Ray Treadwell is a freelance journalist with specialized knowledge of the Hair Loss industry with an emphasis on Laser Hair Loss Therapy Contact Ray at laserhairloss@gmail.com for more information. Laser Hair Loss Treatment.

One-hundred and forty-eight participants with varying degrees of male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia) participated in an open-ended study using an all natural compound solution to determine the effects of hair regrowth.

The participants were photographed and initial hair counts were done in a 2.5 cm diameter area of their balding scalp.

After five months of treatment, the participants were re-photographed and hair counts were done on the same 2.5 cm diameter area of the scalp. The results indicate that 85.7% of the men in the study had an increase in their terminal hairs of 30% or greater. When evaluating the percent increase more closely, we find that we can break the data down into three separate groups:

1. Significant regrowth
2. Moderate regrowth
3. No change

Showing significant regrowth was 40.8% of the study group and had an increase of 100% or greater (doubling, tripling, or more) of terminal hairs counted on their five month post-treatment photo as compared to their initial pre-treatment photo. Of this group, the highest increase of hairs was 472%, and the lowest increase was 102% with the mean at 193.7% increase of hairs.

The group of men showing moderate regrowth, which we classed as 30%-100% increase in terminal hair regrowth, was 44.9% of the study group. The mean increase of that group was a 61.5% increase of hair regrowth.

The remainder of the group, classed as no change, was 14.3% of the study group, with an average of 6.7% increase in regrowth.

Participants were told to use at least one bottle per month (five bottles in five months) but were allowed to use more if desired. We did not see any significant advantage to using more than one bottle per month. Our conclusion is that the stimulatory effect of the compound is achieved at the use rate of one bottle per month.

The age range of the participants in the ability to regrow hair was not a factor. The range of the participants in this study was 24-68 years old, with the average age being 38.7 years.

In summary, this study concludes that the natural herbal extract solution has a stimulatory effect on hair growth for at least 8 out of 10 men with androgenic alopecia (balding). The earlier stages of balding appear to respond to a higher degree, but significant improvement was seen in participants at all stages of baldness. There appears to be an optimum rate of use of the product, and age does not seem to be a factor in response.

Introduction

Hair performs no vital function relative to the medical well being of humans. Yet the psycho-social implications can never be underestimated. Scalp hair can be the crowning glory for the femininity of women and a potent symbol of masculinity and security in men.

Reversal of male pattern baldness in men has for centuries eluded science and medicine. Minoxidil (commonly known as Rogaine) and Diazoxide have shown in past studies to reverse balding in men, although in only small percentages of the patients studied.

This study demonstrated the safety and efficacy of a natural compound solution to stimulate hair growth. The solution is coupled with a treatment regimen which includes scalp cleansing and proper scalp massaging.

Patients and Methods

One hundred and sixty four males with male pattern baldness from the greater Toronto area were studied at the hair clinic. After informed consent and observing past medical histories and years of balding, the men were selected. Patients that were using any form corticosteroids, cytotoxic agents, or any other form of hair regrowth agent like minoxidil were excluded from the study.

It was decided to run an open-ended study. All men were instructed and shown very carefully how to use the specially formulated scalp cleanser and all natural compound solution. Once this was handled, all the men were photographed with a high resolution Minolta "instant pro" camera. The room was brightly illuminated for close examination of the scalp and individual hairs. The camera was positioned exactly 25 cm from the balding or thinning areas with frontal, top, and rear pictures taken as needed. The participants were asked to wait for the picture to develop and sign their respective photos.

* Administration and Dosage

The all natural compound solution was supplied at no charge to the participants. Each person received 250 ml of the alcohol based all natural compound solution along with 250 ml of a specially formulated deep scalp cleanser. They were all individually and carefully instructed on the proper usage of both the scalp cleanser and the all natural compound solution.

* Evaluation and Assessment Grading

The photos taken prior to the treatment were closely evaluated. Before the treatment was initiated, a 2.5 cm circle in diameter was drawn in the balding area, always very near the border of the area demonstrating the most significant hair loss. Initial hair counts were done using a 4X magnifying lens mounted on a circular fluorescent lamp. Independent counts were made by two of us (MS and AJF), times 2, and the average of the two counters was used for statistical purposes. The hairs in the 2.5 cm area were counted, including hairs on the circular boundary. The final counts on the participants were done after five (5) months on the treatment program. The same criteria from the initial photograph was used to determine the exact location of the 2.5 cm area on the scalp and the same procedure was used to count hair roots within and on the boundary of the inscribed circular area.

