Skin Care By Design MediSpa

/Home/1. Search Laser Hair Removal in Arizona/Laser Hair Removal in Southern Arizona/Pima County, AZ - Laser Hair Removal/Oro Valley, AZ - Laser Hair Removal

Skin Care By Design MediSpa
11143 N. La Cañada Drive
Suite 121
Oro Valley, AZ 85737
Telephone:(520) 797-7546
Fax: (520) 297-9084

Laser Hair Removal

What is Laser Hair Removal?

Lasers remove unwanted body hair quickly and safely by destroying the hair follicle with a beam of light energy that is set to avoid damage to surrounding tissues. The hair pigment (melanin) absorbs the laser energy and thermally damages the hair follicle, rendering it incapable of growing hair.
During the treatment, you will be asked to put on protective eyewear. The laser handpiece is placed against the skin and a short pulse of light is released. At the same time, a small jet of cryogen (extremely cold gas) is released to cool the skin. The handpiece is moved to the neighbouring area and the process is repeated until the entire area has been treated. Most clients describe the sensation of the pulses as similar to the snap of a rubber band but recent advances have made virtually painless laser hair removal a reality (click the Painless Treatments button at the left for more information).

Who are the best candidates for Laser Hair Removal?

The best candidates for Laser Hair Removal have coarse, dark hair and light colored skin. Inferior results may occur for white or light colored hair, including fine vellus hair (peach fuzz), which does not have sufficient melanin to fully absorb the laser energy. Artificial hair coloring will not affect laser treatments because the hair follicle does not absorb the hair coloring. However, melanin enhancing products such as Meladine that are absorbed by the hair follicles allow the laser to effectively treat light or fine hair.
The GentleLASE Plus laser is used for lighter skin types and emits pulses at 755nm, which is ideal for hair removal (see the Equipment section below). Clients with darker skin can be treated with the GentleYAG laser, which emits pulses at 1064nm. This frequency avoids burning the skin but is not absorbed by the hair follicles as well as pulses at 755nm. As a result, darker skin will likely require more treatments and experience less overall clearing of the unwanted hair. This includes skin with tans resulting from exposure to the sun, tanning beds, or the application of tanning lotions.

What are the benefits?

Laser Hair Removal is permanent, non-invasive, and does not require needles or chemical creams. Each laser pulse can destroy dozens of hair follicles so larger areas like the back, shoulders, arms, and legs can be quickly, comfortably, and effectively treated.

How does hair growth affect Laser Hair Removal?

Hair growth occurs in a three-stage cycle: growth (anagen), atrophy (catagen), and dormant (telogen). Laser Hair Removal is most effective during the growth stage, when the hair follicle is large and active. It is partially effective during the atrophy stage, when the hair follicle is shrinking. It is ineffective during the dormant stage, when the hair follicle has disappeared. On any part of your body, some of the hairs are in each of the three growth stages. The percentage of hair in the dormant stage and the duration of the dormant stage vary by anatomical location.
When you receive a Laser Hair Removal treatment, almost all of the hairs in the growth stage and many of the hairs in the atrophy stage will be destroyed. Over time, dormant hairs that were not affected by earlier treatments will enter the growth stage where they can be destroyed by the laser. We normally suggest six to eight weeks between treatments to allow enough dormant hairs to enter the growth stage.

What equipment does Skin Care By Design use for Laser Hair Removal?

We use two lasers for hair removal, depending on the color of your skin and hair:
The Candela GentleLASE Plus is an Nd:YAG 755nm Alexandrite laser. The GentleLASE Plus was named the best hair removal laser for the past three years by Aesthetic Trends and Technologies. The computer controlled cryogen coolant spray provides the most comfortable treatment of any laser today and is far superior to coolant gels or contact chilled tips. When the Serenity Pro attachment (see below) is used in place of cryogen spray, the treatments are virtually painless.
View Candela GentleLASE Plus
The Candela GentleYAG is an Nd:YAG 1064nm laser. The longer wavelength more effectively penetrates tanned or naturally darker skin to allow year round hair removal treatments. The GentleYAG effectively treats all skin types. The computer controlled cryogen coolant spray provides the most comfortable treatment of any laser today and is far superior to coolant gels or contact chilled tips. When the Serenity Pro attachment (see below) is used in place of cryogen spray, the treatments are virtually painless.
View Candela GentleYAG
The Candela Serenity Pro is an attachment to the handpieces of the GenteLASE Plus and GentleYAG that provides virtually painless laser hair removal treatments with the use of Pneumatic Skin Flattening Technology (click Painless for more information).
View Candela Serenity Pro

How many treatments do you need?

Treating all hairs for an ideal candidate, including hairs emerging from the dormant growth stage, normally requires six treatments at six to eight week intervals. The number of treatments required is affected by the natural color of the hair in the treated area, the diameter of the individual hairs, your skin color, and skin type. Darker, more sensitive skin and lighter, finer hair will require more treatments.

Things you should know.

Even under ideal circumstances, not all hair follicles will respond to laser treatments so the procedure is often called Laser Hair Reduction. The remaining hair will be finer, softer, whiter, and less dense but treated areas may not be without all hair. New hair growth in treated areas may later be triggered by conditions such as hormonal imbalance, pregnancy, medications, or menopause. Such new growth consists of hair follicles that were permanently dormant until activated by the hormonal changes or medication.
Side effects are rare and limited to the treatment sites. They include the possibility of mild burns or blistering, discomfort, scabbing, bruising, pigmentation changes, scarring, infection, and visible skin or hair patterns.
Sun exposure during the week prior to a Laser Hair Removal treatment increases the possibility of the treatment producing burns. UV radiation partially burns your skin (even if you don't notice it) and makes it more sensitive to the laser energy. Laser treatments should not be performed if you have taken Accutane within the past twelve months.

How much time is required?

Each appointment is normally 15-60 minutes depending on the size of the area being treated and whether the treatment involves shaping hair that will remain (e.g., unibrow, custom bikini, male abdominal shaping, etc.). If multiple areas will be treated in the same session, more time is required. Your skin care nurse can provide a more precise time estimate after examining you and discussing your goals.

© 2009, Skin Care By Design, All Rights Reserved.