SHOULD I EXPECT TO BE HAIR FREE IN THE TREATED AREA AFTER THE SERIES OF TREATMENTS?
NO! Most clients experience a 90 - 99% reduction in the amount of hair in a given area after the series of treatments, but should not expect to be 100% hair-free.

IS LASER HAIR REMOVAL PERMANENT?
Laser hair removal has been in use for some time, and stable, permanent hair loss has been reported for as far back as 9 years. The Candela Gentlelase instrument has been cleared by the FDA for permanent hair reduction.

WHY DOES HAIR APPEAR TO STILL BE THERE? WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT IS GROWING FOR 1-3 WEEKS AFTER THE LASER TREATMENT?
The laser does not remove the hair at the time of treatment but destroys the underlying hair follicle. The hair shaft itself will fall out, or “be shed”, approximately 1-3 weeks after treatment.

WHY DOES THE LASER NOT WORK AS WELL ON BLONDE, GRAY OR RED HAIR?
The laser energy interacts with the pigment or “melanin” in the hair root, and these hair colors either don’t have much or any melanin in them. If necessary, a pre-laser course of treatment may be necessary to reintroduce melanin into the hair follicles so that the laser treatment will be effective.

WHY MUST CLIENTS NOT USE ANY FORM OF EPILATION FOR 6 WEEKS PRIOR TO LASER TREATMENT?
The hair follicle must be present for the laser to work, so if the client has removed it with waxing, plucking or electrolysis, then there is nothing for the laser energy to target.

WHY MUST TANNING BE AVOIDED FOR 6 WEEKS BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT?
Melanin formation in the skin as a response to sun exposure, decreases the effectiveness of the treatment, as well as makes it more likely that the client may experience hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation or blistering from the treatment.

CAN ANY AREA OF THE BODY BE TREATED:
YES, with the exception of eyelashes due to the proximity of the eye.

DOES THE TREATMENT HURT?
In order to minimize discomfort, we use a topical anaesthetic on the areas of the body that will be treated. This is a cream that is applied 30 to 45 minutes before the laser treatment. In addition, the laser instrument itself will deliver a short spray of cooling agent, or “cryogen” that further anesthetizes the treatment area just before each laser pulse. The maximum reported discomfort is that the client feels as though a rubber band is snapping against the skin. Many clients claim to feel no discomfort at all. However, for each client, and at the start of each treatment, a single test pulse of laser energy will be applied to assess discomfort. If necessary, laser energy levels will be reduced to accommodate sensitivity.

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LASER HAIR REMOVAL?
Side effects can include blistering, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation or scarring. Risks of these side effects are minimized if treatment instructions are closely followed by the client. In addition, we often employ selective application of 100%, humidified oxygen following a laser treatment to further prevent any unwanted side effects.

HOW LONG DOES THE TREATMENT TAKE?
Depending upon the size of the area to be treated, the laser treatment may take as little as 5 minutes (for an upper lip) or as much as 2 hours (for a full back, full chest/stomach). The pre-treatment skin preparation (shaving, topical anaesthesia) will require 30-45 minutes and post-treatment oxygenation may take another 30 minutes.

HOW LONG WILL IT BE BEFORE I SEE NEW HAIR GROWTH IN THE TREATED AREA?
Depending on the individual, the treatment area and the treatment parameters used, it may take up to 2 months before any new hair growth is observed.

HOW LONG MUST I WAIT BETWEEN TREATMENTS?
Since it takes 6-8 weeks for new hair growth to be observed, we will not perform treatments any more often than two months. However, there is no maximum time limit between treatments. Waiting longer will have no effect on hair growth. If possible, we do ask you to return to the Aesthetics Center sometime between 4 and 8 weeks post-treatment so that we can assess hair growth patterns. This follow-up visit is free of charge and takes only a few minutes

WHY ISN’T ALL THE HAIR IN AN AREA TREATED AT THE SAME TIME?
At any time, 20 - 60% of the hair follicles in a body area are inactive or dormant and the laser will only affect the active follicles. It can take up to 2 months for some of the dormant follicles to be come active and produce hair. Depending upon the number of follicles that do activate following each laser treatment, more or fewer treatments will be required to achieve the desired results.