Laser Hair Removal

If efforts to remove unwanted hair leave you with bumps, nicks, burns, or the hassles of repeated shaving, tweezing, or waxing, laser hair removal may be an option worth considering.

Laser hair removal is a technique that uses beams of highly concentrated light to penetrate the hair follicles. The light is absorbed by pigment in the hair follicles and destroys the hair within the follicle. Next to Botox injections, laser hair removal is the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the U.S.

Benefits of Laser Hair Removal
Lasers are useful for removing unwanted hair from the face, leg, arm, underarm, and bikini line as well as other areas where unsightly hair is a problem.

Benefits of laser hair removal include:

Precision. Lasers can selectively target dark, coarse hairs while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged.

Speed. Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time. The laser can treat an area approximately the size of a quarter every second. Small areas such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute, and large areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour.

Predictability. Ninety percent of patients have permanent hair loss after an average of three to five sessions.

How to Prepare for Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is more than just “zapping” unwanted hair; it is a medical procedure that requires training to perform and carries potential risks. Prior to having laser hair removal, you should thoroughly check the credentials of the doctor or technician performing the procedure.

Once you have planned laser hair removal, you should limit plucking, waxing, and electrolysis for six weeks before treatment. That's because the laser targets the hairs' roots, which are temporarily removed by waxing or plucking. You should also avoid sun exposure for six weeks before and after treatment. Sun exposure decreases the effectiveness of laser hair removal and increases the risk of complications following treatment.

What to Expect During Laser Hair Removal
Just before the procedure, the hair that will be undergoing treatment will be trimmed to just a few millimeters above the skin surface, and the laser equipment will be adjusted according to the color, thickness, and location of the hair being treated, as well as your skin color.

Depending on the laser or light source used, you and the technician will need to wear appropriate eye protection. It will also be necessary to protect the outer layers of the skin with a cold gel or special cooling device. This will help the laser light penetrate the skin.

Next, the operator will give a pulse of light to the treatment area and watch the area for several minutes to make sure the optimal parameters were used and to check for adverse reactions before proceeding. Depending on the area being treated, treatment time may range from 15 minutes to an hour.

Recovery and Risks

After treatment, the treated area of your skin will look and feel much like it is sunburned for a day or two. Cool compresses and moisturizers may help. Unless you experience blistering, you will be able to wear makeup the following day.

Over the next month, the treated hair will fall out. Wearing sunscreen for the following month will help prevent temporary changes in the color of the treated skin.

Blisters are rare, but are more likely in patients with darker complexions. Other potential side effects are swelling, redness, and scaring. Permanent scarring or changes in skin color are rare.

Costs of Laser Hair Removal

At the Institute of Facial & Cosmetic Surgery, the cost for laser hair removal varies widely, depending on the size of the area being treated and the time required for the treatment.

Because each person's pattern of hair growth is unique, it is difficult to predict exactly how many treatments will be needed to completely get rid of unwanted hair or the exact cost of doing so. For a better idea of the cost for your particular hair problem, you should schedule a consultation with our Skin Care Specialists.

When the procedure is completed, you may be given ice packs or aloe gels, anti-inflammatory creams or lotion, or water to relieve any discomfort. You may be scheduled for your next treatment four to six weeks later. Treatments will be repeated until hair growth stops.

Cosmetic Procedures and Wrinkles

We've all heard the clichés: Wrinkles are a roadmap of your life. But many of us would rather not be reminded of the distance we've traveled. What can you do? First, understand what causes wrinkles. Then, if you still want to reduce wrinkles, explore your treatment options.

What Causes Wrinkles?

The following factors are the most significant contributors to wrinkles:

Aging and Wrinkles

Wrinkles are a by-product of the aging process. With age, skin cells divide more slowly, and the inner layer, called the dermis, begins to thin. The network of elastin (the protein which causes skin to stretch) and collagen fibers (the major structural proteins in the skin), which support the outer layer, loosen and unravel, causing depressions on the surface. With aging, skin also loses its elasticity, is less able to retain moisture, oil-secreting glands are less efficient and the skin is slower to heal. All of these contribute to the development of wrinkles.

Facial Muscle Contractions

Lines between the eyebrows (frown lines) and lines jutting from the corner of the eyes (crows feet) are believed to develop because of small muscle contractions. Smiling, frowning, squinting and other habitual facial expressions cause these wrinkles to become more prominent. Over time, the expressions coupled with gravity contribute to the formation of jowls and drooping eyelids.

Sun Damage and Wrinkles

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (too much sun) can result in premature aging of skin. Premature aging of the skin is called photoaging. The ultraviolet sunrays that cause photoaging damage collagen fibers and cause the excessive production of abnormal elastin. When ultraviolet light damages skin tissue, an enzyme called metalloproteinase is produced. This enzyme creates and reforms collagen. During the process, however, some healthy collagen fibers are damaged, resulting in a disorganized formation of fibers called solar scars. Wrinkles develop when the rebuilding process occurs over and over.

Smoking and Wrinkles

Healthy skin perpetually regenerates. While old collagen is broken down and removed new collagen is produced. Researchers have found that smoke causes a marked reduction in the production of new collagen. A lack of new collagen results in the development of wrinkles.

What Are the Treatment Options for Wrinkles?

There are numerous over-the-counter treatment options for wrinkles, including various creams and lotions. Prescription treatments, including the retinoid creams  Renova and Retin-A, are also an option.

Removing skin layers to reduce wrinkles or irregular depressions is an effective way to regain smoother, more youthful looking skin. Dermabrasion (scraping layers away) and chemical peels (dissolving skin away) are two of the traditional methods used in skin resurfacing. Laser skin resurfacing with an ablative laser (such as an erbium or carbon dioxide laser) is another technique that, like dermabrasion and deeper chemical peels, may require some downtime during the healing process.

Other lasers, known as non-ablative lasers, may also be beneficial in treating wrinkles. These lasers work by heating the dermis and stimulating collagen growth. This process, which leaves the outer layers of skin intact, has no downtime associated with it. However, the results are not as dramatic as the ablative lasers which actually remove the surface layers of skin.

Botox collagen and other injections are the additional techniques available to help minimize wrinkles.

If you are considering treatment for your wrinkles, ask Dr. Kennedy which procedure is right for you. There is no replacement for your doctor's professional advice. Each person has his or her own individual needs; similarly, each procedure fulfills its own specific need.

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Eat Your Vitamins

Your antiaging cream may contain vitamin C or E. Put these antioxidants to work from the inside, too. Eating foods rich in these vitamins, plus the mineral selenium, can help protect your skin against sun damage. They may even help reverse signs of aging, like wrinkles and skin discoloration.

How to care for Aging Skin

As you age, your skin changes. Your body doesn't produce as much collagen, and the elastin that allows skin to spring back into place gets weaker. You also don't create or lose skin cells as fast. To boost aging skin, exfoliate to remove dead skin, use a nondrying soap, and moisturize often. Use Obagi Skin Care care products to reduce fine wrinkles, or ask our esthetician about what would work best for you.