:: Laser Hair Removal
Silk'n™ Laser Hair Removal - Silk'n™ Hair Removal as seen on NBC 11 News & MSNBC
The Silk’n™ device has been designed for body treatments anywhere below the neck. The most common areas treated with Silk’n™ are: legs, underarms, arms and bikini line. Silk’n™ is not recommended for use on the face, and may not be suitable for everyone.
Silk’n™ has been designed with your safety in mind, and tested and approved by top dermatologists and plastic surgeons to meet their safety standards for a home-use device.
Silk'n™ is low cost and effective. Silk'n™ is available only by physician prescription. Contact us online about Silk'n or call us for more details at (650) 462-3161
What is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser Hair Removal is a light based treatment used to permanently reduce hair anywhere on the face or body.
Who is a candidate?
Individuals with all skin types and hair color. Patients who are pregnant or who have taken Accutane in the last 6 months cannot have Laser Hair Removal. Patients who are tan should postpone treatments until the tan fades to minimize risk of side effects. Also, patients who have recently waxed, plucked, or bleached should postpone treatments to maximize the results.
What is Laser Hair Removal like?
During a Laser Hair Removal treatment, ultrasound gel will be applied to the area being treated. The laser is then applied in "pulses" to the entire area. A system for cooling your skin will be used to remove heat as it leaves the follicles and should ensure a comfortable treatment. However, since the sensation varies from individual to individual, a topical anesthesia may be provided.
Depending on the size of the area being treated, each treatment takes between 10 and 60 minutes. You may need to be treated about 3 to 5 times at approximately 5 to 8 week intervals. There are three phases of hair growth - anagen, catagen, and telogen. Only hairs in the active growth, anagen, can be successfully treated.
On the day of your treatment, plan on wearing clothing that will allow easy access to the area being treated. Laser hair removal works best when the hair is 1 to 2 millimeters in length.
How does Laser Hair Removal work?
Laser hair removal offers patients a safe, fast, and effective alternative for dealing with unwanted hair. Lasers work by emitting a specialized light that is passed through the skin and preferentially absorbed by its target, be it an unwanted blood vessel, birthmark, tattoo, or in this case, hair. The laser used in hair removal targets the melanin (color) in the hair follicle, damaging the follicle and removing the hair.
What type of equipment is used?
CFI uses the Sciton ClearScanT which is an infrared laser that can selectively target microstructures such as hair follicles. It is very effective for lighter skin types, and because of the relatively low absorption of this light by melanin, it is the best choice when treating darker skin types.
What desired results can be expected?
Specific areas of hair growth are easier to remove than others. Underarms, bikini lines, and legs are easier to treat, whereas more treatments are needed to remove facial hair, due to the effect of hormones. The average number of treatments ranges from 3 to 5 visits. This is because at any given time, only a fraction of hairs are in the growing phase (anagen cycle). Only anagen hairs can be effectively removed with laser because the resting phase (telogen) hairs do not have mature pigment at their follicle bulb which is the target for the light. Thus, one treatment will sometimes only get 30% of the hairs because only those hairs have enough pigment to be destroyed.
Data has shown that about 30-90% of the hair does not grow back for one year after the end of the treatment cycle. Of course, this assumes the appropriate treatment and the correct number of treatments for each individual, all of which can be variable. We cannot guarantee 100% permanent hair removal, as people do need occasional maintenance or touch-up treatments.
Before & After Pictures of Laser Hair Removal
Are there any negatives?
Most patients describe laser hair removal as feeling "prickly," or like the light snap of a rubber band against the skin. Afterwards, it might feel like a bad sunburn. Each patient has his or her own level of skin sensitivity and pain threshold. Different areas on the body are also more sensitive than others. Immediately after a treatment there may be some redness and/or mild swelling, although usually this dissipates before you leave the office or within a couple of hours.
Bruising is also uncommon, although the risk increases if you take aspirin products or are on blood thinners. Bruises are temporary and resolve in 1-2 weeks.
Uncommonly, a skin wound such as superficial blisters and scabs can occur, which heal within 2 to 14 days. Use of antibiotic ointment on a regular basis usually results in uneventful healing. There is a low risk of a skin wound leaving behind a permanent scar. It is also rare for an infection to occur since the skin is usually not broken.
Another uncommon risk is a possibility of hypo- (too little) or hyper- (too much) pigmentation. Usually treatable with prescriptions creams or light laser peels, there is a <1% possibility that the pigmentation could be permanent. There is an increased risk of this with tanned or naturally dark skin. You may need extra treatments than those required by others if your skin is dark in order for us to be more conservative (gentler with initial and subsequent treatments) due to this increased risk. It is also important that you let any tanning lotions fade and do not seek artificial tanning treatments for 3-4 weeks prior to the procedure.
What happens after Laser Hair Removal?
Immediately following a treatment, the area may be pink for a few hours. Keep the treated area clean, and use at least SPF 30 sunscreen when outdoors. You may apply make-up after your treatment.
It usually takes 1-2 weeks for the hair to fall out following a treatment. During this time you may clip or shave the hair. Individuals undergoing laser hair removal treatments should not pluck or wax before or in-between treatments as this will reduce the effectiveness of the treatments.
Is there another way to get the same effect?
Alternatives to Laser Hair Removal include shaving, plucking, waxing, depilatories, and electrolysis.
How is this different than other procedures?
Laser Hair Removal is much faster than electrolysis. At each Laser Hair Removal treatment, all the hair is treated (whereas with electrolysis, only small sections are treated each time). Because of this, many more sessions are required with electrolysis than with laser treatment. Laser hair removal also eliminates ingrown hairs which are typical after waxing and plucking and can help people who suffer from Pseudofolliculitis (chronic acne disorder caused by ingrown coarse or curly hairs)..
Can this be combined with other treatments?
Laser Hair Removal may be combined with any other cosmetic service, and most of the time on the same day.
What is the cost of Laser Hair Removal?
The fees for Laser Hair Removal are based on the areas being treated. All potential candidates must first undergo an in-person consultation. Please call our office to schedule a consultation.
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