.--Laser Hair Removal

Consultation   Day of Laser Hair Removal   Risks   Follow-up Visit


Background On Laser Hair Removal
Your entire body is covered with hair. Because most of the hair is fine and pale, it is usually invisible to the naked eye and not a concern. However, when the hairs are dark and coarse, appearing in areas such as the face, neck, abdomen, breasts, or arms, preventing a woman from wearing a high-cut bathing suit, shorts or even a short skirt, some modality of hair removal is usually sought after. Men often find excessive hair growth on the back, chest, arms, neck and ears disturbing.

In the past, the usual remedies for unwanted hair were plucking, shaving, waxing or chemical depilatories. These traditional methods are temporary and are associated with local reactions such as folliculitis, burns, and contact dermatitis. Electrolysis, the gold standard for hair removal prior to the introduction of lasers, is effective but can be painful and slow. Hair follicles are treated one at a time, whereby each hair follicle is destroyed by an electrical current. It often takes months to years of regular visits to treat even small areas off the body. Some of the risks involved include electric shock, infection, pitting and scarring. Over the past few years, lasers have proven to be very effective in the treatment of unwanted hair. Lasers as a whole are much less uncomfortable and faster than electrolysis in removing hair. In addition, permanent hair reduction has been scientifically demonstrated with lasers.

A laser produces a beam of highly concentrated light that is absorbed by the pigment located on the hair follicles. The laser vaporizes the pigment on the hair follicle and in so doing, disables several follicles at a time, significantly impeding its growth. The hairs that tend to be most affected by the laser are those in the growth phase. Not all hairs on the body are growing at any one time, in fact, only about one third are. For this reason at least three hair removal sessions are needed for the full efficacy of the modality to be realized. Men, woman and teens are candidates for laser hair removal. The risks of laser hair removal are few and minor when the technique is used carefully and properly.

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Laser Hair Removal Consultation
At initial consultation, Dr. Capella will perform a directed physical exam and take a careful history including medications, previous plastic surgery, skin care regimen and previous attempts at hair removal. Dr. Capella will review with you areas of unwanted hair to be treated. Virtually any hair bearing skin can be treated. Dr. Capella will note your skin type, hair color and coarseness. Location and density of hair will be evaluated. In general, the best results are achieved with light-skinned, dark-haired individuals. However, dark-skinned and fair-haired individuals can be effectively treated as a result of recent advances in technology.

Once Dr. Capella has determined that you are a candidate for laser hair removal, he will make a number of suggestions to prepare you for the anticipated procedure. For six weeks prior to first session, tanning is discouraged. Any amount of suntan will make the laser treatment less effective and increase the risk of adverse effects such as blisters and scarring. The areas to be treated should be protected with a sunscreen that blocks ultraviolet light, an SPF rating of 15 or greater. Tanning is also discouraged between treatments, as are sunless tanning products. For dark skinned individuals, pretreatment with a bleaching cream (e.g. hydroquinone) and trentinoin may make the treatment safer and more effective. Waxing, plucking of hair, or electrolysis of areas to be treated should not be performed for at least six weeks before laser treatment. Shaving and depilatory creams are allowed. The day before laser treatment, you should shave the areas to be treated. If necessary, shaving can also be performed by Dr. Capella's staff immediately prior to the procedure.

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Day of Laser Hair Removal
The areas to be treated will be cleaned and shaved if you have not already done so. Dr. Capella's staff will provide you with a topical local anesthetic to make the procedure more comfortable, EMLA cream. This cream should be applied to areas to be treated at least one hour prior to procedure. While many of Dr. Capella's patients do not find it necessary, some prefer the cream in certain areas particularly the upper lip.

The procedure itself takes from several minutes to a half hour, depending on the size of the area to be treated. Patients describe a mild stinging sensation when undergoing laser hair removal. Immediately following the procedure, you may have some mild redness and swelling in the region treated. This may last from several hours to a day or two. Dr. Capella may recommend a chilled gel pack or the application of ice to the areas treated to reduce the swelling and redness. An emollient such as Aquaphor Healing Ointment may be applied to increase comfort. A topical corticosteroid may be applied for the first 24-48 hours to decrease redness. Once again, Dr. Capella will recommend that you avoid sun exposure to the areas treated and that you apply sunblock to these areas as well. Several days following your initial treatment, Dr. Capella's staff will inquire how you are doing. Any prolonged redness, blisters or excess discomfort should be reported. Over the next several days, hairs in the treated area appear to grow. This represents the thermally damaged hair shaft being extruded from the follicle.

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Risks Associated With Laser Hair Removal
Complications are rare with laser hair removal. Almost all patients experience some pain, redness and swelling immediately after laser treatment. The most common adverse effects are pigmentary which are usually temporary. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation occurs in about 5% of patients, usually in darker skinned individuals. If were to occur, Dr. Capella would start you on a bleaching cream and trentoin. Blisters and crusting are rare and usually occur in individuals who are tanned or have darker skin prototypes.

Patients with a history of herpes simplex may develop a flare-up. Dr. Capella will start individuals with a history of herpes on antiviral medication one day prior to the procedure. Laser hair removal may lighten tattoos, moles or freckles.

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Laser Hair Removal Follow-up Visit
Dr. Capella will recommend a repeat treatment at around six weeks time. Depending on how much redness and swelling you had following the initial treatment, he will make adjustments, either increasing or decreasing the power of the laser. A minimum of three treatments is required, but as many as six sessions may be needed for satisfactory hair reduction. A session may also be needed at one year's time to maintain the hair reduction.

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