1730 Minor Ave Suite 1000
Seattle, WA 98101
206-267-2100
LASER HAIR REDUCTION: Pre-treatment information
1. There is no guarantee of complete permanent hair removal, although that often happens.
You may need “touch up” or maintenance every 6-12 months after an initial course of
treatments.
2. Cost varies depending on the size of the area treated. See price sheet. Discount: pay full
price for the first 3 treatments, and at the 4th treatment receive a 15% discount on the total
price of 4 treatments.
3. Laser works best with contrast, meaning lighter skin, darker hair. The laser is ineffective on
blonde or silver hair. You should not be tan in the area to be treated. If you have more color
in your skin genetically (Asian, African-American), we may use a different laser and do test
spots to determine the best settings.
4. You will need multiple treatments 5-6, with 4-6 weeks in between treatments. These are
necessary because the laser works best when the hair is in the growing phase. Normal hair
has a resting, growing, and falling out phase. Not all of the hairs are in the same phase at the
same time.
5. The target for the laser beam is the color in the hair. The beam of light goes just below the
surface of the skin and “zaps” the hair follicle. Because the hair follicle is the target, it must
be left in place for effective laser treatment. This means the only treatment you can do for hair
removal in between laser treatments, is shaving. NO plucking, waxing, electrolysis,
depilatories, sugaring, or threading – nothing that jeopardizes the follicle.
6. You will have some discomfort; during the treatment. We can decrease this discomfort in a
few ways. a) A topical anesthetic gel is applied to the area to be treated, occluded with plastic
wrap and kept in place for 20-30 minutes.
You need to arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time for application
of the topical anesthetic.
Before treating with the laser the topical anesthetic will be removed with a moist cotton towel,
then a clear water soluble gel will be applied. After treatment this will be gently removed, and
a calming cream will be applied; ice packs may be used for a short time, then sunscreen will
be applied to any sun exposed areas that have been treated. b) Cold air will be blown on
your skin at the same time the laser is pulsed. This keeps the temperature of your skin down.
c) If desired, we can prescribe Valium 10 mg, to be taken 30 minutes prior to your
appointment (driver required), although most persons don’t need Valium.
7. The spot size (diameter of the beam of light emitted from the laser hand piece) is 12.5 mm; a
little less than dime size.
8. You will be pink after each treatment. This usually disappears in a few hours or less. It is
important to avoid direct sunlight after treatment and tanning in between treatments.
Revised 6/29/11