Hair Removal Facts:

-Shaving will NOT make the hair grow back in faster, darker or thicker! This is just an old wives tale.
-Permanent hair loss will take four to eight laser treatments over 8 to 16 months
-Blonde hair is the toughest to remove
-The thickness and colour of your skin, and the colour of the hair to be removed, has a lot to do with which lasers can be used and how successful it will be
-You should wait two months after waxing before any laser treatment to remove hair. The laser needs hair to work on.
Most people need between 4 and 8 treatments for substantial long-term hair reduction.

Types of Hair Removal Lasers:

-The first lasers that were used on a wide scale for hair removal were the ruby and for : very white, thin skin : alexandrite lasers
-Nd-YAG lasers can be used safely on all skin types, including Mediterranean, Asian and Black skin
-About 5 years ago diode lasers were introduced. They are more effective on thicker skin like the back and legs and can be safely used on people with lightly tanned skin.

How Lasers Work:

A laser is effective because the hair shaft absorbs laser energy, and it is the heated hair shaft, which kills the hair follicles. As the hair shaft is our target, it is important to stop waxing, sugaring or plucking about 8 weeks before laser treatment

if you pull out the hair shafts there will be no target for the laser. The best way to remove hair before laser treatment and between treatments is to shave the hair off, bleach the hair, or use depilatory creams.

The laser hair removal objective is to “toast the hair follicles without damaging the skin.” The surface of the skin is soothed and cooled by the laser head just before the laser energy is delivered.

With each treatment we kill as many hair follicles as possible. Follicles which are not killed are usually crippled by the laser energy; so just about all the pigmented hair falls out during the week or two after the laser treatment. New hair starts to grow several weeks to 1 month after laser treatment, and arises from 3 groups of follicles:

Posted: June 22nd, 2008 under Skin Care.
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Self-Tanning:

Self-tanning creams and spray-on tans should not be used for the first time within three weeks of a major event in case there is an allergic reaction or an unusual or uneven color is created. If you want to use such products, start to experiment with them several months ahead so that you can learn how to obtain safe, reliable results. Remember that the pigment created by many self-tanning products can discolor fine clothing, so it might be best not to apply them within a week of a public event.

Wrinkles, Unwanted Hair or Sweating:

Are you thinking of having treatments like Botox fillers like Juvederm, Restylane and Artecoll for wrinkles, creases and scars, or laser treatments for unwanted hair or to remove broken blood vessels from the face? You should aim to have these treatments completed about 3 weeks before the event, so that the benefits of treatment will have fully developed, and so that any side effects of treatment, like redness or small bruises will have resolved. Discuss the plans and timing with your dermatologist so that these things can be taken into account when scheduling your treatments.

Acne or Rosacea Skin:

Plan ahead: if you have a skin condition like acne or rosacea, see a dermatologist at least 3-4 months ahead of the big day, so that your condition can be brought under control and so that your skin can heal up in time for the occasion.

Sun Tanning:

Sun protection is important in the weeks leading up to an important event, to reduce the risk that you will have sunburn or peeling on the big day. It is also important to avoid experimenting with tanning beds in the weeks leading up to a major event, in case you have an undesired reaction to the UV light.

Posted: June 22nd, 2008 under Skin Care.
Comments: none