Laser Hair Removal – The Consultation!

When a person wants to come along for Laser Hair Removal they have to come for a consultation and a patch test… But WHY?

As a qualified and experienced therapist I need to give my clients realistic expectations. They need to understand exactly what they are entering into, this way all clients end up feeling satisfied with their results as there are no surprises.

So I thought I’d put some information online to give potential clients answers to the most popular questions!

  • How many sessions do I need? – The easy answer, with my equipment, is 4-6 sessions to clear an area. This would be for someone with no hormonal influences, so not in Puberty or Menopausal or a condition like polycystic ovary syndrome (any of these can affect the hair growth pattern so more sessions may be needed).The reason for multiple sessions is because there are 3 stages of hair growth, growing/resting/shedding. The laser only kills the hair which is in the growing stage, therefore you need multiple sessions to destroy all follicles while in that stage. So the best plan is to have regular treatment approx. 6 weeks apart for the fastest results.
  • Is it permanent? I always refer to the treatment as permanent hair reduction rather than removal. The reason for this is that you may have one or two hairs regrow in an area as we are not robots! (personally my bikini line was treated 4 years ago and the few hairs that appear from time to time don’t warrant laser, even though now I have my own!) The skin on the treated area is smoother right from the first session and the regrowth is usually finer and slower so the skin isn’t being irritated by the waxing or shaving usually needed as maintenance.
  • Will I blister? NO!! Blistering is a concern, but I fill in a medical history to make sure there are no medications which could cause this side affect (it’s quite in depth as some unexpected medications can make your skin photosensitive, ie. Reacts more sensitively; for example ‘St Johns wort’ which can be taken to help anxiety doesn’t react well with laser). Darker skin types do have a higher risk of blistering, but I have 2 different lasers so can treat from very pale skin to darker skin types. Once I am happy there are no concerns, we do a patch test. This lets the client feel the laser treatment, check that they are not sensitive and let me work out which setting is best for each individual.
  • Do I have to grow the hair? No. The hair needs to be short. I usually ask clients to shave 2 days before treatment so there is 1-2mm stubble. BUT no waxing/plucking/threading 4 weeks before treatment (no hair in follicle and the laser can’t attack it).
  • Is there any side effects? Not if you follow the pre/post treatment advise. If you have been in the sun without SPF then we need to wait 4 weeks for treatment. This negates the risk of hypo/hyper pigmentation, dark or light patches from interrupting your own pigmentation.Straight after treatment there is heat in the area so the skin is red and depending on thickness of the hair and density you can get some inflammation too, once it cools down (usually within an hour but allow 24hrs) they isn’t any side effects. I always recommend keeping moisturised to minimise any itching.
  • Does it work on all hair? Depending on the colour! The laser is absorbed by the melanin (pigment) in the follicle, darker hair has more melanin so black and brown hair treat really well. Dark blonde is usually fine, its just when the hair is very fair or red that it can not be treated, also once hair loses its pigment i.e. goes grey, they it can no longer be treated successfully with a laser. But on saying this I have many ladies who come with some grey on their chins but as the laser wipes away any darker hairs, they are usually really happy with the outcome as an improvement is seen!

What I hear most from Hair removal clients is ‘I wish I’d done it years ago!’

Areas treated are Underarms, Bikini line, Legs, Back, Face, back of neck, toes, fingers, feet… pretty much anywhere that people want to get a smoother look, or just maybe to thin the hair out when there is a heavier patch of hair.
If you are interested and want any more information, please be in touch. All prices are on my website www.theretreatlaserclinic.co.uk/prices

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