What's the biggest mistake people make when choosing to get laser hair removal?
There are a few big mistakes people make. Not seeing someone who is licensed or certified with experience, and not coming back enough times to complete the full treatment are the first two. The next is not really knowing what they are getting. 9/10 times it is IPL, NOT Laser.
What is IPL? IPL is a incoherent light source that uses many different wave lengths and scatters in the skin. (Imagine like a light bulb disperses in a room) Because the light disperses in the skin, it will pick up on pigments throughout your skin layers, meaning you cannot have IPL if you are tanned or have any dark skin background naturally. (IPL does not know the difference between pigment in skin or hair) It will burn and cause scarring, dark pigments or worse, on a tan or darker skin type.
Because it is so superficial, and the light energy is lost as it scatters, the heat doesn't get to the deep hairs and results in in-efficient job and a waste of money unfortunately, for some skin & hair types.
What is Laser? Laser is a coherent light, the energy will stay the same from the start to the end point (end point being the bottom of your hair follicle). There are many different types of Laser. Don't be fooled into thinking the cheapest is the best. Ask your laser technician about it and how long the wavelength is on this machine (the longer the better usually).
Here at Harleh Laser Clinic we use 1064 NdYAG and 755 Alexandrite, at a dual wavelength, this means we can use NdYAG for ALL skin types, from the lightest to the darkest skin, including tanned skin all year round completely safely.
Then we have the Alexandrite for those lighter more superficial hairs that sit higher in the skin. This technology is the latest advancement by Cutera and we proudly have the first machine to grace New Zealand. It is FDA & CE approved and very safe medical grade laser treatment.
You are in the best hands. And all of our therapist are fully qualified laser technicians.
How many treatments are usually necessary?
It varies from person to person. Typically, it requires no more than six to eight treatments. The process is only effective during your hairs' active growing cycle, [which is influenced by one's] hormones and genetics, so you will need to return for visits, 6-12weeks apart depending on how slow it is starting to grow back.
Because this is such a powerful laser light, we often find our clients spacing their treatments quite far apart as it can take some time for hair to grow back.
Does hair fall out instantly?
Some hair falls out instantly right after the treatment and some hair takes up to 10 days to fall out. The reason is because most hair follicles have more than one hair and when a beam of light (the laser) passes through the skin disabling the hair follicle, the hair that leaves the epidermis falls off instantly and the hair that is under the epidermis will take from five-to-10 days to leave the epidermis.
How do you know if laser hair removal is safe for your skin?
We always give a consultation before we treat a client so we can analyse the person's hair, skin type, and sensitivity while doing a patch test. And completely go through the in's and outs of Laser hair removal so you know exactly how it works on your particular hair growth. FREE consults available.
What areas of the body respond best to laser hair removal?
As long as the hair is dark or has some brownness to it, all areas respond well to laser.
How long should you go without shaving/waxing before you get laser?
To minimise the sensitivity of the skin, I recommend shaving two days before a laser treatment. If you're someone who waxes, go ten days - two weeks before your treatment. We will need to see the actual hair type prior to commencing treatment.
Is it true that you shouldn't be on antibiotics if you're getting laser?
It depends on what kind of antibiotics and how long you've been taking them. A person may become more sensitive to light while taking antibiotics, which is why it's recommended to talk to your physician before any laser treatment. There are most certainly medications that you will need to be off before having laser, this is what we will go through during your consultation.
Harleh Laser Clinic provide FREE consultations and test patches, and a full run through on everything for you, so you are completely comfortable with everything. Call for you free test patch today. 027 HARLEH1 (027 427 5341)
