Laser Hair Removal in Seattle & Bellevue, WA
What is Laser Hair Removal?
Syneron Laser technology is the first and only technology that uses combined energies to effectively and gently remove hair of many colors and types from all skin tones.
This procedure is truly the next generation of safe and effective hair removal technology. Achieving beautiful, silky smooth skin is now easier than ever!
A beam of light passes through the skin to the hair follicle where it is absorbed as heat. The heat then destroys the hair follicle and alters the hair’s ability to reproduce.
Who are the Ideal Candidates for Laser Hair Removal?
Many adults are great candidates for laser hair removal. The process works by targeting the pigment that gives hair its color. For this reason, people with darker, coarser hair typically get results quickly. Laser hair removal can work on richer skin tones and on lighter hair colors. However, the contrast between the hair and skin dictates how many treatment sessions a person needs to achieve optimal results. People with very dark skin or very light hair may not be good candidates for this treatment. To determine your candidacy, your provider may measure your skin on the Fitzpatrick table, a common technique used to identify skin type.
What are the Benefits of Laser Hair Removal?
The primary reason people seek laser hair removal is that they wish to have smooth skin without having to shave, pluck, wax, or perform other grooming actions every day. In addition to achieving long-term results, laser hair removal comes with benefits including:
-
- Reduction in ingrown hairs.
- No more razor burn!
- Consistently soft skin.
- Laser hair removal puts an end to recurrent grooming side effects, such as nicks and cuts.
- Long-term results are easy to maintain. Touch-ups may not be needed for years. If a few hairs grow back, quick treatment can restore smooth skin.
- Results are enjoyed after your very first session. From the very first laser hair removal treatment, hair follicles lose their potency. Hairs that grow back in between sessions is lighter, thinner, and more fragile.
Laser Hair Removal Treatment
As body hair grows in different phases, with active growth only 20 – 30 percent at any given time, it is necessary to repeat treatments to ensure effectiveness. Hair should fall out 10 days to 3 weeks after treatment. With each treatment, significantly less hair grows back, resulting in permanent hair reduction.
A minimum of five to six treatments are needed to see most hair reduction but varies for each individual. Lasers only treat the hair in its active growth phase. Each area of body hair grows in different phases, with active growth only 20-30 percent at any given time, hence the need for repeat hair removal treatments to ensure the effect. Maintenance is sometimes required.
Where on My Body Can I Get Laser Hair Removal?
Using safe, effective laser technology, we can remove unwanted hair from just about any part of the body. Common areas for laser hair removal include the following:
- Center brow
- Sides of the face
- Upper lip
- Chin
- Underarms
- Neck or Shoulders
- Arms
- Back
- Chest
- Navel or stomach area
- Buttocks
- Bikini areas similar to those addressed with waxing
- Upper or lower legs
- Feet and toes
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Your hair grows in cycles. There is an active phase and a resting phase. Laser hair removal targets the length of hair that is actively growing. More effectively even, the laser energy transfers from the hair to the walls of the hair follicles. This causes disruption in the active growth phase of the cycle. Through the series of treatments, hair and the follicles are treated through the entirety of the growth cycle, meeting new activity as it naturally occurs. By the completion of your treatment, your hair follicles should produce only a few, sparse, very light and thin hairs if any at all.
How Do I Prepare for My Treatment?
There are only a few precautions you’ll need to take before getting laser hair removal. These apply to each session in your broader treatment plan. The purpose of these precautions is to protect your skin from irritation and also to promote optimal results from each treatment. For several weeks before your appointment, it is necessary to be diligent about sun protection. Wear SPF 30 sunscreen on the treatment area if it sees the light of day. Wear clothing that covers the area, if possible, and avoid sun exposure during peak hours when UV light is strongest. Doing this will maintain sufficient contrast between your skin tone and hair color. It can also minimize your risk of inflammation and persistent side effects. It is also important to be mindful of the products you apply to the treatment area for a week or two before laser hair removal. Your provider can discuss which products, such as benzoyl peroxide or retinoids, might cause your skin to be more sensitive. Finally, do not pluck or wax hair from the area where laser treatment will be performed. Do, however, shave the area the night before your appointment.
How Many Laser Hair Removal Sessions Will I Need?
Multiple sessions are needed to see you through your entire hair growth cycle. Additional factors, including the texture and color of your hair, will influence the number of treatments you need to achieve prolonged results. When you schedule your consultation with us, we’ll chat about all of the factors that contribute to getting your best, smoothest, hair-free skin!
Are the Laser Hair Removal Results Permanent?
The results of laser hair removal are considered semi-permanent or long-lasting, but we do not expect them to last indefinitely. Depending on your body’s natural cycles, you may see minimal hair growth (sparse and light and thin) after a few years. Once laser hair removal is done, though, it is easy to maintain the results with periodic touch-ups, one-off treatments that occur once or twice a year. Following this schedule, you should not require another full round of laser treatments to keep hair from growing in fully.
How long do results from laser hair removal last?
The results of laser hair removal are long-lasting. The series of treatments that are performed alter the lining of the hair follicles in the treatment area, rendering them less capable of maintaining the hair growth cycle. At some point, some of the treated follicles may reactivate. Usually, these active hair follicles are few and far between. People who want their smooth skin to last indefinitely may schedule touch-up treatments every so often. This may be once or twice a year for some or every few years for others.
Recovery After Laser Hair Removal
Most patients may experience minor redness and swell at the treated site. This can last a few hours to a couple of days. Our Laser hair removal treatments are only performed by our trained Licensed Aesthetician. She is committed to educating our patients on all aspects of laser hair removal including pre and post-care instructions.
Is laser hair removal painful?
Laser hair removal is a controlled process of delivering pulses of intense light to hair follicles. Laser light does heat the inner lining of each follicle. However, this is not painful. During the procedure, patients may feel an all-over warming sensation, like sitting in the sunshine. Quick “zaps” may also be felt in some places as strands of hair are vaporized. These may feel intense but, because they are instantaneous, zaps are also not painful. Patients tolerate laser hair removal quite well without any cooling techniques during treatment. If the skin feels uncomfortably hot or tingly after laser hair removal, cold compresses can be applied for up to 20 minutes at a time. Ice packs should never be placed directly against the skin.
One of the steps that patients are advised to take before laser hair removal is to shave. Shaving within 24 hours of laser treatment reduces hair length to only what is in hair follicles. With a shorter distance for laser energy to travel, the process becomes more comfortable.