Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is an extremely delicate procedure and much care is given to the preferences and the comfort of client. Before the start of any medical procedure including laser hair removal an adequate insight into patients general out look, past medical history and on going medical ailments is necessary. Following conditions should be considered before opting for laser hair removal procedure to achieve best laser hair removal results.

Patient education and consent

The patient should be informed about the details of the actual procedure, possible side effects and success rates. An agreement about the laser hair removal costs should also be reached to avoid future disputes. Proper written consent of the patient should be taken. Precautions and post procedural care should also be told.

Six weeks before laser treatment

The following care should be taken 6 weeks prior to the laser hair removal treatment

• Conditions causing Hypertrichosis which include hormonal, familial, drug-related, or tumor-related conditions.
• History of previous treatment methods, last treatment session and results should be considered.
• History of herpes a skin disease.
• History of scarring after a dermal laser treatment
• The specific pathological condition causing excessive hair growth if any should be known and also treated like hormonal derangement and ovarian tumors.
• Medication in use if any.

Use of sun block

Exposure to the sun should be minimized and skin tanning should be avoided at all costs if one is looking forward for laser hair removal on the exposed sites. Laser hair removal works well in high contrast areas, light skin verses dark hair, and for that purpose a broad-spectrum sun block is highly recommended. Even passive tanning can greatly worsen the situation so, strong sun block, effective against both UVA and UVB with high SPF (sun protection factor) like Fake Bake SPF 30 Body Lotion is usually recommended. You can also use Joey New York Pure Pores Oil-Free Moisturizer with SPF 15 if u have an oily skin or want to use an oil free solution.

Use of bleach cream

Bleach creams and sun screens should be advised to the dark skinned or suntan persons to lighten up the complexion before the procedure. Patients with darker skin or tanned skin are generally prescribed a bleaching cream such as hydroquinone in order to ensure proper contrast. The Fade Out Gentle Cream Bleach is an effective non-prescription option available to get reliable results.

Skin patch testing

Three or four days before the treatment skin patch testing is done to determine appropriate parameters for best laser hair removal results for a particular person. Probable estimation of results and suitable settings of the laser equipment are calculated by skin patch testing.

Avoid waxing plucking and electrolysis

The patient should avoid plucking, waxing, or electrolysis as now it is a documented fact that better results are obtained by shaving the area before treatment instead of waxing, suggesting that light absorption by the pigmented hair shaft itself plays an important role.

Depilatory creams and shaving

Shaving and the use of depilatory creams can be allowed till the day of treatment. The intact hair shaft respond better targeted by the laser light because the hair shafts absorbs laser light and follicle burns easily. The patient should be instructed to shave area and if shaving causes irritation then second choice is depilatory creams.

Use of drugs

Drugs like (e.g. acyclovir, valacyclovir, famicyclovir) should be used prophylacticaly incase there is a risk of viral infection. Same is the case with antibiotics. Anesthetic creams should be applied only one hour before the start of procedure .The use of various drugs requires extreme caution and should only be used in consultation with your doctor.

On the day of treatment

On the day of treatment the following things are done

• The skin is prepared for procedure by removing all topical applications including makeup creams powders etc because these can cause allergic reactions and can also decrease the efficacy.
• Local anesthesia is given on the requirement of client and the area under procedure but if required then topical cream is used to give the anesthesia.
• The operator should have good visibility for effective treatment. It can be facilitated with help of a head lamp or treatment gird.