Laser hair removal employs the thermal effect created when melanin in the skin absorbs beams of light. The laser’s radiation causes permanent damage to the hairs in the active growth phase, effectively either stopping it from regrowing or making it thinner and lighter. Hair follicles in phases other than the growth phase are not affected at all, which is why the laser treatment needs to be repeated in 4 – 6 week intervals in order to destroy the hairs which were in the resting or regressing phase during the previous sessions.

Laser hair removal is most often used for removing hair in such areas as calves, thighs, upper lip and areas surrounding the mouth, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, groin and pubic areas (Brazilian hair removal). The treatment itself, depending on the area, may take from about a quarter to a few hours, and is completely painless.

Laser hair removal is so popular because:

• results are permanent and the procedure is safe
• in case of regrowths, the hairs are much thinner, lighter and there are fewer of them
• it is useful for removing hair from large areas
• the risk of complications is extremely low
• it saves time
• it has low global costs in comparision with many years of ineffective waxing, shaving or using creams

What is more, laser hair removal eliminates problems with skin irritation, which is often the unavoidable effect of traditional methods. Laser hair removal is also recommended for people with ingrowing hairs. Eliminating the source of the problem (i.e. the hairs growing into the skin, causing unaesthetic lumps) improves the condition of the skin and makes it remain smooth and beautiful.

Removing hair from pubic areas, legs, groins and other areas is a real nuisance if you do it constantly and stick to ineffective methods. Permanents laser hair removal is a time-tested, reputable solution and the world’s most popular non-surgical aesthetic procedure. Owing to laser technology, you can be sure it will be effective every time, regardless of whether it’s the pubic area or any other area of your body.

Laser hair removal must be preceded by a consultation performed by a cosmetologist or a doctor, during which you will be provided with the most important information about the treatment. Additionally, a laser test will be conducted in order to determine the optimal amount of radiation and to check how your skin reacts to the laser’s beam.

Safety precautions before a laser hair removal treatment:

• Do not pluck hairs at least two weeks before the treatment
• Shave and wash the skin before the treatment, but do not apply any creams to it
• The treatment can be performed after tanning, but it must be at least two weeks after the fresh tan faded.
• Do not use any hair removal creams for at least one week before the treatment. People with sensitive skin can be anaesthetized with EMLA cream.

Moreover, before the treatment, it also best to avoid:

• preparations containing common horsetail, hypericum and high concentration of green tea extracts
• medications that increase sensitivity to light
• herbs (especially preparations for strengthening hair and nails)
• peeling cosmetics
• preparations containing retinol, isotretinoin, vitamin C and fruit acids
• taking antibiotics less than a week before the treatment

In order to ensure optimal results of the laser hair removal treatment you need to follow our guideline for the time after the treatment or between the successive treatment sessions:

• The treatments need to be repeated after 4-10 weeks depending on how big the treated area is (longer breaks between the treatments can make the results worse).
• Do not tan for two weeks after the treatment.
• Use sunscreen with a UV filter (50 +).

Please bear in mind that both proper preparations for the treatment and the lack of any counterindications to performing it minimize the risk of complications and guarantee full satisfaction with the treatment.

Counterindications to laser hair removal treatments:

• Pregnancy
• Fresh tan. Freshly, strongly tanned skin contains big amounts of melanin, which absorbs the light emitted by the laser.
• Complications include discolorations, erythema and burns.
• Antibiotics
• Creams containing retinol. Please stop using those two weeks before the treatment.
• Medications which increase light sensitivity. Antibiotics, hormones (except for birth control pills), vitamin A derivatives and steroids can, in combination with the laser beam, produce discolorations. Please stop using them at least two weeks before the treatment.
• Herbs (hypericum, marigold, common horsetail). Please stop using them at least two weeks before the treatment.
• Waxing and plucking. Please stop using these methods at least two weeks before the treatment.
• Photodermatosis. People suffering from diseases causing increased sensitivity to light may experience skin irritation and even burns.
• Vitiligo, psoriasis, lichen planus, hypertension, open wounds, scars, diabetes.
• Peeling. Please stop using it at least one week before the treatment.
• Self-tanning lotion. Please stop using it at least two weeks before the treatment.
• Herpes in the active period.
• Artificial cardiac pacemaker.
• Skin inflammation.
• Allergy-related lesions.
• Epilepsy. People suffering from this disease may have a seizure caused by the contact with the laser beam.
• Skin pigment alterations. The influenced areas may be irritated by the laser beam, which can lead to dangerous complications.
• Neoplastic diseases. People suffering from neoplasia are under no circumstances allowed to undergo laser hair removal treatments since such procedures are an additional burden for the organism.
• White and gray hair. Such hairs contain no melanin, which is why they fail to absorb the laser’s light, rendering the treatment ineffective

The energy of the laser beam is absorbed by the hair’s dark pigment and transformed into thermal energy, which causes irreversible damage to the hair follicle.

The skin around the follicle is heated, but owing the technologically advanced laser tip cooling systems, its temperature is quickly brought back to safe levels. The temperature rising in the skin is a natural phenomenon and, after the treatment, it can cause skin irritation and reddening, which fades after 2-3 hours.
During a single treatment session, ca. 30% of hairs can be permanently removed, which is why the procedure needs to be repeated 3-4 times. This is because we can only destroy the hairs that are in the phase of active growth at the time of the treatment.

Laser hair removal is preceded by a consultation, during which we perform a detailed interview and determine your skin and hair type, as well as the amount of the laser’s energy to be used during the treatment. We also run a laser test on the area from which hairs are to be removed.

Skin types

Melanin in the epidermis absorbs solar energy and makes it significantly harder for the laser beam to penetrate the skin. Laser hair removal can be performed on people with either fair or dark complexion, but it is ineffective for people with gray or white hair.

The table below presents the maximum level of the laser’s power for particular skin phototypes:

Why a single treatment session is not enought

All hairs, regardless of their type, go through three separate growth phases:

• The active growth phase (anagen phase), which can last from 2 to 7 years. During this time the dermal papilla actively produces the cells which build the hair shaft. On areas such as the head, 80% of the hairs is in the anagen phase and they have sufficiently high levels of melanin.
• The regressing phase (catagen phase) usually lasts from 10 to 20 days. During this phase the hair stops growing, but it’s not falling out yet. It is estimated that in every moment ca. 3-4% of the hairs on the human body are going through this phase. The hair follicle shrinks, and the hair is being prepared for falling out.
• The resting phase (teleogen phase) can last up to several months. The hair falls out and a new one is beginning to form in its place. The hair’s root seperates from the bulb, which is why the follicle won’t be affected by the laser during this phase.

Laser hair removal brings best results when the hair is in the active growth phase. The follicles in the catagen or teleogen phase need to enter the anagen phase in order for the treatment to work, which is why a few sessions are required.

Moreover, not all hairs in the phase of active growth are destroyed during a single treatment session. Some of them shrink to the size of a vellus hair and undergo a prolonged resting phase. Some of the hair bulbs are only partially damaged and they, too, enter the resting phase, after which they regrow.

If we notice regrowing hair, the laser hair removal treatment needs to be repeated in order to eliminate them.

problem: excessive hair, problem with ingrowing hairs