THE HAIR REMOVAL PROCESS

Laser hair removal is a modern, new method of removing unwanted hair. The laser produces a beam of highly concentrated light. Different types of lasers produce different colours of light. The colour of light produced by a particular laser and its method of delivery is the key to its ability to damage the hair follicle.

The pigment located in the hair follicles preferentially absorbs the near-infrared laser light emitted by the diode and alexandrite laser systems. The laser pulses for a fraction of a second, just long enough to heat up and vaporize the pigment, disabling several follicles at a time to eliminate or substantially impede the hair's re-growth, while the system's unique cooling devices help protect the skin by conductive cooling during the laser energy delivery process. In this way, the laser energy is directed to the hair root while protecting and cooling the surrounding skin.

The length of a laser session may be a few minutes to an hour or more, depending on the size of the area being treated. Because the lasers tend to treat hair follicles that are in an active growth phase, more than one treatment is required to disable hair follicles that subsequently enter this growth phase.

Each follicle in human skin maintains an independent growth rhythm from the other follicles. At any given time, a proportion of hair follicles are at some point of the anagen (active growth) phase. The remaining follicles are either in the catagen (regression) or telogen (resting) phase.

Anagen Phase - Hair's active growth phase is called anagen. During anagen, the hair contains an abundunce of melanin and can be treated by the laser.

Catagen Phase - Catagen is the regression phase when the lower part of the hair stops growing but is not shed, and the follicle is reabsorbed. Treatment in this phase is only partially effective.

Telogen Phase - The resting phase is called telogen, during which the old hair falls out in preparation for the development of new hair.

The proportions of hair in the different phases vary with each area of the body, with the scalp having the highest percentage of hairs in the active growth phase. Hairs in the regression and resting phases appear to be less susceptible to the treatment effects of laser light. However, after initial treatment with the laser, the hairs that re-grow, appear to be synchronized in the early anagen active growth phase, where they are most vulnerable to treatment with laser light. For this reason, repeat treatments should be performed as soon as possible after the hairs begin to re-grow.


OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART LASER SYSTEMS

The LightSheer Diode and GentleLase Plus laser systems that we use provide the most effective and permanent hair reduction technology. The LightSheer has a unique chilled laser tip and the GentleLase uses a cryogen spray to cool and protect the skin during the hair removal process.

Both lasers provide the same degree of effectiveness. The difference is that the LightSheer treats all skin types, and is especially useful for darker skin types, while the GentleLase has a larger spot size for more speedy treatments.

The GentleLase is used to treat lighter skin types. Your skin type will be assessed by one of the nurses during your consultation to determine which laser is best suited for you.