Posts Tagged ‘melanin’

A Typical Laser Hair Removal Treatment

Saturday, January 24th, 2009



Whenever the day arrives for you to have your initial laser hair removal treatment, it is natural to get nervous and possibly a little anxious . This is because it’s something you have never done before and you aren’t sure what to expect. Try to unwind and think of this visit as any other doctor visit.

If there is a delay once you get there at the office, try to keep your mind busy so you’ll not fret about the approaching treatment . Perhaps a buddy could accompany you to your appointment, or, if you are alone , read a book or magazine. Having your payment prepared will also enable you to loosen up as it’ll be one less thing you need to be concerned about.

When it’s your turn to enter the treatment room, you’ll be instructed to remove all indispensable clothing and a gown shall be furnished . If pictures of the region to be treated with laser hair removal were not taken during the consultation, the nurse or assistant is going to take them now.

The area to be treated will be washed to cleanse it of any lotions, cosmetics, perfumes or deodorants. It will then be prepped with alcohol. Based on the treatment , the area may , or might not , be shaved. Your skin might be cooled before treatment to help reduce any side effects from occurring . You, and anybody else in the room, are going to be given safety goggles to wear during the procedure .

The physician , or technician, who is performing the laser hair removal procedure will perform a patch test. It will give him a chance to gauge your tolerance of the treatment and in addition pick the correct fluence levels. It will also provide the chance to experience how the laser feels and hopefully minimize some of your nervousness . A single pulse is sent to the test spot , that will be in the vicinity of the location to be treated. It will be examined for any sings of damage to the skin e.g. blistering and separation.

When the doctor is ready to begin the process , he will aim the laser at the hair follicles of the space to be treated. Because the hair follicles possess a dark pigmentation, they’ll absorb the energy out of the laser’s light. The time that is required for the procedure will be based upon the amount of hair to be removed , the point size of the beam, as well as the scanning pattern of the hand piece the doctor is using. Laser hair removal treatments might take somewhere from 12 to 60 minutes, based upon the region treated.

Many people say that the laser feels like a rubber band being snapped against your skin . Some describe it as more extreme than that . Should you be experiencing discomfort or pain , you will be provided a topical anesthesia or cooling remedies .

After the laser hair removal treatment is finished , you will be ready to get dressed and talk over post treatment care . You may go through some short-term side effects like redness and swelling , which commonly disappear within a day or 2 .

Once you have experienced your 1st laser hair removal treatment you’ll be more relaxed when you require more treatments

Sites Of Intrest

Tags: ,
Posted in Male Laser Hair Removal | No Comments »

Different Laser Hair Removal Systems

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009




Laser hair removal is big business and big money. The popularity continues to skyrocket and even present a problem for the FDA.

Manufactures are jumping on the band wagon submitting there latest product to them for approval that they can hardly keep up. This is good for you as a consumer because the competition will bring about new innovations and lower costs to us as an individual.

The list of approved hair removal lasers are ever changing and ever growing. To find that latest you will need to contact the FDA by phone or their web site if you know the name of the device or the manufacturer.  They do not however rate or compare them.

Laser hair removal methods each have their own list of various products. Here is a short list to get you started.

Ruby Laser – the oldest and therefore the most outdated.  It all started here when the only people that could get the treatments were those of dark hair and light skin.  Even sun tanned patients were not able to use this presses. Compared to today, it only covered small areasso has pretty much been replaced by newer method s in recent  years.

Alexandrite Laser – This one is popular because it is fast and can cover large areas. It is still intended for light to moderately dark skin types.

Diode Laser -  Fast and meant for larger areas like the Alexandrite Laser but more effective on dark skin and is less effective on lighter, finer hair.

Long pulse Nd:Yag laser – Can be safely used in all skin types. Large areas to be treated quickly due to the fast reputation rates. Although that by comparison it does create a little more discomfort.

(IPL) Intense Pulsed Light Devices – These are not laser at all, but “laser equivalents”.   in the sense that they use the same concept of selective photothermolysis to accomplish hair removal.  Photothermolysis is also used to remove tattoos. With IPL you can “tune in” to the color you want to attack on the skin. This method requires a far greater skill level then the standard laser to remove hair.

Sites Of Intrest

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Male Laser Hair Removal | Comments Off

How Laser Hair Removal Works

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009




Simplistically, male laser hair removal uses an invisible beam of light (laser) over a small area that seeks out and destroys melanin (the coloring chemical that give hair it’s color and skin it’s pigment). That short blast of energy will fill the root of that hair and will actually take a couple of days for the hair to call out.

The mere fact that it focuses on dark colors prevents a problem for light skinned haired, dark skinned either by tanning or by birth.  This also rules out red heads and blonds.

Lasers are the preferred method of removing unwanted hair for long periods of times. In most cases indefinitely.  It is the only available proven method for easily removing hair from mass areas of the body including back, chest, face and legs – even the buttocks and genitals for those more adventurous types.  In short, laser hair removal is precise, effective and cost efficient.

Laser hair removal is still a medical procedure but very few problems can still arise. While the laser is targeting the root of the hair, it is still important to protect the surrounding skin with a cooling gel or spray. Even a topical numbing cream can be used.  Must clients will experience slight redness and maybe some swelling, but that should subside in a few days.

Currently there are 5 types of lasers approved by the FDA for laser hair removal that have proven safe and fast for permanent hair removal.  They are listed here if you are looking to dig a little deeper.

* Ruby – such as the EpiTouch or Epilaser
* ND and LP ND Yag – such as the Candela GentleYag and the Altus Cool Glide
* Alexandrite – such as the Candela GentleLase Plus
* Diode – such as the Coherent Light Sheer

* And the IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) which is more a combination of laser and radio waves to target specific colors that makes it ideal for darker skin / lighter hair cantidates.

By far. It all boils down to the skill of the technician who is operating the laser that will determine the outcome of the whole ordeal. Even more important then the type of laser used… that persons mastery and magic and knowledge of the laser will be the final factor.  When you have some one shooting laser light radiation at you, you want them to know what they are doing and experience is key.

There are many factors involved here. Wave length, jewels, pulse and fluency may not mean anything to you as a patient, but the technician needs to balance all these factors for safety, comfort and effectiveness. Energy and fluency levels are adjusted to the skin type. The area covered determines the speed of penetration. The time between pulses allows the follicles to cool off. The shorter the wave length, the safer.  All these things bust be balanced so it is wise to grill the doctor before anything begins.

Laser is by far the preferred method of hair removal.  It will take several treatments and can be costly, but in just a few visits you will start seeing results.  Those of us that have all ready taken the dive are not regretting it.

Sites Of Intrest

Tags: ,
Posted in Male Laser Hair Removal | Comments Off