas. The back area of men is usually more challenging and may take a few extra treatments. The
results will of course vary from person to person based on age, gender, punctuality with appointments, hair colour
etc.
3. How long do I wait between each session? How do I know when to come for my next treatment?
We like to do the first 3-4 treatments within specific intervals (4-6 weeks depending on what area it is) because we like to catch the majority of your hair in its anagen
growth cycle and kill it. After you lose more than half your hair, it is wiser to go by observation of new hair growth: when you start to see new stubble (new hair
growth), you can make an appointment within the week and this timeframe will vary from person to person as well as from area to area.
4. Will I have hair between the sessions? How will I look?
Your treated area will be cleared of most of the present hair during the treatment, while the rest of the treated hair will shed in two weeks leaving the area smooth
and clean. Depending on the area, the skin will remain clean and smooth for around 6 to 8 weeks in total, starting with the treatment date; and the time for your
next session will be when you see little fine hairs growing again. By repeating the sessions on time the area will remain hair free throughout the entire multiple
session procedure and you will not need to maintain it by shaving, tweezing, waxing etc again. You may use depilatory creams or shave – never wax or pluck during
the full duration of the treatments. Do not use depilatory cream (Veet etc) in the 7 days preceding a treatment as it sensitises skin.
5. How soon do I expect to see results? How do I know it is working for me?
You will see results starting with your VERY FIRST session. The hair growth will be less and the hairs finer and weaker; your skin will become smoother; and the hair
pores on your skin will become less visible after each session. The results will become more impressive with each following session.
6. What are the risks or possible side effects involved?
With the right machine and sufficient experience, you will not experience any damage to your skin. All the possibilities are short term reactions such as a redness and
follicular oedema (which is a temporary swelling of the hair root sac with a similar overall appearance as goosebumps). These may take a few minutes to several
hours to fade away. Most people can get treated during their lunch time and there will be no visible indications of a treatment when they return to their office.
7. Does Laser Hair Removal hurt?
If you have tried any hair removal solution such as waxing, tweezing or electrolysis, along with any type of other laser and flash-lamp equipment, you will marvel at
how painless our Polaris lasers are. Any of the methods mentioned above is more aggressive, damaging and painful than a laser hair removal session with new and
improved machines will be. However there is some slight discomfort associated with it and this is why we recommend getting the free patch test to experience it for
yourself and see if it is within your comfort levels.
8. What should I do before/after laser hair removal?
Your hair needs to be as short as possible for this treatment to be effective. Therefore we do recommend you to shave at least a day or two before. Since we will
cover the entire area in each of your sessions (except for clean-up sessions) we do not actually need to see the hair. Shaving it removes the surface debris and allows
the laser beam to penetrate and kill the root as it should. Do not take Ibuprofen for 7 days prior to treatment. Do not use fake tan, sunbeds or sunbathe 2-4 weeks
either side of treatments.
After the treatments we advise you to treat your skin with care for the next 24 hours. Taking showers with boiling hot water, sweating excessively, rough exfoliating
or products that contain a lot of chemical ingredients should be avoided since they can cause itchy, sensitive skin. After this period of time you can return to your
daily habits with no danger whatsoever. A broad spectrum SPF 30 over the area in sunlight is essential. Aloe vera cooling gel is advised post treatment.
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