At the conclusion of the five (5) month treatment program, the photos were graded under the following categories: A zero (0) grading was given to the photos that revealed no change from their initial pre-treatment photo. A grading of one (1) was given to the participants with moderate regrowth of hair from their respective original photos. And a grading of two (2) was assigned to the men with a significant regrowth of hair from their original photos.

Results

Of the one-hundred and sixty-four participants starting the study, eleven were eliminated because of their repeated absence from photo sessions and failure to use the product. Four were eliminated due to their irregular use of both the scalp cleanser and the all natural compound solution, and one person was discontinued because he relocated to another country. The remainder of the 148 participants applied the all natural compound solution at least twice daily for the five months as required for this study.

The regrowth of hair was first noticed on some participants as early as two months into the treatment. By the third month, a substantial number of men demonstrated moderate regrowth; both fine vellus hairs (peach fuzz) and darker pigmented intermediate and terminal hairs were observed. It is noteworthy to mention that the fine vellus hairs, although visible to the naked eye, were not detectable by the photos. Thus all of our quantitative and qualitative assessments were made from any intermediate and/or terminal hairs.

* Criteria for Analysis of Response to All Natural Compound Solution

The following parameters were used to classify the magnitude of hair regrowth: Subjects with less than a 30% increase in intermediate and/or terminal hairs were counted as no change. The moderate improvement group we determined were the men that showed an increase of final hair counts of greater than 30% and up to a 100% increases of terminal hairs, in their five month photos as compared to their original photos. The last group we identified was the significant increase group. This group showed the best improvement of all the men in the study, and we included those with hair count increases of 100% or greater.

* Response of the All Natural Compound Solution on Baldness

Although the qualitative and quantitative assessments were done independently, there was a strong correlation between the two groups. Overall, 88% of the qualitative group showed some degree of improvement. Of the group studied quantitatively, 85.7% showed a degree of regrowth (within 95% confidence limits). With the qualitative group, 6 of 50 men were categorized as having no change (category 0), representing 12% of the total. In the quantitative group (98 participants), 14 men, or 14.3% did not show any increase in hair counts. The average hair count increase for this group was 6.7%. So most subjects in this group did regrow some hair, but not a noticeable amount.

The moderately improved qualitative group (category 1) consisted of 16 participants, or 32%. In the quantitatively studied group, 44 of 98 men fell into the range of +30% to +100%. This represents 44.9% of the men. The range of increase was 32% to 98%, with the mean at 61.5% The participants showing significant regrowth in the qualitative group (category 2) were 28 of 50, or 56%. In the quantitatively studied group, the number of men with significant regrowth (greater than 100%) was 40 of 98, or 40.8%. These men had hair count increases of 100% or more. The range of hair count increases was 102% to 472%, with a mean increase of 194%. The photograph of these men and women showed significant cosmetic changes which correlates very well with our quantitative findings.

* Pattern of Hair Regrowth

From the photos taken monthly during the course of the study, a pattern of regrowth was observed in those participants who demonstrated a significant increase in hair counts over the five months. The first countable hairs were seen after 10-12 weeks of treatment and were first detected on the crown or vertex of the head. Following further treatment, hair was then observed regrowing in the margin of fringe of the thinning or balding areas of the scalp. Hair regrowth in the fronto-temporal region of the scalp was noted after 16-20 weeks of treatment, and this region appeared to be the most resistant to regrowth to date.

* Correlation of Response with Age

The average age of the 176 participants was 38.7 years. The mean ages for their respective groups were as follows: The no change group was 41.8 years. The moderate group was 36.7 years. And the significant group was 38.5 years. The youngest participant in the study was 24 years old, and the oldest participant was 68. There was no correlation between age and response to the treatment.

Discussion

This open-ended study has demonstrated the hair regrowth response of 148 men who have been treated with an all natural compound solution applied topically to balding or thinning regions of the scalp. The treatment program included regular scalp cleansing with a natural extract scalp cleanser and application of at least 5-10 ml of the all natural compound solution at least twice daily. The data showed that hair counts increased significantly for approximately 85% of the participants in the five month period.

