Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that uses a laser, an intense, pulsating beam of light, to remove unwanted hair. During laser hair removal, a laser beam passes through the skin to an individual hair follicle.
The intense heat of the laser damages the hair follicle, which inhibits future hair growth. Laser hair removal is most effective for people who have light skin and dark hair. It takes multiple laser hair removal treatments to provide approximately 80% permanent hair reduction. Periodic maintenance treatments may be needed.
A technician will use a hand-held laser tool on an area to remove the hair. The procedure can cause discomfort in some individuals. Discomfort is usually slight and fades quickly.
The light from the laser goes into the shaft of the hair destroying the hair at its root, effectively stopping or reducing hair growth in a given area. Lasers are set to target pigmentation; therefore laser hair removal is usually more effective on darker hair. Because of this pigmentation targeting, laser hair removal treatments were often avoided by people with darker skin.
Laser technicians will advise multiple sessions to ensure long lasting results. Hair growth is cyclical in that all the hair in a given area does not grow or show up at the same time. Repeated sessions over the course of several months to a year are recommended to keep an area hair-free. Anywhere from 3 to 8 sessions are usually needed over the course of a hair removal treatment.
The GentleMaxPro laser features a patented Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD), which minimizes discomfort by releasing a quick burst of liquid cryogen before and after each laser pulse. This cryogen quickly evaporates, cooling the outer layers of the skin. A treatment can take as little as a few minutes to as long as an hour, depending on the treatment area and the condition being treated. Both legs can often be treated in as few as 15 minutes, as can an average-sized man’s back.
A cool compress or gel pack may be applied for additional comfort after your treatment. Any redness or swelling should resolve in a few hours.
After your laser treatment, prevent sun exposure by applying sunblock (SPF 30 or above). In the first few days after treatment, don’t scrub or rinse the treated areas with abrasive skin cleansers.
