Hair Removal

Millions of men and women with unwanted body hair spend countless hours on temporary hair removal methods such as shaving, waxing, applying chemical depilatories, and tweezing. A traditional semi-permanent method, electrolysis, cauterizes and destroys each individual hair follicle, but this procedure is painful, tedious, and very time-consuming. 

Hair removal is an effective new treatment. The treatment works by sending energy into the pigment of the hair shaft, which is absorbed by the surrounding follicle. The heat generated by this process damages the follicle and stops hair production. Hair removal is appropriate for any area where there is excess hair. Since it works on more than one follicle at a time, larger areas like the back, arms or legs are just as easily treatable as smaller areas like the upper lip or bikini line.

Although the FDA has approved several types of treatments for permanent hair reduction, results can vary. Each individual has a different metabolism, hormonal level, hair quality and number of hair follicles, all of which can influence the outcome. Moreover, normal hair goes through a growth cycle in three stages: the anagen, or growing phase; the telogen, or resting phase; and the catagen, or transitional phase. During the anagen phase, hair is susceptible to the energy, but during the telogen and catagen phases, it is resistant. At any one time, various percentages of body hair will be in each of these phases, making complete removal unlikely without multiple sessions.

Following the procedure the area may be red or swollen, as if mildly sunburned. We may prescribe a topical cream to soothe the skin.  Although you can resume your normal activities, you should avoid exposing the treated area to the sun. Clean the area with mild soap and water and do not use any products that may irritate the skin (such as Retin-A or astringents).

You’ll notice hair “growing” in the area within ten days of your treatment. This is actually the damaged hair falling out, rather than re-growth. You may shave these hairs if they bother you, but do not wax, tweeze, or bleach hairs between sessions.

If you have a dark complexion, you may notice a temporary lightening of the skin in the area. Although most of our patients are satisfied with the results of hair removal, it is impossible to predict the success of the treatment for each individual. The resiliency of hair follicles in different parts of the body and in different individuals can vary widely. Multiple treatments are usually needed to remove hair permanently and in some cases complete hair removal is never achieved. However, even in these cases, you should have fewer hairs in the treated area than you would have had if you hadn’t had the procedure.