The study methodology implies that the results obtained relate not only to the all natural compound solution used in the treatment, but also the overall treatment regimen. From previous minoxidil (Rogaine) papers, it was determined by them that a reasonable expectation for a "placebo-type" effect was a 10-15% increase in hair counts. Thus, by setting the cut-off in this study for moderate regrowth at a 30% increase, any increase due to a "placebo-type" effect is discounted.

An attempt was made to correlate the response (either no change, moderate change, or significant change) with a number of factors. None of the factors studied gave a strong correlation, although there were some trends noted. The number of years of balding or thinning hair did not appear to have any correlation with the final results. However, it should be noted that the number of years thinning was a number given by the participants, and could not be verified accurately. Thus it is a subject of assessment and may not be very reliable. To help balance this uncertainty, the results were grouped. Regardless of the groupings used, there was no grouping which demonstrated a significant correlation with results.

In terms of hair regrowth, this all natural compound solution appears to be more effective than minoxidil (Rogaine) and has no known side effects. A study by Alanis showed that a 2% minoxidil preparation applied topically increased hair counts by about 24% after 20 weeks. This study showed an increase of 89% in the same time period. Because of the differences in locating the measured regions of the scalp, these results are not directly comparable, but in a population study, Alanis's results showed that 34-46 out of 83 participants (48%) had no growth after 24 weeks, whereas our results show only 14 out of 98 (14%) had no growth after 20 weeks. Thus, our conclusion is that this product does stimulate regrowth of hair in cases of androgenic alopecia (balding), and that over 85% of men will respond favorably to the treatment.

R. T. Shelly has been studying alternative health conditions for many years. She is a regular contributor to Prescription Drug Alternative, a site discussing some of the most promising natural treatments for health on the market today. If you're looking for products to grow your hair fast visit the site to learn more.

Surgical Therapy

Laser-assisted hair removal is accomplished by destroying the follicular unit and thus inhibiting future hair growth by the follicle. The ability to accomplish this without damaging any surrounding tissue is based on the theory of selective photothermolysis. The theory states that at a particular wavelength (in nm), pulse duration, and fluence matrix, lasers or other light sources with wavelengths within the absorption spectrum of melanin are effective for hair removal. Typically the pulse duration, or length of time the pulse of light is emitted, should be shorter than or equal to the thermal relaxation time (TRT) of the target. The TRT of a hair follicle is from 10-100 milliseconds. However, pulses longer than the TRT of the hair shaft allows thermal damage to occur in the hair matrix stem cells and ensure follicular destruction. In order to minimize the risk of thermal damage to surrounding skin cells, cooling devices may be used to chill the skin before or during laser treatment.

Laser Systems

Since the first lasers were approved for the use of hair removal in 1996, dramatic advances have occurred in laser technology. This has led to the development of several laser types for the treatment of unwanted hair. Before the widespread use of longer wavelengths and pulse durations and more effective cooling devices, laser-assisted hair removal was best used to treat individuals with light skin and dark hair. More recently, however, long-pulsed lasers have been used to safely and effectively treat patients with darker skin types. Laser light sources currently used to destroy hair photothermally include the long-pulsed ruby (694 nm), long-pulsed alexandrite (755 nm), long-pulsed diode (810 nm), and long-pulsed neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG, 1064 nm). The efficacy of these different lasers for treatment of unwanted hair and the frequency of adverse effects encountered after treatment have been compared in various skin types.⁵

The efficacy of each of the following laser systems is compared in terms of permanent hair reduction. Hair reduction, as defined by the FDA, "refers to a significant reduction in the number of terminal hairs after a given treatment, which is stable for a period of time longer than the complete growth cycle of hair follicles at the given body site."

Long-pulsed ruby

The long-pulsed ruby laser was the first widely used laser for hair removal. Its light energy has the most selective absorption by melanin and the shortest depth of penetration (wavelength of 694 nm). Use of this laser for hair removal is indicated in individuals with light skin and dark hair. Its efficacy in individuals with light skin has been demonstrated in numerous studies, ranging from 20-60% hair reduction after one treatment and up to 50-78% reduction after multiple treatments. The ruby laser penetrates the skin by only 1-2 millimeters and can cause significant absorption by epidermal melanin of thermal energy. In studies treating a wide range of skin types with the ruby laser, more adverse reactions have occurred in patients with darker skin. The use of this laser on patients with darker skin types is not recommended.

