Laser hair removal uses a cooling gel on the skin before using the laser, with its energy passing through it to reach each hair follicle’s pigment (melanin) to reach and destroy bulb and bulge structures in their entirety.
Pigment can come from birth, sun damage or medical conditions; or it can be added artificially through tattooing.
Why do I need to shave?
As laser light targets hair follicles, they begin to shrink and stop producing new hair follicles – eventually falling out altogether and leaving behind smoother and clearer skin. It is important to keep in mind that laser treatment won’t affect all hair follicles simultaneously and multiple sessions may be required before seeing results. It is also vitally important not to tweeze, wax, pick or pluck them as this could damage results of this procedure.
The PicoWay Resolve laser system is the latest and most advanced laser system available, capable of producing remarkable results for various indications such as dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles, scars and more. Utilizing state-of-the-art Picosecond laser technology that delivers short pulses of laser energy — trillionths of a second! — this allows it to penetrate skin without overheating thus resulting in reduced side effects and discomfort post treatment sessions.
PicoWay Resolve laser targets pigment in the skin, whether from sun spots caused by too much melanin production (commonly referred to as sun spots) or from tattoos. It shatters these particles into tiny fragments so they no longer remain visible on the surface and helps tighten and smooth down fine lines and wrinkles as a result.
PicoWay laser pulses have proven extremely successful at treating acne scars using ultra-short laser pulses that stimulate the body’s natural healing response, replacing scar tissue with healthy collagen and elastin for an improved skin texture and more even complexion that’s free from acne scars.
Due to an increase in collagen and elastin levels, skin will appear fuller and smoother, especially noticeable on the face where fine lines and wrinkles may be reduced for a younger, more refreshed appearance. Furthermore, laser’s high peak power pulses penetrate deeper into skin layers where they can fade dark spots or brighten the complexion.
How long will the treatment take?
Laser treatments typically only last a short while when targeting small areas like your chin or underarms for hair removal. If your goal is to tackle larger patches of unwanted fur, however, treatment could take significantly longer. Shaving before attending will also speed up treatment as this enables the laser beams to more quickly target and destroy hair follicles more effectively.
The PicoWay laser provides a concentrated beam of energy in short bursts to quickly vaporize pigment and destroy dark hair follicles without impacting surrounding skin or overheating, an issue with some conventional tattoo removal systems. Consequently, shorter pulses enable this powerful and precise laser to ensure maximum effectiveness when it comes to tattoo removal.
The Picosecond laser has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for tattoo removal, melanin build-up that causes dark spots, as well as skin rejuvenation with collagen treatments for areas such as acne scars or wrinkles. As such, people of various skin colors can benefit from PicoWay treatments.
However, some patients require multiple laser treatments in order to achieve the results they are after, due to dark skin’s natural resistance to light-based laser therapies; laser beams reflected off dark pigmentation in hair follicles may cause them to miss their targets and produce unwanted side effects.
To address this problem, practitioners can schedule regular laser treatment sessions at regular intervals to catch hair follicles in their growth cycles and target them at their most vulnerable stage – and ultimately eliminate them.
Laser treatments not only destroy hair follicles, but can also target darker pigment in the skin to shatter it into smaller particles no longer visible through it. This has made the PicoWay laser an increasingly popular solution for treating hyperpigmentation and melasma caused by pregnancy, medication, sun exposure or other sources.
After receiving laser treatments, skin may feel slightly tender or itchy for several days following. A cold compress or antibiotic ointment may help ease this discomfort; typically this should go away within hours or so. To minimize further potential discomfort it is important not to rub, scratch, pick at or pick at treated areas as this could cause scabbing which leads to infection; direct sunlight should also be avoided for three weeks following laser treatments.
Will the treatment hurt?
The PicoWay laser stands out with its ability to penetrate skin layers safely and precisely, without harming surrounding tissue. This makes for quick and efficient treatment of tattoo pigment, excessive melanin that causes dark spots or areas which could benefit from collagen smoothing such as acne scars and wrinkles.
At times, during treatment a topical anesthetic may be applied to reduce pain or discomfort; this usually isn’t necessary. Following your session, you can return to daily activities with little downtime; any sensitivity should subside within a couple of days and cold compresses may help soothe any sore spots in the treated area.
Although not painful, some patients may experience mild discomfort or “prickling” when the laser penetrates into their skin to destroy hair follicles. Any discomfort should subside shortly after being removed from treated skin.
Before beginning laser treatment, your technician will clean out the area to remove excess lotions or cosmetics that might interfere with its effectiveness. Shaving before your appointment may also be beneficial as this will prepare the skin and ensure the laser targets the appropriate hair follicles for destruction.
After each laser session, your doctor will provide aloe vera gel to soothe and calm the treated area. They may instruct you not to rub or pick at it as this could result in scabbing and pustules; should any be present it is important that they notify their practitioner as soon as possible.
Laser hair removal works on all skin and hair colors, though darker skin requires additional sessions for results to become apparent. This is because laser light only targets hair follicles in their active growth phase – and darker skin tends to have more of these compared with lighter skin.
How many sessions will I need?
Due to hormone-driven hair growth, multiple sessions may be necessary in order to eradicate all hair follicles in an area. To achieve maximum effectiveness and avoid unnecessary touch-up sessions from time to time, treatments should be scheduled every 6 weeks until all follicles have been destroyed and touch-up sessions may also be required from time to time. The type of laser used by an office may impact how many sessions will be necessary as longer wavelengths produce more heat in your skin and increase chances of side effects such as hyperpigmentation or hyperpigmentation occurring from sessions using shorter wavelengths.
Before coming in for treatment, we ask that you refrain from waxing, tweezing or using depilatory creams on the target areas for at least a month prior to starting laser sessions – this allows the lasers to effectively target hair growth. Furthermore, it’s wise to avoid sun exposure or spray tans prior to your appointment as they could compromise its efficacy and compromise its success.
Your skin may feel sensitive after your session, but most discomfort should subside by the next day. Apply a cooling aloe vera gel to keep the area smooth and healthy; if redness, scabbing, or pustules appear contact our office as soon as possible; Hydrocortisone 1% or Neosporin may help soothe affected areas.
As part of your treatment, you may hear something resembling the sound of a rubber band snapping against your skin. This sensation only lasts a few seconds; we use cooling equipment to ensure as comfortable an experience as possible.
After treatment has begun, you should begin to see that unwanted hair has begun to diminish. It is essential to follow your treatment plan and visit the clinic on every scheduled session in order to ensure all active follicles have had a chance to be targeted while they remain in an active stage of growth and cannot reactivate themselves later on.
Depending on how many sessions are missed, follicles in your skin could take 18 months to regrow fully and you could face increased risks such as pigmentation issues.
