Laser hair removal
Light energy of a particular wave length applied using a laser will specifically destroy the pigment found in the bulb of the hairs, the eumelanin. This destruction causes the death of the bulb and other bulbs that are dormant and not yet loaded with melanin will be activated before themselves being destroyed during a second session
After 3 to 6 sessions all the bulbs will be destroyed and the skin will be permanently smoother.
Our first meeting
It will occur in the form of a free, initial consultation during the course of which your requirements will be heard and a medical questionnaire will be conducted relating to the laser.General and more personalised information will be provided to you and any questions you have will be answered. If there are no contraindications, a small test will be conducted with the correctly adjusted parametes, allowing you to 'experience' the sensation produced by the laser.
Finally, you will be given a file containing all the necessary information as well as a consent form and a quote.
You will leave fully informed, but under no obligation.
THE THEORY
Light energy of a particular wave length applied using a laser will specifically destroy the pigment found in the bulb of the hairs, the eumelanin. This destruction causes the death of the bulb and other bulbs that are dormant and not yet loaded with melanin will be activated before themselves being destroyed during a second session
After between 3 and 10 sessions, depending on the skin type and area of the body, all the bulbs will be destroyed and the skin will be permanently smoother. It is considered that no regrowth after 18 months equates to permanaent hair removal.
SAFETY
The power of the laser must be properly controlled and medical training is necessary for this level of performance.
Nobody can anticipate, supervise and take responsibility technically for a treatment of this type better than a doctor.
This also allows analgesic treatment to be administered to patients who are concerned or who are very sensitive, in the case of treatments over extended areas of the body.
The doctor remains entirely responsible for this procedure even when it is performed by a colleague or by a qualified member of staff.
The course of the treatment
THE FIRST SESSION
- You must make sure that you bring your file with you signed and dated.
- You must not have any tan (real or fake) on your skin nor any hair removed that makes it difficult to identify the boundaries of the area to be treated.
- If you are worried about pain, you can apply the emla anaesthetic cream 1 hour before the session and/or you can take an analgesic. Where patients have dense hair, where large areas are to be treated, and for certain patients who are particularly sensitive, the doctor can give an analgesic injection in the practice before the session begins.
- The session should then take place - very successfully!- with or without breaks depending on the areas, the duration and the tolerance of the patient.
- At the end of the session, some redness that can be very significant and transient, as well as papules (resembling a mosquito bite), which vary according to skin type and to the power of the treatment, will appear in the treated areas. Their presence means that the treatment is effective and the application of cold and cream will make them subside.
After-effects
The skin reactions disappear in a few hours to a few days. In the case of tanned skin, a crust can appear which will disappear leaving the skin temporarily lighter. The skin should be hydrated, cared for and protected from friction and especially from the sun while the redness persists.
The residual stem of the hair, which appears to be squeezed by the skin, will disappear in one to three weeks.
You will be able to appreciate and take pleasure in the softness of your skin before the next session, generally four weeks later (except for beards: three weeks, and the back/the legs, six weeks). The laser settings will be reassessed depending on the results, in order to optimize the efficacy of each session.
It is important to follow the protocol for the first three sessions, since excessive delays between these sessions could neutralize the effect of the laser, since the bulb and the hair will be dissociated after 6 to 8 weeks.
The third session should occur after the same interval of time as the second one, then further sessions can occur at longer intervals of time, depending on the extent to which the hair regrows. A shorter session can be planned before the summer for the finer details.
Les questions les plus fréquentes
These mostly concern:
- The danger associated with the laser on the skin.
No cancerous effect has been attributed to the laser to this date. - Burns
A treatment that is poorly executed can cause burns, although these are very rare with this type of laser and cooler, occurring more frequently with the Flash Lamp (IPL) pseudo-lasers.
In general, these problems occur due to a poor appraisal of the degree of tanning of the skin, which is often down-played or even denied by the patient.
These incidents result in a temporary over-pigmentation with darker skins, and in a temporary under-pigmentation with lighter skins. - Pain
which is felt to a varying degree depending on the sensitivity of each patient, also depends on the area being treated, as well as the power of the laser burst, tiredness, fear, etc. The cold pulses of air make the pain very bearable, but it can be reduced to a minimum in various ways: anaesthetising cream, sedatives, analgesics in tablet or injection form.