Man, Remove That Hair!

Laser Hair Removal

Believe it or not, some men just do not enjoy being hairy. And, some women do not enjoy their men being so cuddly…you know, like a bear. Nothing against hairy men, but it certainly can be a personal issue. BTW, we are not talking about the top of the head. Other areas? Chest, abdomen, neck, face, etc., etc., etc.

Back Hair Got You Down?

The most common area men want laser hair reduction is on their back. This occurs for various reasons but for the most part, it feels “funny” against a shirt, “my girl feels like she is hugging a pillow”, “it looks strange unless I am wearing something”, etc. There also are many athletes such as swimmers and cyclists who prefer the “smooth” rather than the “fluffy” for reduced resistance. For whatever the reason, often it is quite possible to remove, or at least greatly reduce the hair. For those with lighter skin and dark hair…don’t put it off. It is difficult (probably not yet possible) to satisfactorily remove white hair!

Time? Money? Pain?

Unfortunately, there is a bit of discomfort involved in laser hair reduction. For those with lighter skin, the pain is less if an Alexandrite laser is used. However for darker tones and lighter hair, an Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet) laser will need to be used, and this, despite claims, is quite painful. Several treatments are required, but the hair density (amount of hairs) is less each time, so you can visualize the end of the tunnel. This keeps you coming back.

A full back hair treatment can take a solid half hour if the laser is fast, longer for slower units. Since lasers themselves are quite costly, even without the cost of the personnel involved, you can expect to pay well over $1000 for a series of treatments. In this economy however, you may find extra enticing deals, which are worth exploring.

What to Ask

Ask about results. Remember, no matter what you may be told, 100% permanent hair removal does not exist. It may take a long time, but heredity and new cell growthwill encourage its return. Also, don’t ask  for an accurate estimate over the phone…the charge may increase once you are seen. Standard treatment series are 4 to 5 sessions. Ask if a “touch-up” is included if the hair is not decreased sufficiently. Ask about discomfort. Some areas can be pre-treated with numbing creams, though I would not recommend this for a full back or abdomen, any area that is large due to the risk of toxicity from the numbing medication. Ask about who performs the treatment and what their experience is. In some states anyone off the street can perform these treatments. Ask how they guard against “burning” you.

Finally, DON’T BE SCARED! Now is the time!

Bonnie

Too Much Facial Hair?

Unwanted Facial Hair Is Nothing New

Facial hair removal is an ancient art practiced since the Egyptian civilization. In more recent times,  electrolysis or waxing was the only answer. Then the lasers got better and now the Gold Standard is the Alexandrite laser, which we will discuss in later in this post.  In the last few years, our practice seen a dramatic growth (bad pun) in not only laser facial hair treatments but unwanted hair procedures on various parts of the anatomy with this new technology.

Mankinds hair removal progression has been fairly predictable:

• Plucking
• Waxing
• Depillatories
• Shaving
• Electrolysis
• IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)
• Laser

There always have been gimmicks and products that want to combine or ”improve” each step. One example would be Nair®, which is quite effective but unfortunately has caused some incredible skin irritations. Another is the famous Epilady®, sold by the millions on infomercials. You could almost hear the screams in the night as these poor people endured the pain of having their  hair ripped out by its evil spring.

Light Frequency And Laser Hair Removers

IPL was one of the first light technologies for unwanted hair. Unfortunately, IPL frequencies  are too broad for predictable success on hair. Alexandrite lasers dramatically improved  on the IPL capability and have become the Gold Standard.  By the way, Alexandrite is not a trade name. It is actually the name of the synthetic gem used inside the laser to focus their frequency at a 755 nanometer wave length. This frequency is the best frequency for hair reduction. Many manufacturers make Alexandrite lasers. Since they are attracted to pigment (the chromophore), they work best on lighter skin with dark hair.

For light colored hair on your upper lip or other facial areas, there’s are a few things we can do. A YAG laser operates on 1064 nanometer frequency and will probably reduce it by better than 50% .  The YAG frequency laser is basically color blind.  There’s also a prescription product known as Vaniqa®. It’s a prescription medication that inhibits hair growth. By the way, if you have lighter hair and darker skin, which is kind of uncommon,  you’re also going to want to  use a YAG.  As a last resort, there’s always electrolysis. It can be slow and painful but it does over time help to reduce the amount of unwanted hair.

Get The Latest Technology

When talking to a practitioner about unwanted hair, know the basics we talked about above.   Unfortunately, lasers are very expensive and if the practitioner’s office has old technology, or still only has IPL machines, you are not getting the advantage of the technology available.  Find out first, before you have any treatments.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Bonnie