Laser Hair Removal – An Expose

Looking at ads in fashion magazines you come across many pictures of bare chested, hairless, good-looking men. This has become the new American norm. So now men join the women in the quest for smooth, shiny skin, less reminiscent of our ancestors.

Unwanted hair growth  has been a problem for women for many generations across many cultures. From the geisha of Japan that painted her eyebrows high above their natural place, to the women of Armenia who liked to look less hairy and shaved their arms.

In our modern times, the best way to achieve that smooth skin is laser hair removal. To understand why that is the case, here are the facts:

Since the modern world started using what we call a laser beam, our lives have been forever changed. Lasers are used in weaponry, industry, medicine, dentistry, cosmetic procedures, tattoo removal, and in the last few years, lasers have been used in hair removal.

It has become so popular that over 2 million procedures a year are performed in the United States alone. With so many uses and so many procedures, we understand lasers like we never did before. The treatments are quite simple. Specific treatments are designed for specific parts of the body, but what you can expect is a cooling gel being spread on the area, a few flashes of light close to the skin which will feel like little nip, zapping the hair follicle under the skin to prevent them from developing more hair. Then the gel is wiped, with all the unwanted hair.

Treatment length depends on several factors: the area treated, the color of the skin, the color of the hair and its density. Since lasers work on the melamine in the hair follicle, the darker the hair, the easier it is to target. Because the hair has to be in its growth stage to be affected, and our hairs grow at different times, repeated visits are needed to achieve smooth, hairless skin. Normal duration is somewhere between 4-6 visits.

Visit length depends on the area being treated, typically from 15 to 60 minutes.

The price varies as well. Just as botox can be found in different prices at different places, so can laser hair removal. Make sure it is a clean, reputable place. The laser is targeted to certain areas so the accuracy is very high, and the effectiveness long lasting. Research done in Ankara, Turkey, proved it is 60 times more affective than electrolysis, the other permanent hair removal method.

Side effects rarely occur, and when they do they take the form of mild redness that goes away after a couple of hours.

Los Angeles Medi Spa is supervised by a registered nurse. The employees at this Medi Spa in Los Angeles are the top in their field and the service includes other treatments to heal the body and the soul. Massages, wraps, facials, Juvederm fillers to smooth the deep creases away and Restylane to return to the face what nature and pollution have taken away.

Situated in the middle of West Hollywood , on Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles Medi Spa is a well kept secret.

How Laser Hair Removal Works

Laser hair removal works through a process known as Selective Photothermolysis, also known as SPTL. During this process, a beam of laser light is used to intentionally cause localized damage to specifically targeted regions within the skin. These regions are referred to as dark target matter and are located within the area of the skin that causes the hair to grow, known as the follicle. This dark target matter, also known as chromophore, can be either naturally-occurring or artificially introduced. Since this is a targeted procedure, the rest of the skin around the follicle, which is lighter in color, does not absorb as much heat from the laser light. By nature, light is absorbed more quickly by dark areas, so the laser light will be absorbed by the dark targeted material of the skin with much more speed and intensity than the lighter areas.

The primary chromophore for all of the hair removal lasers on the market today is known as Melanin. Melanin is the primary target for the laser. This is a naturally occurring substance within the skin and is the cause for all of the various skin tones and hair colors. There are two primary recipes of melanin that can be found within the human hair. Eumelanin is the recipe for brown or black colored hair, while Pheomelanin is the recipe for the blonde or red colors. Due to the naturally selective absorption of the photons produced by the light of the laser, only black or brown colored hair can be removed. The laser removal treatment works best with coarse, dark hair. The ideal combination is light skin and dark hair. However, the newer and more technically advanced lasers are able to also target dark black hair even in patients with dark skin.

The removal of unwanted hair is very common today in both men and women. Laser hair removal can easily be performed on the face, chin, lips, ears, neck, shoulders, chest, cleavage, abdomen, back, underarms, buttocks, legs, arms, thighs, hands, toes, and pubic areas.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of hair removal lasers in the United States in 1997 for the purpose of permanent hair reduction. Since then, laser hair removal has become extremely popular because of its speed and efficacy, even though some of the efficacy relies upon the skill and experience of the laser hair removal operator. The choice and availability of the various laser technologies also plays a big part in this equation. In some cases, follow-up treatments are required for further touch-up, especially on larger areas. In most cases, 3-8 sessions are required for the most effectiveness. It has also been reported that certain people are considered to be non-responders, although this is not confirmed and the reasons are not known. In fact, this may be due to a lack of experience on the part of the laser operators or the type of machine and settings being used.