Long-pulsed alexandrite

The 755-nm alexandrite laser has now been widely used for laser hair removal and is recognized as being efficacious and generally safe. This laser is still typically used for patients with lighter skin types, but its longer wavelength allows for deeper penetration into the skin, and it can be used for patients with darker skin.⁵ Studies have reported hair reduction from 4-56% after only a single treatment and from 33-95% hair reduction after multiple treatments, depending upon number of treatments and body location. The adverse effects of this laser, when used on patients with darker skin types, can include blistering, crusting, and alterations of pigment, even when skin cooling devices are used. In patients classified as having the darkest skin, residual hypo- or hyperpigmentation is the rule with the alexandrite laser.

Long-pulsed diode

Treatment of unwanted hair with the 810-nm long-pulsed diode laser has been demonstrated as comparable to those of the ruby or alexandrite lasers. After a single treatment, hair reductions of 32-34% have been reported, and up to 84% hair reduction has been reported after multiple treatments. The diode laser has a longer wavelength and adjustable pulse duration, and, when used with an efficient skin-cooling device, allows for the treatment of patients with darker skin types. The diode laser is more effective for laser-assisted hair removal in patients with dark skin because of the higher absorption by melanin than is seen with the Nd:YAG laser. Still, temporary adverse effects have been reported with the use of the diode laser in the form of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation when used on individuals with dark skin.⁶

Long-pulsed Nd:YAG

The Nd:YAG laser is the safest type used to treat unwanted hair on patients with dark skin and is most suitable for patients in this group. At 1064 nm, this laser penetrates the skin deeper than other lasers (to a level of 4-6 mm) with less absorption at the skin, but it is also less effectively absorbed by melanin. This leads to lower instances of adverse effects and better tolerance in patients with dark skin, but also lower efficacy for hair removal.⁷ Permanent hair loss has been reported, however, with reported hair reductions of 27-53%, depending on the number of treatments administered and the body location.

The FDA has approved the long-pulsed diode and the long-pulsed Nd:YAG lasers for use in hair removal in patients with darker skin classifications. All FDA-approved laser systems used for hair removal must have efficient and effective epidermal cooling devices incorporated as part of the system.

Intense pulsed light systems

Pulsed, noncoherent broadband light sources are now accepted and widely used in the medical industry for hair removal and other applications. Intense pulsed light (IPL) systems utilize a xenon bulb as a light source, which produces polychromatic light with wavelengths from 550-1200 nm. This is in contrast to laser light sources, which produce monochromatic light of a specific wavelength. Light emitted by the bulb passes through a filter that excludes shorter wavelengths that may severely damage skin. The ability to "tune" the wavelength of light emitted by these systems gives IPL systems the advantage of versatility. Using different filters, a pulsed light system could mimic any number of laser systems, allowing the operator to treat many different conditions amenable to light therapy, including, of course, the removal of unwanted hair.

Studies have shown intense pulsed light to be an effective method of hair removal. In a study of 210 patients who underwent hair removal by IPL, a mean hair reduction of 80% was reported after 3-5 treatments. Minimal adverse effects, including transient erythema and localized edema, were reported.

The variability of light output can also be a disadvantage of IPL systems. The light spectrum may vary slightly with each pulse, and reproducibility of treatments varies between operators. The handpieces of IPL systems are typically larger than laser-based systems, which makes treatment of fine areas of the skin difficult.

Preoperative Details

A large discrepancy can exist between patient expectations of treatment with laser-assisted hair removal systems and the actual effects of such a treatment. Open communication must exist between the care provider and the patient. A body surface area does not realistically remain completely hair-free after a single laser-assisted hair removal treatment.

