Laser Hair Removal

Laser is an important source of hair removal. Laser are of four types-ruby, diode, alexandrite and Nd: YAG laser.

Laser light destroy hair follicles by thermal, mechanical or photochemical mechanism.

The effect of hair removal by this technique varies from person to person – every sitting makes the hair thinner and thinner.

The number of sittings depends upon the organ of the body and skin of the individual.

Guidelines for laser-hair removal:

Laser care before the treatment:

  • The patient should not pluck or wax the hair.
  • Prescribed antibiotics should be taken.
  • Electrolysis on hair should not be done.
  • A sunscreen is recommended and direct sunlight must be avoided on the sites where treatment is to be done.
  • A bleaching cream may be used.
  • The patient should start antiviral medicines when prescribed.

Steps for laser treatment:

  • The area on which laser is to be done should be clean and make up or powder should be removed.
  • If the patient is having unbearable pain then a topical anesthetic cream should be applied before the treatment. It is applied on the more sensitive areas like upper lip etc.
  • The parameters are set on the laser machine like fluence power, etc depending on the patient’s part of the body, patient’s skin and the sitting number.
  • If the device is not equipped with a cooling device, a thick layer of cooled clear gel is applied before delivery of the laser pulses or by applying directly ice to the treated area till the patient feels relaxed.

Laser changes

The immediate changes after laser treatment are reddishness and burning spots on skin with black covering outside and swelling.

Post laser care:

Pain and swelling can be reduced with the help of ice packs after the operation. Topical antibiotic ointment must be applied on the epidermal injured area. Sun exposure should be avoided. Sunscreen with the sun protection factor 30 should be applied.

Side-effects:

  • The bacterial infection may occur after epidermal change.
  • It is very painful operation.
  • Possibility of herpes simplex outbreak is there.
  • Permanent pigmentary changes occur in dark skinned persons.

Result:

  • Fair skinned patients with dark hair are treated best. Dark skinned people are treated with alexandrite and diode laser operating at longer wavelength and longer pulse duration.
  • The possibility of permanent hair removal in case of fair and dark hair is eighty to ninety percent.
  • Re-growing hairs are thinner and lighter in color. The result varies from person to person but is favorable in case of 80% people.