Archive for December, 2007
The Laser Consult at Dermacare
Tonight I had my first laser hair consultation.
This is what I learned:
1. The underarms are the most effective area. You will see results within 3 treatments, and they should be completed, on average, within 5 treatments.
2. It takes about 2 minutes to complete an underarm.
3. The clinic can only guarantee a 75-90% reduction.
4. Shave the area 24 hours before the appointment. If stubble appears, it will not burn the skin because the laser will focus most of it’s energy at the base of the hair. If there are longer hairs, they will be shaved prior to treatment.
5. IPL should not to be used for hair removal. IPL is normally used for sun damage, spider vains, skin treatments, etc. If you find cheaper prices on hair removal, most likely they are using IPL, which is not as effective as diode or yag laser machines. These other machines are meant for hair removal.
6. Only shave between appointments. Treated hairs will naturally come out of the follicle.
7. Within 6-8 weeks, new hairs will begin to break through the skin. Schedule your next laser appointment within 8-10 weeks of the previous appointment.
8. Laser machines do not work on red, grey, or blonde hair.
9. With this company, I would be able to treat 1 underarm for $75. Multiply that by 5 treatments, and it totals to $375. (Normally it would cost $180 to treat both underarms. I was given a discount because I am doing research.)
10. At the National Laser Institute, the cost was $50 for both underarms.
Should I do some more shopping…or make a decision? What do you think?
Laser Hair Removal Q&A #3
Q: What type of skin/hair works/doesn’t work?
A: It only works on hair with pigment. Laser does not work on blonde, red, or gray hair. It also doesn’t work on vellus hair. It works best on Fitzpatrick I-III skin type (very fair, fair, or medium skin), not the best on IV-VI (darker skin types).
Just a comment: I heard from the grapevine that there are some lasers that will work on red or gray hair. I don’t know if this is true or not, but if you do know, please feel free to leave a comment.