Expectations

• Approximately 80% of all patients respond well to laser hair removal therapy.
• Patients should be counseled to expect a 30% decrease in hair at the treatment area with each laser treatment.
• Patients should understand that multiple treatments are often necessary to achieve the desired reduction in hair at a given body area. A minimum of 5 treatments is often necessary to achieve optimal patient satisfaction.
• Treatments are typically spaced 1-3 months apart.
• Individual response to laser-assisted hair removal is highly variable and depends upon numerous factors, including skin color, hair color and size, laser type, fluence, wavelength, and skin preparation.
• Laser hair removal is not without risk. Some discomfort may be associated with the procedure. Patients must also understand the potential for adverse effects, adverse reactions, and complications of laser treatment for unwanted hair.
• The best candidate for laser hair removal is a patient with light skin and dark hair.

Skin preparation and safety

• Patients should be instructed to avoid sunlight and active tanning prior to treatment. Bleaching of the skin with retinoic acid or hydroquinone can lighten the skin prior to laser treatment.
• Patients may shave or use depilatory creams up to the day prior to treatment, leaving hairs within the follicle and below the skin surface.
• Topical anesthetic creams or cryogenic sprays may be applied to the treatment area to reduce discomfort during the procedure. Cold compresses are also effective in reducing discomfort, erythema, and edema at the treatment area.
• The skin surface must be thoroughly cleansed of all makeup, anesthetic creams, and other applicants immediately prior to laser treatment. This may be done with water, followed by alcohol swabs, and should be allowed to dry completely.
• Laser systems are dangerous hazards to the eye. The highest concentration of melanin in the body is contained in the retina, which is highly susceptible to damage by laser light. Every person in the room during laser treatment should wear protective eyewear that is certified for the wavelength of the laser in use. Because the patient usually lies supine, he or she may require full occlusive eye protection to prevent laser light from entering underneath a sunglasses or goggle type of protective eyewear.

Intraoperative Details

Optimal outcomes of laser-assisted hair removal are obtained with the highest fluences, appropriate pulse duration, and the largest laser spot size. Test spots may be performed prior to treatment of larger areas to determine to highest fluence tolerated by the individual patient and the laser's effect on surrounding skin. The amount of fluence used should also depend upon the area of the body to be treated and the density of hairs at the site.

• In areas with thick, dense hairs, such as the beard area or upper back in men or the bikini area in women, a lower fluence should be used until the hair has sufficiently thinned. Epidermal damage could otherwise occur, due to the additive thermal energy absorbed by the higher density of hair follicles.
• When treating the brow area on men or women, the skin should be pulled up and away from the eyes and should overlay a flat portion of the forehead. This helps minimize the risk of laser light exposure to the eye and retina.
• A higher occurrence of adverse effects and adverse reactions has been noted at the neck region in women; higher fluences in this area should be used with caution.
• For treatment of the chin, perioral region, or upper lip, tooth enamel should be protected from excessive laser light exposure. Inappropriate exposure to certain laser light may induce hard tissue disintegration in the tooth and irreversible damage to dental pulp.

To minimize the possibility of thermal damage to skin and to improve patient comfort, the skin should be cooled during laser-assisted hair removal. As previously stated, all FDA-approved laser systems have an epidermal cooling device incorporated into the handpiece. Incorporated cooling mechanisms currently in use include cryogen sprays, sapphire-cooled hand pieces, and cold airflow.

• Cryogen sprays are used in short bursts prior to each pulse of laser light. Increasing the length of cryogen spurts can decrease the pain felt by the patient.
• A pre-cooled, heat-sinked sapphire window or water-cooled glass window can be incorporated into the laser handpiece. This comes into contact with the skin to be treated and cools the skin.
• Some laser handpieces contain a source of continuous cooled air. This cold air is blown over the area to be treated and cools the skin during laser treatment.
• Cold compresses or ice packs may be used prior to treatment, along with cooled laser handpieces. These may be applied prior to treatment or intermittently during a longer treatment time.
• Application of a cooled gel (eg, ultrasound, aloe vera) to the skin can aid in minimizing discomfort and epidermal damage. All gel must, however, be thoroughly removed from the skin prior to treatment.

A recent study has introduced a pneumatic skin flattening (PSF) device as an alternative to the dynamic cooling devices that are currently used.⁸ This device generates negative pressure on a small area of the patient’s skin, elevating and flattening the skin onto a sapphire window in preparation for laser therapy. This feeling of pressure against the skin may block the sensation of pain experienced by the patient. Study results thus far show that this method of treatment can be successful.

