Laser Hair Removal

There is no light based hair removal technology which is efficient on blonde or gray hair because Melanin is the primary target or chromophore in laser hair removal, so treatment efficacy is typically much lower if the hair is low in melanin (like gray or blonde hair).

You should shave 2 or 3 days before the procedure, leaving small 2 to 3mm stubs of hair, but no longer. This is critically important for several reasons:

1. Visible stubs ensures the hairs haven’t been waxed or plucked, so the shaft and follicle are intact and therefore efficacy is not compromised;

2. Seeing the stubs allows you to establish the appropriate fluence for the patient, which should be set at a level that causes most of the stubs to visibly singe;

3. Seeing the stubs allows you to target the areas with actual follicles, rather than wasting time delivering pulses on the skin in between follicles; and

4. Seeing the hairs that DON’T singe enables the clinician to perform a second pass of 1 or 2 pulses per hair that DID NOT respond, to enhance total clearance per session.

If the laser lens and fluence setting are chosen correctly, many hairs will singe upon contact with the laser beam and will disappear. Some hairs which are in a dormant growth phase will not respond at all, although some of them will be damaged even if they did not singe. Those which are damaged may fall out within a few days after treatment or even immediately if the treatment site is rubbed.

Melanin is absorbed in both the hair follicle and skin. This not only damages the hair follicle and impedes growth, but also removes PIH (Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation) in the surrounding area. Thus eliminating bumps caused by ingrown hair.

This can vary depending on skin and hair color, but generally 4 to 6 sessions are required for 80% clearance or greater, which is considered very good in aesthetic laser medicine. After that, an annual maintenance treatment is recommended.

For Laser Hair Removal: it is recommended that one treatment be completed every 4 to 8 weeks depending on the area being treated.

For Ingrown Hair Removal (PFB): it is recommended that one treatment be completed every 2 to 3 weeks. 

No, there is just a mild, very tolerable sensation of heat. This is one of the key technical breakthroughs of Aerolase technology. The Neo Elite has set a new standard for virtually painfree treatment, even on darker skin types, thanks to MicroPulse-1064 technology. This unique benefit saves time, cost, and mess by eliminating gels and sprays required by other lasers that cool the skin during treatment. Please note that if your hair is longer than 3mm, there is a possibility that you will experience more discomfort.

The FDA requires that laser manufacturers describe the process as “permanent hair reduction”, not “permanent hair removal”, because, in their words, “although laser treatments with these devices will permanently reduce the total number of body hairs, they will not result in a permanent removal of all hair.” Patients can generally expect more than 75% to 80% clearance after 6 sessions and should plan on 1 or 2 annual follow up sessions for ideal maintenance.

Actually, the Neo Elite is the safest laser in the industry for darker skin types or tanned skin. This is because of MicroPulse-1064 technology, which essentially eliminates treatment pain while minimizing the chances of hyperand/ or hypo-pigmentation.

• Those who are pregnant
• Those who are sunburned or have irritated skin in the sites to be treated
• Those who are exhibiting unidentified skin conditions in the sites to be treated
• Those who have healed poorly after other types of laser treatments
• Patients prone to skin discoloration
• Patients who are taking photosensitizing medication, such as Accutane, should consider discontinuing the medication 6 months before treatment
• Patients who are taking topical Retin-A, patients should wait 2 weeks before treatment
• Patients wit any raised lesions, aside from purely red ones i.e. angiomas; other lesions should first be checked by a dermatologist Some patients will not respond as well as others, and one factor is hair color. Some hairs don’t contain enough melanin to absorb the necessary energy to destroy or damage a follicle, and this is often the case with a light-colored hair (i.e., blonde, gray, red).
• Another common factor as to why a patient may not respond well is strong hair regrowth caused by hormonal imbalance, including PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Patients who are sunburned should wait until the burn subsides. Herpes Simplex Labialis (fever blisters) can be activated by laser treatment, especially on the upper lip, and patients with a tendency for fever blistering can be started on antiviral medication before treatment.