Laser Hair Removal in Raleigh, NC
Constantly dealing with unwanted hair is an unending chore. Whether you shave, pluck, wax, or apply depilatory creams, in a few days or a few weeks you’re right back at it again. Why not get rid of the hair permanently with laser hair removal at Skin & Cosmetic Solutions in Raleigh?
How does laser hair removal work?
We set our GentleMax Pro laser wavelength to match the melanin in your hair. We then deliver short pulses of laser energy onto the area with the unwanted hair. The melanin (which is what gives your hair its color) in the hair shaft absorbs the laser light energy. This energy instantly converts to heat and it travels down the hair shaft into the hair follicle. The heat damages or destroys the follicle, preventing it from growing hair.
Is laser hair removal permanent?
The FDA has approved laser use for “permanent hair reduction.” This is based in reality — it’s virtually impossible to remove every hair in a treatment area. Why? Two reasons.
First, laser energy is only effective in damaging hair follicles when the hair is in the anagen, or growth, phase. But hair can also be in the catagen (transitional phase between growth and rest) or the telogen phase (resting). In the catagen and telogen phases, the hair is already on the path to being shed. The hair is no longer receiving any nourishment from the follicle and it may have already separated from the follicle. This is why laser energy applied to hairs in these phases can’t get down into the follicle. The human body has around five million individual hairs on it, and each hair operates independently. When you look at those numbers, catching each unwanted hair in the growth phase isn’t easy.
Second, damaged follicles can rebuild sometimes with hormonal changes, and partially damaged follicles can heal and begin to grow hair again.
So, how much hair can you permanently get rid of? It’s from 85 to 90 percent in the treatment areas.
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Where can I have this done?
You can have lasers remove hair anywhere on your body. You read that right. While you may think of lasers as scary in a sci-fi movie way, the amounts of energy used for laser hair removal are harmless to the skin. It’s all about delivering the energy to the hair shaft and then down into the follicle.
Obviously, the most popular areas are the bikini line, the underarms, the back, and areas of the face, but laser hair removal is safe everywhere.
Is laser hair removal painful?
We use the GentleMax Pro laser at Skin & Cosmetic Solutions for our laser hair removal. This laser includes a patented cooling system that ensures our patients stay comfortable during their treatments. Most patients equate the feeling of laser hair removal to that of a small rubber band being snapped lightly against the skin, followed by a cooling sensation.
What are the benefits versus other removal methods?
All other hair removal methods are temporary, fleeting, ephemeral, downright Sisyshusian (remember the Greek king who was punished by the Gods and forced to roll a boulder up a hill all day, only to have it roll back down at night, repeating the task again the next day…for eternity?). You have to do it again and again and again.
Even waxing isn’t permanent. Yes, it eliminates some of the hair, but many of the hairs break off and don’t fully pull out of the follicle. Plus, the follicles are left healthy and happy to start growing new hair again. And don’t forget how painful waxing is!
Laser hair removal costs more than other methods up front, but once the hair is gone, it’s gone. You’ll keep spending money on the other methods forever.
When will I see results?
When you return home after your session at Skin & Cosmetic Solutions, you’ll still see your unwanted hair, and your skin will be slightly red. What? The hairs are not instantly gone, as with waxing or depilatory creams. But the vehicle for their growth is now damaged or destroyed. Without the follicle to anchor them, the hairs will begin to fall out over the following days. It’s best not to try and accelerate the process by scrubbing or plucking.
After a few days, you’ll notice a disconcerting thing — what looks like new hair growth on the treatment area. Not to worry. This is a sign that the laser energy was successful in zapping the follicles. Hair that was down below the skin in the follicles is being pushed out and shed. That is what you’re seeing.
Remember, not all of the hair in the treatment area will fall out. The hair that was in the growth phase will, but other hairs that weren’t will still be there. Usually the affected hair will be about 20 percent of the total during that session. That’s why multiple sessions are necessary — to catch more and more hair in the growth phase.
How many sessions will I need?
This comes down to catching the unwanted hair in the growth phase. Since hair is always rotating in and out of this phase, multiple sessions are required to catch as many hairs as possible in the correct phase. We’ve found that 6 to 10 treatments achieve the degree of hair reduction that pleases most patients. This can vary by the patient, so just see how it goes.
To learn more about laser hair removal, please call Skin and Cosmetic Solutions at (919) 876-9576 today!
