About Hair Laser Removal

Also it was performed experimentally for about 20 years, laser hair removal only became commercially available in the mid '90s.
The procedure uses intense pulsed light (IPL) epilators, though technically not a laser and xenon flash lamps, that emit full spectrum light.
The laser and light-based methods, sometimes called "photoepilation" or "phototricholysis", are now most commonly referred to as "laser hair removal".

The primary principle behind laser hair removal is the matching of a specific wavelength of light and pulse duration to obtain optimal effect on a targeted tissue with minimal effect on surrounding tissue.
Lasers can cause localized damage to the skin, by selectively heating dark target matter, called melanin, in the area that causes hair growth, the follicle, while not heating the rest of the skin. Light is absorbed by all dark objects, and in this case, laser energy can be absorbed by dark material in the skin, but with much more speed and intensity. This dark target matter, called chromophore, can be naturally-occurring or artificially introduced.

The primary chromophore for all hair removal lasers currently on the market is melanin. Melanin occurs naturally, and gives skin and hair its color. There are two types of melanin in hair: eumelanin and pheomelonin. Eumelanin gives the hair brown or black color, while pheomelanin gives hair blonde or red color. Because of the selective absorption of photons of the laser light, only black or brown hair can be removed, because laser works best with dark coarse hair. Light skin and dark hair are an ideal combination, but new lasers are now able to target dark black hair even at patients with dark skin.

Hair removal lasers has been used already since 1997 and has been approved for "permanent hair reduction" in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Permanent" hair reduction is defined as the long-term, stable reduction of the number of hairs regrowing after a treatment regime. Indeed, many patients experience complete regrowth of hair on their treated areas in the following years of their last treatment.

Treatment sessions

Laser hair removal has become extremely popular because of its speed and efficacy, although some of the efficacy is dependent upon the skill and experience of the laser operator and of the choice and availability of different laser technology at the clinic which is performing the procedure.
In some cases, there wil be the need of touch-up treatments, especially on large areas, after the initial set of 3-8 treatments.
In fact, some people are "non-responders" and this occurs when incorrect devices are being used, the device parameters are too low or the patient is simply not a good candidate for treatment.

Most patients need a minimum of seven treatments, to provide long-term reduction of hair and most clinicians recommend waiting from 3-8 weeks depending on the area being treated. The number of sessions depends on various parameters, including the area of the body treated, skin color, coarseness of the hair, reason for hirsutism and gender.
For example, faces usually require more frequent treatments, from 3-4 weeks apart, whereas legs require less frequent treatments and patients should be advised to wait 6 or more weeks. Typically the shedding of the treated hairs takes about 2-3 weeks. The hairs should be allowed to fall out on their own and should not be manipulated by the patient.

Risks and side effects

No cosmetic procedure is done without some possibility for problems to occur, you should be aware of the possible risks and side effects of the procedure. The side effects of laser hair removal are infrequent and normally temporary, but there is always a chance for more serious risks to happen.
Some normal side effects of laser hair removal are: crusting and scab formations around ingrown hairs, bruising, purple coloring on tanned areas of skin, infection and temporary pigment change, slight itching during the procedure, redness for a few days, minor swelling and pain, and tingling or feeling numb. None of these side effects are serious, but none of them should last longer than three days. Hyperpigmentation occurs when melanin production increases and skin darkens and hypopigmentation is when the lasers inhibit melanin and skin lightens.
Some patients may also show side effects from an allergy to either the hair removal gel used with certain laser types.
If these symptoms last for that long, report to your doctor or technician and let them know the circumstances. It is possible that the settings on the laser were set too high, so that needs to be altered for the next treatment session.