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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ’S REGARDING LASER HAIR REMOVAL AT SALON NOBEL
Why do we choose to use a Candela GentleYAG laser and how does it work:
It uniquely provides laser hair removal for everyone. Whether you are fair skinned, dark skinned or well tanned, the Gentle YAG can eliminate the need for shaving, plucking or waxing. Lasers have been used for many years for a variety of medical and cosmetic procedures including treatment of facial and leg veins, and rejuvenating the skin on the face. The GentleYAG System, a revolutionary long-pulse high-energy laser, emits a gentle beam of light that passes through the skin to the hair follicle where it is absorbed. The laser energy is transformed into heat, which destroys the hair follicle leaving the surrounding skin unaffected. The skin is further protected during treatment by a Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD). where cryogen is sprayed onto the skin cooling the upper layers and providing patients with increased comfort. GentleYAG selectivity helps to protect the skin, while effectively treating the unwanted hair. Because the GentleYag laser can treat all skin colors - including tanned - it is the laser of choice for San Diegans who want effective hair removal without the danger of hyper- or hypo-pigmentation of the skin.
WHAT AREAS OF THE BODY CAN BE TREATED BY LASER HAIR REMOVAL?
Laser hair removal for men and women is good for both facial hair removal, and for body hair removal. We are able to treat almost all areas of the body where hair removal is desired. Specific body sites include the upper lip, face, neck, chest, arms, underarms, legs, bikini, partial or full brazilian, back, shoulder, buttocks, etc….
CAN ALL SKIN TYPES BE TREATED USING THE CANDELA GENTLE YAG LASER?
Here at Salon Nobel we are able to treat all skin types 1-6. Despite your skin type, you can be confident that Dr Broomberg and our well trained, registered nurse will provide the safest and appropriate treatment protocol for your skin and hair type.
WHAT ARE THE KEY BENEFITS OF LASER HAIR REMOVAL?
- Laser hair removal is an effective treatment for ingrown hairs.
- No more irritating skin and red bumps, caused by ingrown hairs.
- Larger areas can be treated with less discomfort than electrolysis, waxing, or tweezing.
- The Candela Gentle YAG combines, speed comfort, and long lasting results.
- Shaving, waxing, and depilatory creams remove the hair which leaves the hair follicles in tact, so the hair grows, within 1 to 4 weeks in most cases.
- Laser Hair Removal offers you a long-term reduction in both the amount of hair, and also in many cases a reduction in thickness and color..
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF LASER HAIR REMOVAL OVER ELECTROLYSIS?
With electrolysis the operator inserts a needle into each and every hair follicle and tries to have the tip reach the hair root, which is a tedious process and a difficult undertaking for patients. Even a small area like the face, in a case like a woman with heavy facial hair, may require electrolysis for 2 to 3 hours (2 to 4 weeks apart) for 2 years, with further treatments over an undetermined period of time, for a total treatment time exceeding 200 hours. Hair removal is much faster with a laser because each “pulse” of laser light disables a large number of hair follicles, and pulses can be delivered as often as once every second. Electrolysis technicians can only treat those hairs as they can see in which they can reach the follicle through the hair shaft. The Candela Gentle YAG treats all “active” follicles, even if the hair has not yet reached the surface of the skin, is “ingrown ”, or if the hair shaft is not straight.
WHY ARE AT LEAST 3-6 TREATMENTS NEEDED?
All lasers work by disabling hairs that are in there active growth cycle at the time of treatment. Hair follicles in there “dormant” stage has no hair shaft in them and so will not be effective. Because hair follicles cycle through “active” and “dormant” stages, additional sessions are usually required ounce the “dormant follicles become active, and also to treat hair follicles which were stunned but not eliminated by previous treatments.
IS LASER HAIR REMOVAL PERMANENT? (all the hair is gone forever!)
There’s NO treatment that will eliminate 100% of the hair follicles 100% of the time. Laser hair removal is not an exact science as there are so many variables. Dr. Broomberg or a registered nurse will discuss “averages” and estimate the number of treatments based on past experience.
WHAT DETERMINES THE NUMBER OF TREATMENTS?
