Laser Hair Removal :: 7th Appointment w Pictures!

In response to several readers' comments that their American Laser Center technicians are not nice, I thought it a good idea to introduce some of the ladies from my American Laser Center office. Just to show that they do exist. Now, I understand that not everyone's technicians are going to be nice. Believe me. I'm just showing the ones that I happen to know.

Yesterday, for my 7th appointment (I have finished my 6 appointments and am now 1 appointment into the 2 years of free appointments), I road my bike down at 9:15am in the morning. The office is at 59th street, so I had to book it down Central Park West with my new Nutcase bike helmet and actually showed up on time at 9:30am!

Emily was my technician, and as usual, it was a gab fest. She's a surfer; had a policy to stop coloring her chestnut colored hair, but couldn't deal with the gray and sun damaged orange, so colored it for her brother's wedding; had a brother that got married this summer just like me; is a gemini (I think) just like me; is obsessed with curly hair products just like me except that she really has curly hair; and on and on.

Emily is pictured here with the laser gun (the laser part is only about 2" big on the tip - see it in the middle?), wearing her protective green goggles, standing next to the terribly cold bottles of ultrasound goopy jell, that for me, is truly the worst part of the whole experience. With a wooden stick, she spreads it on the area she's going to laser, and then places that laser gun down on my leg or whatever, presses the trigger, the laser shoots through to the hair follicle, and she moves to the next inch on my leg and repeats.

And now meet Claudia. Claudia is the super nice manager who takes all of my calls, even my first one after my first appointment when I said: "I have the red dots on my legs! What do I do!!" and Claudia calmly said: "Did you take a hot shower?" and I said: "Yes..." and she said: "Well, put the after laser lotion on and call me if they don't go away." And of course they went away.

Claudia is seated at her desk, where she schedules appointments, consults with clients, and many more activities. She's always considerate and a joy to see. She even let me keep my bike in her office for safe keeping during my appointment.

So now you've met some of the girls in my office. Seriously, if you are in Manhattan (nyc), you should go to this office. It's the 59th street and Central Park South office. Tell Claudia I sent cha. ;) If you go, you'll have celebrity sitings because they are right next to the Essex hotel. The first time I went, I saw Gene Hackman. Yesterday, I saw all of these US Open tennis players with their tennis racquet's - dark and handsome ones.

Here are some quick pictures from my bike ride home, which I took

Laser hair removal

Road test: Laser hair removal (Candela GentleLASE)

Aim? To permanently reduce unwanted hair and therefore stop ingrowns.

Who's it suitable for? "The ideal candidate for laser hair removal is a patient with light skin and dark hair," explains Ellen Alexander from the City Laser Clinic. "Patients with dark skin and dark hair can still be treated, but may need more treatments. Blonde, red and grey hairs cannot be treated."

Pre treatment? Avoid sun exposure, solariums and fake tan on the area for two to three weeks. The hair being treated needs to be short, so shave or trim the area two to three days beforehand.

What happens? "Lasers work by delivering an intense beam of light that is absorbed by the skin," explains Alexander. "This light is converted to heat and is absorbed by the cells being targeted, while leaving the surrounding tissue unaffected." She uses Candela GentleLASE which features a skin-cooling device for greater patient comfort and safety. "You and your practitioner will both wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. The practitioner will then use a small hand piece to deliver the light to your skin." You may feel a light spray of coolant on your skin before each laser pulse, which covers an area about the size of a 20-cent piece. Once the treatment is finished, you may experience some slight redness which will dissipate after one to two hours. Eight to 10 treatments are recommended, with four to six weeks between each.

Post treatment? Again, avoid sun exposure, solariums and fake tan for two to three weeks. Alexander recommends wearing an SPF 30+ daily, and advises you don't exfoliate the area until at least three days after the treatment. Your hair will take up to two weeks to fall out, and she recommends refraining from plucking, waxing and epilating as forcing the hair from the follicle will reverse the treatment's effect.

Cost? Approximately $70 per five minutes. Underarms are around $70, while the bottom half of the legs may be $280 to $320.

The bottom line: "I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt — it did! I found using a numbing cream (available from chemists) definitely helped, as did playing a few mind games during the treatment (yes, really). Regardless, I kept on going, and I'm so glad I did — the results are great." — Bree, Your Beauty Spot beauty ed.

For more info: Contact the City Laser Clinic on (02) 9232 8090, www.citylaserclinic.com.au. For more info on Candela GentleLASE, visit

7 Tips About Laser Hair Removal

For many people having hair in places where it is not wanted can be an embarrassment. The hair can be on the body or on the face, wherever it happens to be growing, these people want it gone. Temporary hair removal solutions are not what they are looking for; they want something that is semi-permanent. A laser hair removal system would suit their needs nicely, but how does it work?

1- Laser hair removal provides effects that are similar to electrolysis, but are much more painless. There are several types of laser systems that have been approved for use in hair removal, while they all work a little differently; the premise is the same for all of them, by removing the hair at the follicle.