During laser treatment, each laser spot should overlap by no more than one third of the spot size. Further overlapping of continuous pulses causes accumulation of thermal injury and potentially causes epidermal damage. No overlapping of spots could result in missed areas in the treatment area. A treatment grid could be applied to the patient's skin and used as a guideline to outline the treatment area. With experience, the laser operator becomes proficient in visually tracking the treatment area.

Postoperative Details

• Immediately after a treatment session, patients should be given a cold compress or ice pack to decrease pain and reduce swelling. This effectively reduces discomfort, edema, and erythema, and keeps epidermal adverse effects to a minimum.
• Patients may also be given a topical corticosteroid cream to decrease local erythema.
• If minor skin damage has occurred, a topical antibiotic ointment may be applied until the skin has sufficiently healed.
• For more serious skin damage, an oral antibiotic may be prescribed for prophylaxis if deemed necessary by the health care provider.
• Makeup may be applied to treated areas the day following the procedure, as long as no epidermal damage has occurred.
• Patients should be told that hair casts will shed from treated areas over the following week and that this should not be confused with new hair growth.

Follow-up

Future treatments should be planned when they are likely to be most effective. Timing depends upon the body surface area to be treated. Hair on the trunk and extremities grows more slowly than on the face and head, and future treatments to the trunk and extremity should be planned after 2-4 months. In women, facial hair is lighter in color and finer in texture than on other parts of the body. These hair properties make the face a resistant area to treatment. Therefore, greater numbers of treatments are often required, and at shorter intervals. Treatments of the face should be timed at intervals of approximately 4-6 weeks.

Complications

Immediate effects after a single treatment of laser-assisted hair removal include perifollicular erythema and edema. These are expected after treatment and should not be considered adverse effects. They are minimized by cold application and resolve in a few hours.

The risk of developing adverse effects or complications after laser-assisted hair removal varies widely and depends upon many factors. The type of laser used may contribute to the incidence of adverse effects.

• The highest incidence of adverse effects has been reported to occur in patients with darker skin who were treated with the long-pulsed ruby laser.
• For individuals with darker skin, the long-pulsed diode laser and the long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser are recommended, and the Nd:YAG laser has been shown to have the least incidence of adverse effects.⁹

The incidence of adverse effects was reported after laser-assisted hair removal was performed on 480 patients. Reported adverse effects included (from highest to lowest incidence) blistering, hyperpigmentation, scabbing, hypopigmentation, scar formation, and thrombophlebitis.

• Blistering appears to be the most common adverse reaction and has been reported after treatment with all of the laser systems in use today over various skin tones. Blistering is a result of injury to the epidermis, possibly due to high fluences or increased overlapping of laser pulses.
• Scab formation is also a common adverse effect of laser treatment, due to epidermal damage. Blistering and minimal epidermal crusting have been reported in up to 15% of patients treated with both ruby and alexandrite lasers. These occurrences are more common in patients with tanned skin and darker skin types.
• Hyperpigmentation is a darkening of the skin and can occur after laser treatment. This phenomenon is usually reversible and is due to a stimulation of melanin production in skin melanocytes. This reaction is similar to a suntan.
• Hypopigmentation, or lightening of the skin, can occur after laser treatments. This is caused by damage to the epidermal melanocytes after their melanin absorbs laser light energy, causing destruction of these cells. This type of damage may be permanent and occurs more commonly in patients with darker skin.

Is Laser Hair Removal Right For Me?

Some people find their unwanted hair so embarrassing and inconvenient that it compromises their happiness, or free-time.

People get hair removal by laser over other methods of hair removal for a variety of reasons ranging from being self-conscious of facial hair, in-grown hairs, or the sheer time it takes to shave or wax on an ongoing basis.

Lasers usually target melanin so if you have dark hair and light skin you may be the “ideal candidate”. Since lasers usually target melanin, it may be more of a challenge to remove hair from people with dark skin. The same goes for removing hair from tanned people or people taking photo-sensitive medications such as Accutane. Lasers vary however, and many clinics have more than one laser that it better at removing hair from different types of clients. Bottom-line is that it makes sense to fill out our Free Consultation to find out if the laser clinic nearest to you has a laser that is appropriate for you.

