The science behind Laser Hair Removal (2024)

The purpose of this article is to help you make an informed decision and for you to achieve permanent hair reduction without compromising the surrounding skin or tissue. At Elite Laser Aesthetics we make use of the Gold Standard Technology referred to as the “Alexandrite -755nm” or “Neodymium Yag-1064nm“(ND: YAG) lasers. The Alexandrite is best suited for Fair skin types with dark hair and the ND: YAG is best suited for darker skin types. There are many different models or Brands of this technology but at this branch we will be using the Cynosure Apogee Elite with dual wavelengths. This is important to know as the technology is crucial to achieve the best clinical outcome or the most permanent result. The Alexandrite Laser targets the Melanin inside the hair shaft and follicle this would imply that the hair needs to be dark. Unfortunately no blonde red or grey hair would work. Lighter hair could contain some melanin or colour, in these cases we can reduce the growth but not get rid of it permanently. Things that can influence the efficacy of the treatments are: waxing, plucking or threading and any means where the hair is removed from the root, it is important to have the hair fully grown in the Anagen phase to have the best possible outcome. In the human body we have several growth cycles and in this case we will be dealing with Anagen (Active synthesis or Growing phase), Catagen (regression or transition phase) where you can see the hair growing but is already in transition, also known as the “second growth” and then the Telogen or Exogen phase where the hair is in its resting phase and or shedding (no target for the laser), these are important because this will determine how often you would come These growth cycles turn at approximately 4-6 and 6-8 week intervals depending on the area(s) treated and it is important for us to do a treatment within 7 days of the Anagen (growing) Phase for the best results. Another aspect of Hair that needs to be taken into consideration is the type of hair; Lanugo: fetal type soft, fine hair that is often located all over the skin at a young age, we lose most of this hair and the rest turn into Vellis. Vellis: Non-pigmented, superficially located, very fine hair found on woman’s faces and or all over the body, there to regulate skin and body temperatures. In some cases and ethnic skins these hair can appear dark or black but is not ideal to treat permanently, it can however be reduced by MULTIPLE treatments. Terminal hair: usually thicker, but varies depending on the size of the hair bulb and often pigmented (very Dark) this is the hair that lasers were designed to treat and the areas that most often contain terminal hair. The most successful area treated is the Under arms, Bikini and Lower Legs. Terminal as well as Vellis hair can also be stimulated by Hormones and medication and therefore can be tricky to initially diagnose i.e. excessive female facial hair and upper back hair on a male. We do not typically like to interfere with youngsters and teenagers as in time they could possibly become hairier a bit like when you are genetically meant to go bold as can you go or grow more hair genetically. Medication like the contraceptive pill and thyroid medication as well as oral or topical testosterone can induce hair growth, in these cases we cannot guarantee a successful treatment as it is unlikely to fight hormonal charges. Experience or Pain: Due to the selective photothermolysis the sensation that one experiences is that of an elastic band snapping on to the skin, certainly not pleasant, but definitely not unbearable. A form of topical anaesthesia +- an hour prior treatment can be suggested to minimize any discomfort. Contra Indications to laser treatments include pigment changes due to excessive sun exposure pre and post a laser treatment, light sensitivity up to 2 weeks post treatment, which means that when you do a laser treatment, you should give yourself 10-14 days before going on holiday or exposing you skin to sun; and a minimum of 4 weeks but preferably 10-12 weeks after you have been in the sun as the Alexandrite Technology targets melanin or colour. Directly after your treatment your skin will appear slightly flushed and the follicles might appear swollen, this is due to the heat reaction that took place in the follicle and is a good clinical endpoint, should there for any reason be a little bit of residual heat a topical soothing agent like aloe vera or Hydra gel could be applied. Unfortunately, it is not always 100% possible to avoid side effects with equipment and the human skin, however at Elite Laser Aesthetics we can assure you that should any complications arise you are in the best possible hands and can trust us to correct any issues post treatment. Crusting, scabbing and blistering are rare complications, we always recommend that you contact, or see us as soon as possible as we are trained and able to deal with any possible problem.

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