Give Unwanted Hair a Quick Pulse of Laser Light
Shaving unwanted hair is time-consuming and cumbersome and you’re never really smooth after it’s all over! And, did you know that when you shave, you are causing trauma to your skin? That’s because shaving causes micro-injuries that can irritate your skin. The only way to truly achieve that youthful, baby-soft skin is with laser hair removal.
So are you ready to put an end to the annoyance and say goodbye to up to 90% of your unwanted hair permanently? Then consider laser hair removal. After all, who likes shaving or waxing anyway? Laser hair removal is great on the underarms, face, bikini line, legs, back, and other areas of the body.
Year in and year out, laser hair removal is the most popular non-injection cosmetic treatment performed in the United States, ranking just behind dermal filler injections of Botox and Juvederm. Zapping unwanted hair is as popular as apple pie. That’s because it works very well and it’s easy.
How it does away with the hair
The secret to getting rid of hair permanently involves two items — laser energy and the hair follicle. For permanent hair removal, the hair follicle’s bulb, bulge, and papilla must be destroyed. The vehicle is laser energy. Laser energy targets the melanin in hair. Different wavelengths are used for different hair colors. For this reason, laser hair removal isn’t as effective on light blond or gray hair because those hairs have less melanin.
The laser energy travels down the hair into the follicle and the heat then damages the follicle so it can no longer produce hair. Sometimes, if the follicle isn’t fully disabled, hair growth function can return in a few months or more.
Timing is important
Patients ask us why it takes a number of appointments to get rid of the hair. The issue is timing. Only actively growing hair responds well to laser treatments because hair has the most melanin during the growth phase. But in addition to the anagen (active growth) phase, there are telogen (no growth), and catagen (hair ejection) phases. The hairs across your body are in different phases at different times. Plus, different areas of the body have more hairs in anagen phases than others, because hair growth is more important in those areas.
Additionally, during laser hair removal, some follicles are damaged but not permanently disabled. They may still be able to produce hair. That’s why a realistic goal for permanent hair removal ranges from 80 to 90%.
Trust the expertise of Dr. Gurley’s team
Laser hair removal requires expertise in wavelength selection, fluency, pulse duration, and cooling in order to maximize permanent hair removal as well as maintain each patient’s comfort level. Dr. Gurley’s staff has had vast experience with laser hair removal and constantly works to provide a successful end result.
Schedule A Consultation
Ready to bid adieu to razors and creams? Call Dr. Gurley at (636) 812-4300 and ask us about laser hair removal.