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Hair
Removal Kansas, Hair Removal Kansas City, Hair Removal in Kansas
Laser Hair Removal is a
new technique for the effective removal of unwanted facial and body
hair. For years, lasers
have been used to treat a variety of skin conditions, such as port wine
stains, benign pigment conditions and tattoos.
In 1983, the concept of “selective thermolysis” was
introduced. This described
the use of medical lasers of the appropriate wavelength and energy
settings to act on targets in the skin, without causing damage to the
surrounding tissue.
How
does laser hair removal work?
Hair removal has always been made difficult by the location of the hair
follicles, which are deeply situated in the skin.
Lasers that nonselectively remove the top layers of the skin are
therefore ineffective. However,
lasers that penetrate more deeply into the skin are ideally suited for
this purpose. All
that remained was a suitable target that could absorb the laser energy
and deliver it to the hair follicle.
Fortunately, pigment
cells containing melanin are concentrated around the hair follicles.
Melanin is a pigment in the skin that may be targeted by a laser
using a wavelength absorbed by melanin.
By absorbing and then releasing the laser energy next to the hair
follicle, the follicle may be disabled.
The energy is concentrated in a very short pulse (1/1000 of a
second), so that heat does not build up sufficiently to cause damage to
the surrounding skin cells. In
this way, hair follicles may be safely deactivated, with minimal risk of
scarring.
What
Areas May Be Treated?
Most areas of the face and body may be treated.
Women often wish to have the upper lip, chin, lower face and neck
treated. These are common
areas of unwanted hair, usually an inherited tendency.
The arms and legs are larger areas that may be treated and will
take longer. The bikini area is also commonly treated.
Men may experience
overgrowth of hair in the beard area.
This may necessitate frequent shaving.
The lower face and neck may be treated to reduce growth in these
areas. This may also help
prevent ingrown hairs and folliculitis.
The back of the neck, shoulders, and back are often treated.
These areas may be large, and require a longer treatment session.
Would
this Work Well on Me?
The treatment works best on dark hairs.
This is due to the presence of pigment that transmits the laser
energy to the hair follicle. For this reason, patients with lighter hair are advised to
have the hair dyed first. This
is performed in the office immediately before treatment.
Patients with darker
skin types have more melanin in their skin so that there is a higher
risk of hypo pigmentation, or lightening of the skin in the area of
treatment. For this reason,
African-Americans are usually not good candidates.
Patients with lighter skin types have minimal risk.
Do I
Need to Grow Out the Hair First?
Unlike other techniques such as waxing, there is no need to grow out the
hair before treatment. It
is helpful to have a few days’ growth of hair to help demonstrate the
area to be treated.
How
long Does It Take?
Treatments vary in length from just a few minutes to treat a small area
(for example, the upper lip) to a few hours for very large areas (the
back, or both legs). Most
treatments take 20 - 30 minutes. Patients
are quite comfortable and tolerate the laser treatment well.
The feeling is similar to the snap of a rubber band on the skin.
No anesthetic is required.
How
Many Treatments Will I Need?
The number of treatments depends on the individual and the area treated.
Facial hair cycles quickly so that the second treatment may be
performed 3 - 4 weeks after the first.
This allows hair that is in its resting phase to enter the growth
phase, so that it may be treated. Each
additional treatment provides greater clearance of hair.
My advice is that patients schedule two treatments 3 - 4 weeks
apart to provide an effective 1 - 2 combination.
Additional treatments are at the patient’s discretion.
Studies show a 90% clearance of facial hair 16 months after a
course of 3 - 6 treatments.
Are
there Any Risks Involved?
Because the laser does not produce a break in the surface of the skin,
risk of infection is minimal. There
is a risk of lightening of the skin, particularly in patients with
darker complexions (see above). The
risk of scarring is minimized by the use of appropriate energy settings,
and a grid pattern that minimizes overlap of laser pulses.
This introduction is intended to provide you with information about Laser Hair Removal. Additional information, tailored to your particular needs, is provided at the time of consultation. The staff of the Swanson Center for Cosmetic and Laser Surgery is available to answer any other questions you may have or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Swanson. We would be happy to assist you in finalizing your plans.
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Swanson Center · 11413 Ash, Leawood, Kansas 66211
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At the Swanson Center, Plastic Surgeon, Dr Eric Swanson MD provides an array of Cosmetic and Laser Surgery including breast augmentation, laser skin resurfacing, liposuction, facelift, rhinoplasty, microdermabrasion, BOTOX, abdominoplasty, etc. Serving Kansas city and the surrounding area.