2- One of the reasons that lasers are becoming so popular is that this system is a relatively painless form of hair removal, especially when compared to the more traditional forms of body hair removal. The laser hair removal system also provides excellent outcomes in the face, underarm area and neck, resulting in a 60-80% success rate within two to three visits.

3- Many people prefer laser hair removal because they see dramatic results from having it done. Results such as a 50% reduction in hair after four months, with only one treatment. With the normal patient needing a treatment only every six to twelve months. Most people also like the fact that when the hair grows back, it is usually sparser and of a finer texture.

4- The first approved laser system was the Nd:YAG, which required the skin to be waxed first to remove the unwanted hair and therefore, causing the follicles to open. This is necessary for the laser to reach the follicles, next a light absorbing, carbon based lotion need to be applied to the skin. The laser heats the lotion that has reached the hair follicles, which causes damage to the follicle, but leaves the skin undamaged.

5- While the Nd:YAG method is still in use, there is a newer, less time-consuming laser hair removal method available. This method uses pulses rather than a continuous laser light beam to warm up the follicles. The newer method also removes the need for waxing of the skin as well as for the application of the carbon-based lotion. The use of the pulse allows the follicle to be heated more quickly while exposing the skin to lesser amounts of damaging heat.

6- While laser hair removal treatments offer great results that last, it is fairly expensive, especially when compared to hair removal methods that need to be done on a more frequent basis. For example, to remove facial hair, the series of treatments that would be needed will cost approximately $1,000, depending upon where you live. More involved procedures, such as men's backs or legs will be around $3,000 for the series of treatments.

7- If you feel that laser hair removal is the right choice for you, it is important to research the facility that will be performing the procedure before you have even one treatment done. Make sure that you check for complaints from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your area and ask if the technicians on staff are licensed and if there is a doctor or nurse on staff in case of an emergency.

Consider Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is one that you can take seriously if you want to get rid of that hair growing on your butt, on your legs, or on your back. The rates are not all complete, but the studies are showing that a real reduction in hair loss is what you will have when using the laser hair removal system. The laser hair removal system uses light to change how the hair follicle acts. As the laser changes the hair follicle, this is going to put a stop to the hair growth, lessening the amount of hair growing on the back, on the legs, or on the neck.

Consider Laser Hair Removal
By Ivar Rudi
Laser hair removal is one that you can take seriously if you want to get rid of that hair growing on your butt, on your legs, or on your back. The rates are not all complete, but the studies are showing that a real reduction in hair loss is what you will have when using the laser hair removal system. The laser hair removal system uses light to change how the hair follicle acts. As the laser changes the hair follicle, this is going to put a stop to the hair growth, lessening the amount of hair growing on the back, on the legs, or on the neck.

Laser hair removal is not going to work as well the first session on hair that is light in color such as blond or red, or on gray colored hair. There are no long-term results that can be stated with any real certainty because the laser hair removal procedure is one that has not been established for the long term, it has only been used for the last few years.

For those who have darker skin, that are tanning all the time, that are generally dark in color, or those who are using any type of coloring tanning solution you will be required to talk to your consultant about this. You don’t want to have the laser

actually burn your skin or discolor the skin in any way, so talking about this topic before hand will give you the best informed decision.

If you are considering using a laser hair removal treatment that is not through a license practitioner you may find that if not done properly you could have the skin turn colors, and the hair is not going to be totally gone. Several treatments are required for any laser hair removal system to be complete and to give you the best overall effects of removing and stopping the hair growth.

Be on the look out for those who are claiming that the process is totally painless. There are some people who are going through the laser hair removal system that experience clogged pores, acnes and other problems, while others do not. The general considerations are that most people are not going to experience these problems or pain from these types of problems but you should also be aware of them. Guaranteed 100% hair removal is not going to happen – no matter where you are going for treatment. No laser hair removal treatment is going to be 100% on the first treatment. Many treatments are needed to stop the hair growth.
Copyright 2006 - Ivar Rudi. Ivar suggests you find great market for less by shopping online today. For more information and resources about this subject check out: www.laser-hair-removal-guide.org/

Laser Hair Removal Unwrapped

The laser has become a precision surgical instrument widely used for a variety of procedures. Most recently, lasers have been utilized for the quick, gentle removal of unwanted hairs. The laser works by sending a pulsating beam of light, of a particular wavelength to precise areas on the skin. The light passes directly through the skin, but is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle and shaft. Once absorbed by laser light, the follicles are impaired from future growth, and eventually die off. Laser hair removal has come a long way since the first laser for hair removal received FDA clearance in mid 1998. Older generation normal-mode ruby lasers were very slow, very painful and worked only on individuals with very dark hair and very light skin. Today, lasers can work on all skin colors and some lasers are even safe for treating tanned skin.

