The way to hairless-skin is now much easier:
Almost our entire body is covered with hair. Most of it is fine and pale, however, most of us have darker, coarse, hair in places we wouldn’t want or expect.
It may be a question of aesthetics or hygiene; in any case, this excess body hair is often considered as embarrassing and bothersome, especially in places like legs, bikini line, neck, arms and armpits, chest and back.
Laser/IPL hair removal is becoming more and more mainstream, with women as well as men looking for permanent solutions to unwanted hair growth. It is the most sought-after aesthetic treatment in the UK and the world over.
Until the concept of laser and IPL hair removal came about, the accepted ways to remove unwanted hair were by shaving, plucking, waxing or cream. These treatments, whilst been non-permanent, can also be quite painful and can lead to skin irritation and infection.
Laser and IPL hair removal has now become an accepted solution and with advancements in technology become more efficient, less painful and more affordable. Laser and IPL hair removal is also performed for the treatment of in-growing hairs.
Whether you are using a laser or an IPL system for hair removal, the principle is the same. The laser / Intense Pulsed Light energy targets the melanin in the hair follicle, which transmits energy into the hair follicle thus destroying it.
Different types of laser systems use a different wavelength to target the melanin, with some of the most popular laser wavelengths being:
- Diode lasers - 808nm
- Nd:Yag laser - 1064nm
- Alexandrite laser - 755nm
NOTE:
IPL’s transmit a broad spectrum of wavelengths which have to be filtered down to a desired wavelength band.
(See the Laser Market’s free download to better understand the difference between IPL and Laser systems)
Each one of the discrete laser wavelengths has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Laser manufacturers also incorporate a variety of proprietary technologies and advancements to make optimal use of the transmitted wavelengths, so finding the perfect solution that meets your business needs are never easy.
It is also worth remembering that no matter what system you are using, hair grows in cycles and, since hair removal treatment only works during the active growing phase, it can take a number of treatments to achieve your desired results.
Additionally; the more hair removal treatments given, the longer the gap which should be left between them. This ensures that you are targeting the maximum number of hair follicles at any given time.
Example of a typical hair removal regime.
Treatment 1
Treatment 2 4 - 6 weeks later
Treatment 3 4 - 6 weeks later
Treatment 4 8 weeks later
Treatment 5 8 weeks later
Treatment 6 12 weeks later
Using this technique, patients are likely to get longer lasting results than the conventional treatment every 6 weeks. Clients should be advised that the first few treatments will see the most dramatic results ie treatment 1 can see 50% reduction.
Other factors that can affect the outcome of results are:
- Number of follicles
- Metabolism of patient
- Hormone level
- Location of hair
- Colour of hair
- Thickness of hair
The darker the hair, and the courser the hair, the easier it is to remove.
Selecting a Laser for Hair Removal
Now, let’s take a look at some of the hair-removal lasers on the market to try to assess the good from the not-so-good:
A few things to remember when looking at this list.
- You will see a lot of Diode laser that claim to be able to treat dark skin types ie 5-6. - The gold standard for these skin types is 1064nm Nd:YAG and if you are going to treat dark skin with these profiles please be very careful.
- 1064nm laser claims to treat light skins. Some 1064nm lasers are better than others in this respect because of the technology they have within the systems. So whilst hey may not be the gold standard they can get very good results.
- Lasers are expensive purchases, so buying a laser that permits you to perform the most additional applications without additional costs, rather than a system that only caters for hair-removal, can only be a good point for your business
- Ongoing costs and warranty are very important in looking at the value for money.
- Up front costs should also pay an important part of your consideration.
To try to identify which lasers represent best value for money, the Laser Market has tabulated a scoring system for many of the key players in the field. Points out of 10 are awarded for a variety of features. The higher the score, the better we feel the laser is for Hair Removal.
Additional points are awarded for clinical results, equipment reputation and clinical research.
In total, 100 points are available, allowing us to provide a percentage score for each system
The best all round systems for hair removal as well as taking account of other factors have achieved a score of above 80%. They are:
Also worth a mention is the Alma Soprano Ice, regarded as one fo the gold standards by many, and a model that can be sourced through the Laser Market!
(Click to see a full copy the Laser Markets' Hair Removal System Scoring template)
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