Laser Hair Removal- Everything you need to know.
which laser hair removal is
best?
There are many different types of machines out there. At Osterley Skin Care I use an ND:YAG (or Gentle YAG) laser. The ND:YAG laser is the safest, most successful wavelength of lasers for use on darker skin types. Anything from skin type four and above. Now, I can treat your lighter skin types and I do, but it is slightly more painful.
is laser hair removal
safe?
It’s safe when you’re using a safe system. I use Candela, which is an American brand. There’s so much science behind Candela. It’s a medically approved treatment. It’s been tested and the company has been around for many years. Which is why I chose to use this. For me, it was important to have something that’s FDA and medically approved. There’s a lot of scientific research and clinical evidence backing this machine up. Obviously, there are some lasers that are unsafe. Just because they haven’t had any research or any scientific backing behind them.
can laser hair removal cause
cancer?
According to science, there’s nothing proven that lasers can cause cancer. Cancer cells live within our body. If we want to focus on what causes cancer it could be anything in our daily life. From our mobile phones to microwaves to lights to the sun, literally, everything. I think if we started thinking like that, we would probably just close ourselves in. There is nothing scientifically proven to say that lasers can cause cancer.
what does laser hair removal
feel like?
I always say to my clients, it feels like I’m going to keep pinching you with an elastic band. The Candela is probably one of the most pain-free lasers out there. Simply because of the cooling device. A lot of systems don’t have this cooling system. We use cryogen to cool the skin down. Cryogen is good for the skin. It comes out milliseconds before the laser. You get this hot and cold sensation- you almost don’t know what to feel the laser or the cooling. It really does help the treatment to be more comfortable.
Can laser hair removal cause
ingrown hairs?
No. Laser hair removal is the only treatment that will fix your ingrown hairs. No waxing, no shaving, no exfoliation is going to treat your ingrown hairs like laser hair removal.
After laser, your skin will be so much smoother. Not only hair-free, but you’ll also actually notice the difference in the texture of your skin. It all is going to be smooth.
Can people who are pregnant have
the treatment?
Again, there’s nothing scientifically proven to say it’s not good for the baby, but it just hasn’t been tested on pregnant women. So I personally, avoid pregnant women. I don’t treat pregnant women. It’s probably best to wait until you finish breastfeeding and let your hormones settle a bit and then have your laser hair removal because the results will be better.
How much time do I need to leave
between treatments?
Around the face area, I would say about four to six weeks. On the body, it’s usually about six to eight. You’ve got to remember if you haven’t had much growth since your last laser hair removal treatment- there’s not much the laser is going to do. So you need to wait for some regrowth. You need to have shaved before you’re ready for your next treatment.
After laser, your skin will be so much smoother. Not only hair-free, but you’ll also actually notice the difference in the texture of your skin. It all is going to be smooth.
Are there any cases where laser hair removal
wouldn’t work?
Sometimes it can be because you’re using the wrong system. Sometimes your body just doesn’t respond to it or sometimes it could be hormonal imbalances or medication. So no two sisters, no two twin sisters would get the exact same results. It’s a very individual thing, but that’s something you’ll find out pretty quickly once you start.
After laser, your skin will be so much smoother. Not only hair-free, but you’ll also actually notice the difference in the texture of your skin. It all is going to be smooth.
After people have had treatment, What should
they be doing?
Immediately after the treatment, you may experience some redness, some swelling, some itchiness. Sometimes it depends on the weather as well. If it is warm and you were warm before you came in it can affect the treatment, even though we carry out the procedure in a fully air-conditioned room. If your skin is already quite hot and then we perform the laser over it, you may experience more redness then otherwise. It might feel like a mild sunburn. The best way to calm that down is by using cold Aloe Vera gel. Whenever you come in for a consultation, I have aloe vera gel that you can buy beforehand or you’re more than welcome to go anywhere to get some or even use a fresh aloe vera gel plant. It’s a great idea to keep some Aloe Vera gel in the fridge so that once you go home, you have some to reapply. I always apply it immediately after treatment. When you apply the aloe vera gel just gently place it on to the treated area. Don’t start rubbing it in- that will just irritate the area more. Sometimes if you feel like it’s really hot or it feels like it’s burning or if you feel like it’s just getting to feel like discomfort, an ice pack will help.
The other thing is you need to make sure you use an SPF. We avoid doing any laser hair removal treatment before a holiday. So you need to plan it so that you do it four weeks minimum before being exposed directly to the sun, but even afterwards, you need to use an SPF minimum 30. I always recommend being extra cautious and use at least a factor 50. If you don’t use that you can expose your skin to the sun and increase your chances of hyperpigmentation or darker pigmentation in the area.
You need to continue to shave throughout your laser hair removal treatment. You can’t wax, you can’t do electrolysis or tweezing simply because when you do that you’re pulling the hair from the root. And also no hair removal creams. Yes, they do the same as shaving by removing hair off the surface of the skin but the amount of chemicals in them, whilst lasering on top of that, does increase the chance of damaging the skin.
Interested? Book a consultation today!
Please do contact us by phone or email with any questions. We’ll take time to work with you and understand the body goals that are unique to you.
