Regularly waxing, shaving, or threading your unwanted body and facial hair can cause you to develop rashes, ingrown hairs, and other uncomfortable skin issues. If you’re looking for a better way to remove your unwanted hair, you might benefit from receiving laser hair removal treatments. At Nunnally Dermatology in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we can use a sophisticated laser system to give you smooth, hair-free skin.
Certain types of hair are more difficult to remove than others, and your treatment plan will be impacted by the thickness, texture, and color of your unwanted hair.
You will probably need to receive multiple laser hair removal sessions to effectively address this problem, and we are likely to perform up to six laser treatments on the hair in your target area.
The effectiveness of your laser treatments is impacted by the growth cycle of your hair. Each of your individual hairs grows in a three-stage cycle.
During the anagen stage, your hair will actively grow. During the catagen stage, your hair follicle will begin to shrink. During the telogen stage, your hair will fall out and the cycle will begin again.
Each of your hairs will enter different stages of this growth cycle at different times. Laser treatments fix your unwanted hair by using energy to target the melanin in your hair follicles. This laser energy will reduce your hair growth by destroying or damaging these follicles.
Laser energy is only able to treat the individual hairs that are in the anagen stage of your growth cycle. Receiving multiple treatment sessions over a period of several months will allow you to target a larger number of hairs when they are actively growing. As you continue to receive laser treatments, the thickness and visibility of your unwanted hairs will gradually decrease.
Unwanted body or facial hair is a common problem, and it usually doesn’t indicate that a person is suffering from a health issue or other medical condition. For example, it’s very normal for women to have unwanted hair on their legs and underarms.
However, under some circumstances, excessive hair growth can be a sign that a person is suffering from a medical issue. For example, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, also known as PCOS, is a hormonal condition that can cause you to have irregular periods, severe acne, and other issues. PCOS can cause you to develop excessive hair on your face or body. In addition, taking certain medications, going through menopause, or having hormonal imbalances can cause your hair to grow more quickly.
If your unwanted hair is related to a medical issue, you should have an endocrinologist or dermatologist treat this problem before you consider using laser hair removal treatments or other cosmetic methods. Treating your medical issues will decrease your excessive hair growth and improve your general health.
This is a flexible treatment that can be used to remove hair on almost any location on the body. Women frequently use laser treatments to eliminate unwanted hair on their legs, bikini lines, and underarms. Further, women often use this hair removal method to treat unwanted hair on their chins or upper lips. Men are likely to use this treatment to eliminate hair from their necks, chests, or backs.
Although this is a very versatile treatment, it cannot remove hair around the eyes. Further, laser treatments may have difficulty removing unwanted hair that is white or very light blond.
Many people are reluctant to use hair removal treatments because they believe that they will have to stop shaving their unwanted hair for several weeks before their appointments. Fortunately, this belief is not accurate, and you don’t have to grow out your hair.
Since this treatment targets actively growing hairs, you cannot completely remove your unwanted hair before your appointment. Accordingly, you should not wax or pluck the hair in your target area for several weeks.
You can shave your unwanted hair during this time, however. In fact, to enable our laser to effectively target your hair follicles, you should shave your treatment area about twenty-four hours before your appointment.
Since our laser will target pigmentation, you do not want to develop a tan or a sunburn before your treatment. To protect your skin, you should avoid exposure to the sun’s harmful ultra-violet rays while you are preparing for your laser treatment. You also should not use tanning beds for several weeks.
The length of your appointment will depend on the amount of unwanted hair that you want to remove. If you would like to remove a small area of unwanted hair from your chin or upper lip, your laser treatment might take a couple of minutes. If you are targeting a larger amount of hair on your legs or back, your treatment might take up to sixty minutes to complete.
We will make sure that you are at ease throughout your entire laser session. To achieve this goal, we will begin your treatment by giving you eye protection to wear. Next, we will use our specialized laser to send energy into your hair follicles. To keep you comfortable and enable you to achieve favorable results, we will adjust the laser energy to fit your hair and skin type.
Since we will adapt your laser session to suit individual needs, you will not have a lengthy period of downtime. Instead, you will immediately be able to resume performing your normal duties at home and at work.
To ensure that you achieve good results from your treatment, you should follow all of our aftercare instructions. For example, we may tell you to apply a moisturizer to your skin. Further, if you treated unwanted hairs on your chin or upper lip, you might not be able to wear makeup for about twenty-four hours. You will also need to avoid tweezing or waxing your hair as you complete the rest of your laser sessions.
To ensure that we are able to target a large number of your actively growing hairs, you’ll need to wait several weeks between each treatment. Although you’ll receive a customized hair removal plan, we are likely to advise you to wait at least a month between each laser session.
Our laser will damage the hair follicles that are actively growing at the time of your appointment. After we transmit the laser energy into these hairs, the blood flow to these hair follicles will lessen and your hair growth will decrease.
Since the effect of these treatments is cumulative, the appearance of your unwanted hair will improve as you continue to receive additional laser treatments. This process is likely to take a couple of months to complete.
Laser treatments create lasting reductions in your unwanted hair, and the skin in your treatment area may be smooth and hair-free for years after you complete your treatment plan.
That said, this treatment might not eliminate all of the hair in your desired location, and you might experience some regrowth in the future. These new hairs are likely to be finer and less visible. If this regrowth bothers you, you can address this issue by getting periodic laser maintenance treatments.
You’ll need to protect your skin from excessive sun exposure before and after each of your laser treatments. As a result, it’s common to receive your laser treatments during the fall or winter months. Receiving your treatments during this time will make it easier for you to avoid exposing your skin to the sun. Further, you’ll be able to enjoy attractive, hair-free skin when you visit the beach or other sunny locations during the summer.
That said, if you are willing to avoid summertime activities that could expose your skin to excessive sunlight, you might be able to receive this treatment during the summer months. During your first meeting with us, we will tell you how to protect your skin and safely receive this laser treatment during the summer.
In addition to laser treatments, we can use Intense Pulsed Light treatments to eliminate your unwanted hair.
Lasers use energy that has a single wavelength to affect the melanin in your hair follicles. In contrast, Intense Pulsed Light treatments, commonly known as IPL treatments, use intense light energy that has a spectrum of different wavelengths. As your follicles absorb this energy, they will become hotter and the cells that enable your body to grow new hair will be damaged.
Like lasers, IPL systems target actively growing hairs. To significantly decrease your unwanted hair, you’ll need to receive a series of IPL treatments. You are likely to see meaningful changes in your hair after you receive four to eight IPL treatments.
IPL and laser treatments each have unique benefits. For example, laser treatments are a good way to achieve fast results, while IPL treatments can be an ideal technique for treating sensitive skin. When you have your initial meeting with us, we’ll tell you more about these options and work with you to select a suitable hair removal method.
You should never perform a laser treatment on yourself. Since you lack training and experience, you will not be able to perform your laser hair removal treatments in a safe manner. As a result, you are likely to develop scars and burns on your skin. Further, you could create permanent changes in the color of your skin. The energy emitted by the laser could also damage your eyes.
We use an advanced laser that is designed to target your unwanted hair without burning your skin or causing you to develop other issues. Further, our trained medical professionals will monitor the condition of your skin throughout your laser appointment.
You shouldn’t have to spend your leisure time shaving, waxing, or using other techniques to address your unwanted hair. Instead of using laborious methods that are likely to irritate your skin, you should fix this issue with professional hair laser removal treatments. To schedule a consultation about this treatment, contact us at Nunnally Dermatology in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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