Laser may be expensive, but from our experience, clients commonly come from every walk of life; each having very personal reasons for getting laser hair removal (sometimes from every imaginable body area). Remember not to be embarrassed to tell your laser technician about your unwanted hair. They are there to help you, and used to hearing a variety of requests. You are not alone in wanting your hair removed!

Click here to fill out our brief on-line questionnaire to see if laser hair removal is right for you.

A laser is a machine that emits one wavelength of intense light. Some lasers target melanin. These lasers can be used to target the melanin within hair.

The Laser Hair Removal Procedure

A pulse of energy is sent through the laser hair removal hand-piece. Since laser light involves heat to stop the hair follicle from growing again, a cooling system is needed to protect the skin. Sometimes the cooling system is a chilled laser hair removal tip, and sometimes it is in the form of a gel or a spray used during the laser hair removal procedure.

When the laser heat reaches the hair follicle, it deters or stops future hair re-growth of unwanted hair.

Typically, laser hair removal requires 3-5 treatments.

If you're interested in laser hair removal, it's important, as a first step, to learn how it works. Laser hair removal technology is the use of an invisible beam of light and a constant source of heat that penetrates the hair follicle, disabling and then destroying it at its root while preserving the surrounding skin.
The procedure of removing unwanted hair is simply targeting the follicle and then directing the laser beam at its root. The hair removal process begins as the laser beam finds the hair follicle that it is targeting by first finding the melanin (the dark color of the hair).
Who can benefit from Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal works best on those people with dark hair and fair skin.
Melanin is also found in skin, so those people with dark skin either from suntans or by birth will not be ideal candidates for laser hair removal. Neither will red headed or light blond haired people — simply because the laser is solely attracted to the darkness of the hair.
Laser hair removal is most successful when the hair is in its anagen phase (the phase when a hair follicle is its active growth). This phase lasts several years — 85% of our hair is in that phase at any given time. During this phase, the hair is easily targeted and more easily destroyed.
Are there any problems with Laser Hair Removal?
Unlike other hair removal methods such as electrolysis, waxing and, of course, shaving, laser hair removal is the most state-of-the-art and high-tech method in removing unwanted hair for longer (and even indefinite) periods of time. It is the only proven method available for easily removing hair from mass areas of the body including back, chest, legs and face. Laser hair removal is effective, precise and cost efficient.
The laser simply and directly pinpoints the root of the hair and removes it from the body. Although the process is precise and beneficial, it can be irritating to the skin — therefore it is important that the surrounding skin be cooled with a gel, a spray or a cooling device throughout the procedure. These cooling systems prevent the laser beam from causing harm or discomfort to the surrounding skin.
Types of Lasers
There are currently four types of lasers used for hair removal:
Alexandrite – such as the Candela GentleLase Plus
Ruby – such as the EpiTouch or Epilaser
Diode – such as the Coherent Light Sheer
ND and LP ND Yag – such as the Candela GentleYag and the Altus Cool Glide
Each of these techniques is FDA-approved and proven effective, fast and safe methods for successful hair removal and permanent hair reduction.
What to look for
Although it is the work of the laser that removes the hair follicle, successful laser hair removal depends upon the skill and knowledge of the technician who manipulates and maneuvers the laser. That is, once the laser is selected, it is the mastery of the technician that will yield the best results.
Now let's better understand the technique involved. Words like pulse, fluency and time are imperative to you, the consumer. These techniques will ensure that your experience is comfortable and effective.
For instance, long pulsed lasers are considered to be the safest. Energy and fluency levels of the laser can be specified depending on your personal skin type. The time allowed between pulses of light allows the skin and follicle to cool for longer periods of time, making your experience more pleasant. The size of the area on your skin's surface affects the speed and penetration of the laser — a larger area allows the technician to go deeper into the root of the hair follicle, which can give you better results per session.
Laser hair removal is not a one-time procedure. But, in just a few sessions, you can feel like a different person. The power of the laser is unchallenged by any other hair removal method available.
Now that you have some definitions about laser hair removal let us help you make some decisions. View our Frequently Asked Questions to investigate further if laser hair removal is right for you — or, to find out if you are a good candidate for laser hair removal, just take our Free Instant Consultation.