Laser hair removal is a safe and effective solution for unwanted body hair, such as that found on women’s faces or men’s arms, legs or backs. The Elite Cynosure system delivers optimal results regardless of skin type.
Undergoing an untrained procedure carries with it some risks, including pigment changes (darkening or lightening of skin tone), scarring and blistering.
Pain
Laser treatments offer an effective yet comfortable alternative to waxing, tweezing, shaving and electrolysis for those seeking to remove unwanted hair. At Inbloom Heath + Medispa we use the Cynosure Elite iQ laser to help our clients reduce unsightly and often uncomfortable hair growth for good.
As part of your treatment, your provider will gently glide a device across the area being treated while pulsing and applying cooling gel to ensure you remain comfortable. Safety goggles may also be provided to protect your eyes as the laser emits flashes of white light energy that can be seen. Heat produced as laser light passes through skin can be felt; certain areas may be more sensitive than others such as underarms versus legs.
Most people find threading to be less painful than waxing or tweezing; the degree of pain will depend on each individual. Keep in mind that as more hair grows in, so too does its sensitivity and discomfort.
Once your procedure has concluded, it is normal to experience some redness and swelling in the area treated. This generally passes within several hours depending on how sensitive your skin is; an ice pack can help minimize these effects.
After laser hair removal, your skin may feel itchy at first but should quickly subside. You can reduce irritation by washing with cool water instead of hot showers or baths and by limiting sun exposure – both natural and artificial – during this period; tanning before an appointment could interfere with laser’s ability to target hair follicles accurately.
Swelling
Laser hair removal treatments may cause some swelling to develop around the area of treatment, and this is completely normal. To help minimize swelling, it is recommended that you keep this area out of direct sunlight and follow all aftercare instructions from your provider to reduce swelling as much as possible.
Depending on the size and scope of your treatment area, laser hair removal procedures typically last anywhere between several minutes and an hour. As you relax backwards while your provider presses a hand-held laser instrument against your skin with cooling gel at its tip to protect skin damage caused by heat generated from laser radiation. Pulses of light emitted by the laser target melanin-rich cells to damage them and inhibit future hair growth.
Laser hair removal can also help eliminate pigmented lesions like age spots and moles from your skin, such as age spots or moles. These dark growths may appear as blue or purple hues, black spots or shades of brown on parts of your body that frequently come into contact with sunlight. Pulses of light emitted by Elite platform can also selectively absorb by these cells to destroy them and eliminate their appearance.
Before your appointment, you will be instructed not to pluck or wax the area as this can interfere with the results of laser therapy. Furthermore, sun exposure must also be limited and certain medications taken. Most providers suggest scheduling multiple sessions of four to six weeks apart in order to allow enough time for laser technology to destroy hair follicles effectively; any remaining ones can then be eliminated through further treatments sessions.
Discoloration
Laser hair removal may leave skin with slight color changes after treatment; this should not be cause for alarm. This occurs because the light used to target hair follicles also absorbs pigment, potentially changing the hue of your skin tone – though more frequently experienced by people with lighter complexions. Any color variations should fade shortly after your session has concluded and should no longer pose a cause for alarm.
A laser handpiece is guided over the treatment area and pulses of light are delivered directly into its target site. Light absorbed by melanin turns to heat that disables hair follicles over time – eventually they stop producing hair altogether and die away altogether.
Some individuals require multiple treatments in order to achieve permanent results, and the number will depend on your hair and skin type as well as thickness of hair growth. It’s essential that you follow any instructions given by your provider – usually this means not waxing or tweezing the area as well as staying out of direct sunlight – in order to have successful outcomes.
Cynosure Elite provides a safe and effective method for eliminating unwanted hair from both facial and body surfaces. In addition, this laser device can treat pigmented lesions like age spots and freckles as well as telangiectasias (fine vessels found on cheeks and legs). With two laser wavelengths combined in one system, our cosmetic dermatologists are able to safely treat all skin tones – even dark-skinned patients!
Itching
Hair removal lasers work by channeling energy deep into your follicle, disabling cell division and ultimately hair growth. This differs from traditional depilatories like shaving, tweezing, waxing and electrolysis which merely remove surface hairs but leave their follicle intact; leaving sensitive areas exposed after treatment.
Sensitive skin can lead to itching after laser hair removal treatments. A common side effect, itching to the treatment area may occur and can be soothed with 1% hydrocortisone cream; normally this should subside within 24 hours; however if symptoms continue, consult with your physician immediately.
Before your Elite session begins, a topical anesthetic will be applied to the area to reduce any discomfort. Your dermatologist will then move the hand piece over targeted areas on your body – you may feel it like rubber band snapping against your skin as the laser heats and destroys unwanted hair follicles.
After your session is completed, our dermatologist will apply a cooling Aloe Vera gel. Your skin may appear red or sore following this treatment process; however, this should subside over time as your treatment area heals. However, beware tweezing, shaving or waxing in between sessions as this could irritate and diminish results.
Patients often require multiple sessions before seeing full results. To schedule your first appointment with our office and speak to one of our cosmetic dermatologists about creating a treatment plan tailored specifically to you, contact our office now. Cynosure Elite laser treatments offer safe, effective and reliable results while other aesthetic services like dermal fillers and microneedling are also provided for acne scarring or stretch marks.
Redness
Redness from laser hair removal often results from an acute histamine response in the skin, which typically resolves itself within 24-48 hours post-treatment. To reduce irritation or inflammation in affected areas, it may be recommended that sunlight, shaving and excessive scrubbing be avoided until symptoms have subsided.
Prior to any laser hair removal session, it’s essential that your skin be completely free of makeup, lotions, oils and deodorant products that could obstruct results. An aesthetic professional will then put on safety goggles to shield their eyes as he or she guides the laser handpiece over the area to be treated; you may experience some brief but intense stings similar to when rubber bands snap.
Your aesthetic professional will use a laser to treat multiple hair follicles at once with its energy; heating up and destroying unwanted follicles is achieved via heating them up with the laser beam. For sensitive skin types, we can apply topical numbing cream prior to commencing treatment with laser light.
To ensure the maximum benefit from laser hair removal, it’s wise to schedule multiple sessions every four weeks. This will help ensure all unwanted hair is permanently eliminated from your skin’s surface and could reduce treatment costs in the process. To learn more about laser hair removal and how many sessions may be necessary for permanent results, schedule a consultation today with our team! The Cynosure Elite IQ laser device was created with both user and patient in mind; featuring a melanin reader as well as modern design that Dr. Erwin uses for optimal hair removal experiences for his patients.