Lasers are not for everyone, and their proper use requires great skill, training and expertise. The laser technician at minimum must be a Certified Laser Specialist who has graduated from an accredited school for laser. Generally it is best to have a laser-trained dermatologist, or plastic surgeon perform the procedure, in case of complications. For the laser to be effective, the hair pigment must be darker than the surrounding skin pigment. If this is not the case, the treatment will not work and may have harmful complications. Additionally very darkly pigmented people absorb too much laser energy in their skin and are not ideal candidates. Tanned patients with light hair are not candidates either.

Light skin makes laser hair removal easier to perform. Fewer treatments are required, and better, faster results are obtained. People with darker skin can be treated, but results are slower, more sessions are required, and greater expertise is required on the part of the doctor. Coarse dark hair responds the best to laser treatment, light hair is more difficult to treat. Blonde or red hair is very difficult to treat, multiple treatment sessions are required, and results are variable. Laser hair removal must be individualized for each patient.

Although one laser session can produce impressive hair removal, generally, multiple treatment sessions are necessary to see optimal results. In large part this is due to the fact that laser hair removal is most effective for hair, which is in the growth phase. Since hair grows in cycles, not all of the hairs are in the growth phase at any given time. Additional sessions are necessary to catch all of the hairs when they are in this phase.

Any area, except adjacent to the eye, where there is excess hair can be treated. The most common areas requested are the face, upper lip, neck, chest, breast region, underarms, back, abdomen, bikini line, and legs.

The costs for a single laser hair removal treatment vary depending on the part of the country, and range from $300.00 to $500.00 per session. Consumers are advised, as with all forms of medical care, to seek the center of highest quality, rather than lowest cost. Laser hair removal requires a great deal of skill, individual attention, experience, and a trained, caring, professional staff.

After treatment, most patients have a mild sunburn-type sensation that fades in 2-3 hours. Moisturizers and/or cool compresses can help during this time. Small blister areas can be treated with topical antibiotic until resolved. Sun block should be used for up to 6 weeks after treatment if sun exposure is anticipated. No waxing, shaving, or dying should be performed for 2 weeks after treatment. Pretreatment restrictions are also applicable to the post treatment period.

It must be remembered that it is impossible to predict the exact result a patient will achieve with laser hair removal, especially with regard to how many sessions a given individual will require. The indication for laser hair removal is mostly subjective. A desire for hair removal is the only criterion for laser hair removal.

The truth about hair removal for women

I'm going to tell you a secret about hair removal that the beauty industry doesn't want you to know. Are you ready? Ok, here it is.

The is no single method of hair removal that is better than any other, and whichever one you choose will have major drawbacks.

It may not be earth-shattering, but this piece of information will save you years of pointless worrying. For example, how many times have we been told not to pluck or shave facial hairs? And what about choosing between shaving and waxing our legs? If you want the truth, don't expect to find it in the media. Big companies spend thousands every year extolling the virtues of their products, and magazines will print whatever they say without question. Why can't you use a razor to get rid of your chin hairs? Because it's cheaper than using depilatory cream, not because it's bad for you. In fact, the cream might even be worse for you!

Surely beauty professionals can help you decide? Sorry, you're out of luck there. The laser industry and electrolysis associations are at each others throats, sugaring professionals look down their noses at therapists who wax and let's not even get started on threading!

Whichever method you decide to go for should be based on one factor alone; how it affects you. If waxing gives you ingrowns, try something else. If laser didn't work then grit your teeth at the money you spent and move on. Weigh up the pros and cons of each method and see if it fits into you life and budget. Don't be swayed by gushing copy or by what you have gleaned from the many messageboards for beauty. You know your own body better than anyone, so trust your judgement.

Laser Hair Removal Disposal

The disposal of superfluous hair is currently one of the foremost accepted cosmetic treatments, for both women and a soaring number of men. In addition to the ordinary and often temporary methods, employing shavers, waxing kits and electrolysis, the more high-tech procedures such as intense pulsed light and laser systems are becoming increasingly popular.

although superfluous hair is chiefly believed to be a cosmetic problem. It should be remembered that women every now and again have supplementary hair growth during both pregnancy and menopause. Additionally there are some diseases that have above average hair growth as a characteristic, but they are less common.

Dermatologists are continuing with their investigation into why this approach works but it appears that the laser creates heat damage to the hair follicle checking the growth of the particular strand of hair. This happens as a result of the laser being converted into heat as it travels through the skin and being absorbed into the target, the pigment melanin, that is found in the hair follicle. When the temperature reaches a high enough level in a hair follicle during its active period, the targeted hair properties are disabled, thus checking hair re-growth.

The results vary but in clinical trials periods of up to two years have been achieved before hair growth restarted.

Laser hair removal is a relatively gentle process it does not need chemical preparations or painful scraping or injections, it can be used on large areas of the body in a single treatment session.

Laser hair removal today is a very effective method of treatment for unwanted hair, ongoing research continues to improve the process. The ultimate goal is to achieve permanent removal of hair but this has not been achieved yet.

Also you should be aware that some people do experience side effect such as redness swelling and even burns, these are rare but they do happen. If you have any doubts about Laser Hair Removal you should take qualified advice before proceeding. The vast majority of people are very happy with the results they receive.