Before your laser hair reduction treatment, protective eye wear will be placed over eyes to prevent injury to your corneas or retinas. To protect the outer layers of your skin, a cold gel or a special cooling device will be used. That will also make the treatment more effective by facilitating laser light penetration through the skin. The most popular lasers for hair removal use a low-energy beam which will be adjusted to your skin color or the color, thickness, and location of the hair that is to be removed. A test treatment will first be done by directing a test pulse light to the treatment area. A low-energy laser beam will pass through your skin and be absorbed by the pigment of a percentage of the active-growth hair follicles. This area will be observed to make sure that the settings are correct and the check for any adverse reactions to treatment. If the test proves successful, the low-energy laser beam is then systematically directed spot-to-spot to the areas to be treated, instantly and permanently disabling the active-growth hair follicles with each treatment. Hair follicles in the dormant phase are not affected by the treatment. When the procedure is completed, you may be given ice packs, cold water or inflammatory creams or lotions to soothe the treated areas and diminish any discomfort.

Everyone’s pain threshold varies but most patients experience mild discomfort during treatment. The most common description of the sensation is that of a rubber band snapping. Different areas are certainly more sensitive than others. Most hair reduction methods are not painless but it is definitely worth it especially since each treatment is quick and the lasting results are fantastic.

Multiple sessions are required for optimal results. Due to the fact that your hair grows in different stages and laser hair reduction is most effective during the growing stage of the hair, multiple treatments are necessary. The amount of treatments depends on multiple factors including the color and thickness of hair being treated, certain medications and hormone imbalances. Generally speaking, 6 to 12 treatments is a good rough estimate. The recommended treatment intervals are four to eight weeks apart, depending on your gender, age, hair type, hair growth pattern, and the body region being treated. Each session time varies depending on the body part being treated, for example, the lip will take only a few minutes whereas full legs can take up to an hour.

Clients should come in on treatment day freshly shaved and having no sun exposure in the area to be treated for at least two weeks. The laser is targeting pigment therefore if the skin is tanned that can cause a burn. Clients also need to commit to not waxing or plucking in the area to be treated 6 weeks prior to coming in and during the duration of treatments. The laser will target the hair follicle so if the bulb has been removed then there is no target. After the treatment ice packs or hydrocortisone cream may be applied to alleviate discomfort, however, this is not usually necessary. For the first two days after treatment you will want to treat the area as if it were a mild sunburn. Avoid strenuous activity that will get your core body temperature up, any hot baths or saunas and stay out of the sun. The first two weeks after the treatment is the shedding period where the treated hair will fall out, the following two weeks clients should experience little to no hair growth and the following two weeks after that is when the hair reenters it’s growth cycle, that 6 week mark is when we want to book the next appointment to get the best results.

Microneedling can be used on all parts of the body, including the face, neck, décolleté, arms, hands, legs, abdomen and back.

There is very little down time, although expect your skin to look and feel mildly sunburnt for about 24 hours after the treatment. It will also start to flake after a day or two as the skin cells slough off. This is a normal reaction and after about a week you’ll see the new, brighter, smooth skin. While some areas are more sensitive than others, the speed of the reciprocation tip reduces discomfort while the applied hydrating formula also makes the treatment more tolerable. A topical numbing cream is used to lessen sensitivity on the face, so there is no pain during the treatment.

It varies by patient, but immediate side effects include redness, flaking, and mild irritation on the treated areas. These aren’t anything to worry about and will subside within 24-72 hours. It may be difficult to apply makeup over treated area while it is flaking; similar to skin peeling after a sunburn. DO NOT exfoliate as this will irritate the skin.

Patients notice an immediate “glow” to their skin. Visible changes to the skin develop over the course of several days and weeks. Results can continue to improve up to 6 months. Some patients only require a single treatment once per year to achieve optimal results. However, we recommend for most patients to complete a series of 3 treatments spaced about 4 weeks apart for best results. For patients with deep wrinkles, advanced photo-aging, stretch marks or acne scars it is recommended to receive 6-8 treatments.