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Did You Know…

In the past some doctors tried to dye the patient hair dark so that more of the laser energy would be absorbed by the hair and thereby the laser would more effectively remove the hair. Unfortunately, it did not work because the dye did not reach the hair follicle.

A tan can absorb some of the energy of laser light and prevent the laser light from reaching the hair follicle. Do not get a tan before laser hair removal.

The same laser that is used for hair removal, can get rid of toe nail fungus.

In the 1450s, women would shave their pubic hair to get rid of lice. And then they would have a pubic hair wig made as a replacement.

The word “Cosmetic” is derived from the Greek word “Kosmos” which means “of this world.”

The light from a hair removal laser passes through the skin and is absorbed by the hair follicle. The laser energy is absorbed by the hair follicle and is destroyed. Since people have different skin colors, we need to have lasers with a variety of colors of laser light.

The idea behind the CoolSculpt machine started after doctors noticed that children who sucked on popsicles lost the fat in their cheeks without damage to the skin. It is amazing what can develop from a simple observation.

Neurotoxins are medications developed from the bacteria known as clostridium botulinum. Researchers noticed that people infected with this bacterium had suffered muscle weakness. Dysport and Botox have been developed from this discovery.

Just before the laser is fired, a jet of frozen air is sent to the skin to protect the skin from the laser energy and to decrease the pain.

It’s a Hairy Situation

Laser hair removal is a very personal decision. Some feel strongly that the body should be left in its natural state. But more and more, women and men are turning to laser hair removal. This is a great method to nearly remove unwanted hair. Our patients say that it makes you feel cleaner and look neater. It also avoids the need to shave every week and eliminates the associated problems with shaving such as folliculitis and skin irritation.

The way the treatment works is that laser light passes through the skin and destroys the hair follicle (the place from which the hair grows). The procedure works best on hair that is actively growing and since only about 20% of the hair is growing at a particular time, hair removal usually requires at least five treatments. The lasers cool the skin prior to firing the laser to minimize the pain.

After treatment it is not uncommon for some hair to grow back, but it is not as dense and the hairs are usually much finer. Women often request a touch up treatment every year or two. Learn more about Laser Hair Removal here.