Laser Hair Removal

4-10, depending on the area. An initial series of four treatments at short intervals, e.g. – 6-8 weeks, followed by subsequent treatments as needed will give the best results. 

Depending on the area treated, your personal hair growth characteristics and your goals, between 4-10 treatments may be needed to achieve maximum results.

Laser hair removal treatment only works on actively growing hair. At any given time, an average of 30% of our hair may be at rest. When this hair becomes active again it will grow & require treatment. Also, growth of completely new hair in an area can occur with time and require treatment, hence the repeated sessions. 

Once every six weeks. You should have at least 6 weeks between cycles to catch the dormant hairs. As a guide more sessions are required in-

• Hormonal influx such as PCOS
• Males with high hormone – testosterone levels
• Darker skin patients 
• Areas such as the back/shoulders/chest

Depending on how your hair responds to the treatments & your skin type, you may decide to return for a top-up-treatment once or twice a year to maintain your result. 

Hormonal changes such as pregnancy & PCOS may also affect your hair growth, and further treatments may be needed.

Your therapist will guide you through our protocols at Cutis Dermatology.

• Avoid sun exposure & fake tanning kits throughout the course of your therapy. This increases side effects & reduces efficacy.
• Do not pluck, bleach, or wax your hair at least 3 weeks prior to your first laser session
• Shaving or hair removal creams are permitted
• 24 hours prior to the laser, shave the region of your skin. This improves the energy of the laser to the deeper follicle. 

Laser Hair Removal targets individual hair follicles with precise wavelengths. A shorter wavelength in fair skin patients, & a longer one in darker skin. Laser light is absorbed by the pigment within the hair follicle. This selectively destroys the cells that produce hair. 

During your hair removal treatment, lasers target the hair during its growth phase (anagen), destroying it before it can regrow. Not all hair is at the same stage, & some hairs will be in their rest phase. Therefore, you’ll require several sessions and will expect to see regrowth that will gradually diminish over treatments.  

Unlike waxing, shaving, or other methods of hair removal, laser treatment is safe, long-lasting, effective, & reliable. 

Lasers provides a precise & highly effective solution for conveniently lessening hair growth, avoiding irritation, infection & ingrown hairs. It saves you time, effort & money to upkeep your grooming. 

Laser hair removal is super quick treatment as each pulse of the laser only takes a fraction of a second. The exact length of treatment depends on the size of the area being treated. As a guide-

• Upper lip- 47 seconds (Cutis Record) 
• Underarms- 10 minutes
• Back- 15 to 45 minutes
• Legs- 20 minutes

Laser hair removal is slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. The first laser treatment session will be the most uncomfortable, but our lasers have a cooling effect which helps counteract the heat.

You may experience more sensitivity in certain areas including the upper lip & underarms. The bikini area takes longer with each laser pulse you may find the treatment more uncomfortable than if you were having other areas treated. 

For extra sensitive patients, we start at a lower frequency then gradually build up your tolerance to the pain.

We use two of the safest and most effective wavelengths hence the procedure is safe for all skin types, including dark ethnic skin. Some risks include:

• Laser burns – You should avoid tanning before & during your treatment. Tanning increases the risks of burns.
• Blisters
• Crusting
• Infection 
• Skin redness
• Pain
• Discomfort

Medical conditions are always discussed during your consultation and therefore any contraindications which may compromise the treatment will be presented. 

We do treat patients on light sensitive medications because of the revised acne medication guides of 2016. In the context of photosensitive medications, the action spectrum falls way short of the longer wavelengths for most medications. 

Ingrown hair follicles are typically found in areas of the body where the skin is shaved but can occur in other regions as well and can be quite painful at times. For women, it’s usually on the legs, thighs, buttocks. For men, it’s usually along the jawline & neck. 

Laser treatment is the preferred solution to eradicating ingrown hair as it annihilates the follicle entirely & helps prevent further instances from appearing. Other treatments induce antibiotics long term, antibacterial creams, or lifelong Vaniqa cream.

Nope. Laser works by selecting a contrasting target. There are ways around it, namely a dye can be applied to the hair just before treatment that may make the laser more effective. This is messy & expensive. You are best treated with old fashioned electrolysis.