Laser hair removal

1. Cosmetic laser hair removal

Laser hair removal eliminates underarm hair and unwanted or excessive public hair which looks unsightly under a bikini or underwear. Leg hair is not always considered very feminine. More and more men do not want hair on shoulders and back. However, it is a very subjective matter and discomfort is not proportional to hair amount.

2. Folliculitis

Hairs are formed within the skin in tiny structures known as hair follicles. The word folliculitis describes an inflammation of these hair follicles. This may happen anywhere on the skin following shaving and on the bikini area and legs after waxing. An unaesthetic hyperpigmentation may appear on dark skins.

3. Hirsutism

Hirsutism is a condition of unwanted, hair growth in women. Hirsutism is the presence of hairs in excessive amounts or stiff and pigmented hair on body areas where men typically grow hair — face, chest and back. The amount of body hair is largely determined by genetic makeup. Hirsutism may arise from excess male hormones called androgens, primarily testosterone.

Typical areas are chin, nipples, under the navel line. The chest can be affected. At menopause, female hormones decrease and the effects of the androgen may become unbalanced. This may lead to chin and upper lip hairs.

4. Hypertrichosis

Hypertrichosis is an abnormal amount of hair growth all over the body. It is more frequent in some ethnic groups and families. Temporary hair removal tends to worsen the process.

5. Iatrogenic hyperpilosity

Medication such as anabolic steroids, clomiphene, first generation contraceptive pills, cyclosporine etc. may cause unwanted hair.
Long term cortisone treatment causes hair growth of fine hairs all over the body. Local cortisone therapy of the face in black women stimulates hair growth.

How does laser hair removal work ?

The laser emits a light that penetrates the skin without any damage. It is then absorbed by the pigments of the hair follicle and is converted into heat which damages the hair bulb. Diode laser Soprano treatment is virtually painless.

Laser hair removal is a medical procedure and must be exclusively carried out by a medical doctor (decree of 29/03/2013). A good laser doctor is experienced and able to make correct diagnoses so that the laser treatment offers optimal efficiency. If the doctor considers laser therapy to be inappropriate, he must inform the patient.

Laser hair removal results depend on a number of different factors :

Hair colour – due to a lack of melanin, grey and red hairs do not react to laser treatment.

Light brown hairs react to laser treatment only if the bulb is full of eumelanin (black melanin). At the first appointment the doctor must extract a hair from the area to be treated and check its melanin load. Light brown hair will require more session of treatment than dark hair.

Dark brown black hairs react well to laser treatment.

Hair thickness
Hair thickness is a key factor. Laser response is good if the hair is thick. Fine hairs and down (vellus) react less well.

Each area of the body reacts differently. Male areas such as shoulders and nape, back give varying results.
Female areas such as thighs, chest, face and abdomen require more sessions than the rest of the body.

Its advantages are :

– Virtually painless
– Fast
– No risk of burning
– Exposure to the sun is possible (one week following treatment)

The importance of following your personal laser treatment protocol :

Complications of laser treatment are mainly due to the non-respect of the protocol :

Respect of safety rules
No sun or UV light exposure, auto bronzing creams, photosensitizer medicines, tanning activator, sauna, hammam, swimming pool.

Respect of intervals between sessions
The interval between each session depends on the treated area and is usually 8 weeks for the body and 4-5 weeks for the face. Non respect of these intervals increases the number of session.

Respect of the number of sessions
Treatment must be followed completely and not interrupted prematurely. The approximate number of sessions is decided by the doctor. It varies according to each patient and the area to be treated.

As an example :
Women : Body laser treatment require approximately 6-8 sessions
Facial laser treatment requires approximately 10 sessions

Men : Approximately 10 sessions

Results are progressive : 10 – 20% of hair is actually destroyed each session. If treatment is interrupted, the outcome will not be satisfactory.

Final results
90-95% permanent hair removal. It is impossible to get good results in two or three sessions. Patience is essential as the treatment is long.

– http://www.afme.org/poils-cheveux/epilation-laser.htm
– http://www.medecine-anti-age.com/
– http://www.therapeutique-dermatologique.org/

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