Laser Hair Removal 

The growth phases of hair vary on different parts of the body. For example, a hair on the head may grow up to six years and then spend four months resting. Underarm hair grows for about four months but can spend three months resting. Leg hair grows for four months and can spend about five months resting. Telogen phase in most areas is about three to four months except for the upper lip which is six weeks.

Laser Hair Removal Treatments are performed by our credited therapists at our North Adelaide clinic. The follicles must contain a growing hair for treatment to be successful. Therefore, patients must not have any form of hair removal that pulls the hair out (waxing, plucking, “epilady” type machines) for at least three weeks prior to initial treatment. However, the hair must be shaved before treatment begins. This is because hair above the skin surface attracts the laser light, heats up and can burn the skin. The treatment, like all laser treatments, is mildly uncomfortable. It feels like a very brief, hot pin prick with each pulse and leaves a mild heat sensation for about an hour afterwards. This is not severe – the skin may turn a little red and sensitive. This usually settles within hours. An anti-inflammatory cream (e.g. Dermaid 1%) may be helpful. For the following one to two weeks, hair will appear to grow very slowly. When it is only a few millimetres long, it will stop ‘growing’ and will fall out. When it starts to regrow four to six weeks later then it is time for the next treatment. Further treatments will be needed over the next few months to treat the hairs that were previously in resting phase. On average, six to eight treatments per area will be needed for permanent hair reduction, over a period of 18 months to two years. Sun protection of the lasered skin is essential for at least six weeks after treatment. Unwanted facial hair in women presents the greatest difficulty for Laser Hair Removal. Often the hair is fine rather than coarse and fair rather than dark. It is the one place where new hair sprouts with age due to hormone changes. For this reason, Laser Hair Removal of facial hair may not seem as effective and ongoing occasional ‘maintenance’ treatments may be needed. Fine dark hair can be treated quite successfully with the RevLite QS Nd Yag Laser. Although the results are not as permanent, it is certainly capable of inducing a growth delay.

The greatest risk is to the eyes. Special glasses or shields are used to reduce this danger. The area under the eyebrows cannot be treated (except the bridge of the nose) because of the risk of eye damage. Increase in pigmentations is a rare but temporary side effect. Decreased pigmentation is also possible in suntanned or dark-skinned people. Where there may be a risk of this complication, a test area would be performed before full treatment. Lasers have been used on human skin since 1968. No delayed complications have yet been reported or, indeed, are anticipated as the effects of these lasers on skin is well known. The laser does not product any UV or short-wave radiation, which are the energies known to cause long-term damage and skin cancer. During a treatment, some hairs in a region may be missed, as it is unwise to overlap laser treatment spots to any extent. For this reason, regrowth of hair is often patchy. Further treatment as a later date can cover these patches. There is no limit to the number of times an area can be treated but if hair growth is not reduced noticeable after three treatments, it may be that the particular hair type or skin type is not suited to laser treatment (e.g. hair too fair, skin too dark, or hair follicles too deep).