- The desired degree of hair reduction
- Hair color (people with light to medium colored hair sometimes need more treatments)
- Ethnic and genetic backgrounds (people with dark skin sometimes need more treatments)
- Hormonal status
- Size of the area being treated
- Hair density
- Age
- Weight (obesity can increase hair growth)
- Medication (Some medication can increase hair growth)
WHICH COLOR HAIR RESPONDS BEST TO LASER HAIR REMOVAL?
Because lasers target the PIGMENT in hair roots, lasers work best on black or brown hair. Light brown or auburn hair may require more treatment sessions. White or blonde hair does not respond to treatment so get your hair removed before you get old and your hair turns white.
WILL I NEED A TEST SPOT?
Test spots are often performed during your consultation in order to determine exactly how your skin will react to the laser hair removal. Test spots are performed on an inconspicuous area of the body.
DOES LASER HAIR REMOVAL HURT?
Some patients experience a mild sting or pinch. It can feel like a small snap of a rubber band. This sensation resolves in several seconds and is minimized by Candela’s DCD(dynamic cooling device). No local anesthesia or pain medication is required, however, for some patients, a topical numbing cream may be applied to the skin one hour to treatment to minimize any discomfort. Please be sure to discuss this with your Practitioner, at the time of your consultation beforehand. Many patients find it helpful to take 2 Advil or Tylenol about an hour or two before treatment.
HOW DO I GET THE BEST VALUE FROM EACH TREATMENT?
Because the laser beam seeks out and destroys Actively Growing hair roots, it is IMPORTANT to avoid waxing / sugaring / threading/ Epilady and electrolysis (or anything that will pull your hair out by the root, These procedures temporarily remove the pigmented part of the hair follicle, while the laser needs to use as a target when it destroys the hair follicle) for at least FOUR WEEKS prior to your treatment. It is important to stay on schedule with your laser services for optimal results.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT THE DAY OF TREATMENT? After all of your questions are answered and paperwork completed, the areas you have chosen to have treated will be cleansed and any topical anesthetic will be removed. To track the results, pretreatment photos (with your permission) will be taken. To protect your eyes, you will be given protective goggles to wear before the start of the procedure. The Candela YAG is a high powered laser, and can cause eye injury if proper eyewear is not worn. The length of the appointment itself can be anywhere from 5 minutes (upper lip) to more than an hour (full leg).
WHAT ARE MY PRE-TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS?
- Refrain completely from sunbathing for a minimum of two weeks before and one week after treatment, darkly pigmented skin may absorb a portion of the energy that should be striking the hair follicle, which will impact the desired results.
- Keep in mind that overly dry skin may diminish the efficiency of laser treatments. Please keep the areas to be treated well hydrated at all times, except on the on the day of treatment. DO NOT use body lotion, cream, or oil (Including makeup) on the day of treatment.
- If your upper lip is being treated and there is a history of herpes(cold sores) infection, Dr Broomberg may advise that you start an anti-viral therapy(valtrex or Famvir) approximately one day before your treatment and continuing for one week after.
- Shave the area 2-4 days prior to your visit. A short stubble should be present. Some patients find that the skin is less sensitive if it is shaved at least a few hours before treatment. The advantage of shaving the area to be treated BEFORE you come is that YOU can shape the area to be treated precisely the way you want it to be. This is helpful when treating areas like the bikini line, neck line, shoulders, temples etc,
WHAT ARE MY POST TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS?
- Immediately after treatment there may be redness and bumps at the treatment site, which may last two or more hours. It is normal for the treated area to feel like a sunburn for anywhere up to forty-eight hours. You may use a cold compress if you desire. In most cases redness has faded greatly by the time you get home. We recommend using aloe vera gel as needed.
- After underarms are treated, use a powder instead of a deodorant for the first twenty-four hours to reduce skin irritation.
- Avoid sun exposure to reduce the chance of dark or light spots. Use an SPF 30 or greater on all treated areas if exposed to sunlight during treatment months.
- Anywhere from five to thirty days after treatment shedding of the hair may occur, appearing to be new hair growth. This is not new hair growth, but dead hair pushing it’s way out of the follicle. You can help this process by rubbing the hair with a loofa sponge or wash cloth(wait one week after treatment)
- Make sure to pre-book your next appointment (4-6 weeks depending on area being treated) to ensure proper intervals of treatment to ensure long lasting results.
- We have found that better results are achieved with less irritation when you do not reheat the skin for the first twenty-four hours. (Strenuous exercise, hot baths or showers should be avoided).
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